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Post by jcplumb on Jun 17, 2020 20:19:37 GMT
I fitted a bath about 3 years ago and used a John Guest Flexi tap connector, there was just no room to use anything else down the 3 inches of gap that I had to work in. Fitted it perfectly, bit of a bend on it but no kinks or twists. Got called out today to address a leak, when I got there part of the ceiling under the bath had come through and lots of stuff was sopping wet under where the leak had come through. The flexi had burst, looking at it there were about 5 corrosion spots on it that would burst sooner or later, bloody good job it happened when someone was in to turn the water off. It was pretty much a full flow leak. Here's the offending flexi.  |
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Post by tomplum on Jun 17, 2020 20:31:24 GMT
I've always been worried about those flexi connectors, modern day bathrooms cannot be fitted without them so, there are 100's of 1000,s out there ready to do the same, Lots of work for future plumbers,,  |
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Post by jcplumb on Jun 17, 2020 20:46:30 GMT
When I fitted the bath they were going to fit the panel so I left it off and also left them to connect the supporting struts for both front corners, they either weren't fitted or were fitted badly because they were hanging off when I got there, so the bath moved at the corner. So the silicone seals failed periodically and the customer sorted it themselves over the years but didn't fix the struts.
Anyroad, my guess is that this flexi had been dripped on for long enough to corrode the steel braiding from where the silicone kept failing. It's the only explanation I can think of.
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Post by battle1066 on Jun 17, 2020 21:06:12 GMT
I fitted a bath about 3 years ago and used a John Guest Flexi tap connector, there was just no room to use anything else down the 3 inches of gap that I had to work in. Fitted it perfectly, bit of a bend on it but no kinks or twists. Got called out today to address a leak, when I got there part of the ceiling under the bath had come through and lots of stuff was sopping wet under where the leak had come through. The flexi had burst, looking at it there were about 5 corrosion spots on it that would burst sooner or later, bloody good job it happened when someone was in to turn the water off. It was pretty much a full flow leak. Here's the offending Personally I hate the whole cheaply made flexi's, they'll always will be a come back nightmare. I've not had or seen any flexis fail (when access allows twist free and smooth bend install) for years but before that they failed on testing! However, I've seen plenty devastation from toilet flexi's failing because there hidden and get twisted simply because consealed pans cause crazy problems! |
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Post by battle1066 on Jun 17, 2020 21:12:11 GMT
When I fitted the bath they were going to fit the panel so I left it off and also left them to connect the supporting struts for both front corners, they either weren't fitted or were fitted badly because they were hanging off when I got there, so the bath moved at the corner. So the silicone seals failed periodically and the customer sorted it themselves over the years but didn't fix the struts. Anyroad, my guess is that this flexi had been dripped on for long enough to corrode the steel braiding from where the silicone kept failing. It's the only explanation I can think of. Your diagnoses Make sense but this product needs to be top quality stainless not the crap the supplies are releasing, it should be 316 grade cause the damage bills are sky high! |
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Post by tomplum on Jun 17, 2020 21:12:43 GMT
basicly they are a thin rubber tube, reinforced by a steel braiding, once the reinforced steel rots, you're going to get a flood  |
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Post by dickpuller on Jun 18, 2020 9:00:22 GMT
My guess is Flux got onto the Stainless Steel, it’ll rot through Stainless no problem!!
I hate flexis, but needs must at times, but hey, there’s no product that’s fool proof, anything will corrode, burst or leak - given the wrong condition.
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Post by crowsfoot on Jun 18, 2020 9:15:12 GMT
Once the braiding breaks down the rubber hose swells up though the break just like an inflatable balloon then bursts with a bang.
I've seen a few of these go like this,however, it's usually were the flex as been bent over really sharply.
Jc's explanation makes a lot of sense and you have to wonder how these corrodible braided steel flexi's ever got approved for use in the UK.
I'm currently only allowed to use the speedfit JG ones - yet they have steel tap connectors on them!
If the tap comes supplied with braided flexi's - then I'm also allowed to fit them!!
I do think this is of my firms policy and not the actual water regulations.
Quite worrying though when you think of the amount of braided flexi's that have been fitted over the last 20 years.
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Post by tomplum on Jun 18, 2020 20:41:04 GMT
plumbers of our vintage steered clear of them for a very long time but, as all these new hidden pipe installations came about, there s no other way to plumb them in, So we had to comply, I had many sleepless nights when i first used them and after a dozen jobs i thought, " why the fuck am i bothered" no one else seems to, and the next thing you know, you've got your head round it and, Its just another day, flexi's make the job easy and quicker and have become acceptable, not our choice, why worry, If they bust, its a product failure, not the plumbers fault,  |
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Post by battle1066 on Jun 18, 2020 21:21:13 GMT
plumbers of our vintage steered clear of them for a very long time but, as all these new hidden pipe installations came about, there s no other way to plumb them in, So we had to comply, I had many sleepless nights when i first used them and after a dozen jobs i thought, " why the fuck am i bothered" no one else seems to, and the next thing you know, you've got your head round it and, Its just another day, flexi's make the job easy and quicker and have become acceptable, not our choice, why worry, If they bust, its a product failure, not the plumbers fault,  I know but the damage is fucking serious when they fail and it's always a gusher never a damp patch! |
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Post by tomplum on Jun 18, 2020 21:26:03 GMT
thats true battle but as said, product failure on the claims form, is much better than plumber negligence, |
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Post by rocketmanbkk on Jun 19, 2020 16:02:47 GMT
Was the customer ok?
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Post by jcplumb on Jun 20, 2020 16:33:05 GMT
Yeah, my initial thought was that they'd see it as my mistake but the husband is an engineer and we looked together at the failed flexi and there were no signs that it had ever twisted or kinked so we put it down to the silicone failure which was their responsibility. If they'd have fitted the supports properly there would have been no movement to make the silicone fail so badly and the flexi wouldn't have had years of drips on the same spots slowly corroding the braiding. I was very fortunate to have a sensible customer. |
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