LeanTwo Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 I'm going to fit a single mixer tap to my kitchen sink when it arrives but wanted to get started on the required plumbing. With separate hot and cold taps, they seem to be a fairly standard 180mm apart. However, if I'm supplying hot and cold water to a mixer then how close should the feed pipes be? Is there a recognised standard? Maybe there are flexible connectors available so it's not so important to set a precise distance? Will I need to have a balance between the hot and cold supply pressures or will the tap do this for me? Any information or advice would be great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 No standard as far as I know plus they'll be hidden. Give yourself space to wield tools. Presume you'll be going with flexis from the mono to the hot/cold pipes coming up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeanTwo Posted February 10, 2018 Author Share Posted February 10, 2018 Thanks for the reply Onoff. I've just seen some flexible connectors, with a built-in isolating valve from Wicks online. 500mm long so should do the job well. Any advice on balancing pressures or including a non-return valve in the system? https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Flexible-Compression-Connector-With-Isolating-Valve---15-x-12-x-500mm/p/160137 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 22 minutes ago, LeanTwo said: Thanks for the reply Onoff. I've just seen some flexible connectors, with a built-in isolating valve from Wicks online. 500mm long so should do the job well. https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Flexible-Compression-Connector-With-Isolating-Valve---15-x-12-x-500mm/p/160137 If your buying a mixer tap it'll likely be supplied with 10mm x 1/2" flexis. Hold off buying anything until you get the tap. 22 minutes ago, LeanTwo said: Any advice on balancing pressures Do you have a combi / UVC? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeanTwo Posted February 10, 2018 Author Share Posted February 10, 2018 Thanks for the reply Nickfromwales and yes, I'll hold off buying until I get the tap! We heat water on Economy 7, plus with a small water jacket on our multi-fuel stove to top this up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 1 hour ago, LeanTwo said: Thanks for the reply Nickfromwales and yes, I'll hold off buying until I get the tap! We heat water on Economy 7, plus with a small water jacket on our multi-fuel stove to top this up. Is the hot water from a copper cylinder with tanks in the attic aka a vented / open-pipe gravity system? If so you will need a mixer tap that separates the hot and cold water all the way to the open mouth of the spout. If the hot and cold are able to mix in the tap body then you may get issues with poor performance of the hot flow as it'll be fighting against cold which will be at mains pressure. A non-return valve on the hot may cause the issues its meant to cure as it'll also act as a restrictor. In a bungalow for eg you would already be minus around 0.8 - 1 bar of head ( pressure ) so you'll need to ask questions prior to purchase Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeanTwo Posted February 10, 2018 Author Share Posted February 10, 2018 Thanks Nick, very helpful. Yes, It's an open, vented system. Mains pressure isn't exactly explosive here but higher than my hot water pressure. I'll have a word with my plumbing supplier when I buy the tap. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 I'm desperate to AVOID a UVC. Don't want somebody having to come in every year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpmiller Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 copper TS ftw then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 18 minutes ago, dpmiller said: copper TS ftw then. Why not a Sunamp or buffer tank? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpmiller Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 sunamp's a bit pricey, no? And in the context of this thread I can't see how a buffer tank would help with improving pressure and flow at the taps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Temp Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 If the tap is a mono block some are supplied with "rigid" copper tails that are almost touching each other. These can be bent/ splayed apart enough so you can use isolation valves with compression fittings to connect them up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC45 Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 Bent one - screw it up and then the second straight one. Trimming them different length gives more room for fittings as well. Not much room to fiddle normally! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeanTwo Posted February 12, 2018 Author Share Posted February 12, 2018 Sorry to ask after all these helpful comments but can someone just do a bit of jargon busting for me? What are: UVC Copper TS ftw Sunmap Buffer tank. Many thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 29 minutes ago, LeanTwo said: Sorry to ask after all these helpful comments but can someone just do a bit of jargon busting for me? What are: UVC Copper TS ftw Sunmap Buffer tank. Many thanks! There's a glossary and abbreviations thread that may help: but to answer directly: UVC - UnVented Cylinder - a hot water cylinder that runs at mains pressure, or regulated mains pressure. Copper TS - Copper Thermal Store, a form of hot water storage that has the hot water isolated from the hot water pipe work and includes a heat exchanger to transfer heat from the stored hot water to the mains pressure hot water supplied to the taps. ftw - not at all sure, I need to look it up! Sunamp - a company that make a range of phase change material heat batteries, in various forms. They are much smaller than a water filled thermal store and have much lower heat losses. Buffer tank - A water tank, like a small hot water cylinder, that provides a buffer into which a heat source can run, and from which heat can be drawn for something like underfloor heating. Having one on a low water volume system may be essential if the heat source cannot modulate down to a low enough level for the lowest heat demand, without going into a short cycling prevention mode. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
divorcingjack Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 ftw - for the win! not building related, for once Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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