kitchen sink tap help

[moghm]

Hi Guys,


My kitchen taps are on their way out, i.e. leaking, and not very nice to look at. These are of the old design and by this i mean, they are mixer taps, but the hot and cold taps are far apart. Lidl are doing a mixer tap for 15 quid which looks ok. The problem is that my sink has 2 holes i.e. one for the cold pipe and one for the hot.

The mixer tap from lidl only needs one hole. So, do you think its possible to fit this lidl tap and somehow block the other hole in the sink when I take the old taps off ?

Are these lidl taps any good: http://www.lidl.co.uk/uk/home.nsf/pages/c.o.20080204.p.Kitchen_Sink_Mixer_Tap.ar7

thanks for your help.

 

[jjfresh66]

~Taps look ok muka - ones from Netto much better though LOL
gigling to myself ignore me.

 

[haveagoyourself]

Hi Moghm,taps look ok from Lidl.The 2nd hole in your sink can be blocked with a tap hole stopper from Screwfix.I would also buy a pair of flexi tap tails as they are much easier to fit than a solder joint,especially under the sink.Don't forget to fit your service valves for future maintenance.
Good Luck

 

[moghm]

thanks for the advice, i'll check screwfix. I am pretty sure that the taps come with the flexible tails, but will check these out.

You've got me with the service valves, what are they and why are they used ?

 

[haveagoyourself]

Service valves,isolating valves or ball valves look like this http://www.screwfix.co.uk/prods/67670/Plumbing/Brassware/Isolating-Valve-15mm
They are used to isolate the main supply of water hot or cold from the plumbing maintenance or repair you need to do.They have compression fittings either end and fit on the water supply pipe.

 

[TicklyT]

Make sure whatever tap(s) you select are suitable for your hot water system. A high pressure tap on a gravity system will only deliver a dribble of hot water.

 

[JohnD]

you will probably find the new tap has inlet pipes the size of a pencil, so obviously the flow will be a lot worse.your link doesn't work but I think you mean this one

have you got a combi boiler or a hot water cylinder?

 

[moghm]

Hi JohnD,

Yep, thats the tap I mean. I have a Vaillant combi central heating system. The pressure is actually very good, for both hot and cold. SO, do you think this tap will be sutiable ?

Thanks haveago, now i know what u mean by service valves.

 

[JohnD]

as you have mains pressure hot and cold, it will work OK, though flow will be less than from your old tap.

 

[moghm]

hi guys,

thanks for all the advice and info. I have bought the taps and they actually have fixed copper pipes which tapered/slight become narrower at the end. My question is can these tap tails be cut to the required size, what is the function of the pipes becoming slightly tapered at the very end ? The reason I am asking this is that if I cut these pipes to size, will the fact that the tapered end not remianing cause a problem when trying to connect these up ?

Also, the water pipes I am connecting to are the bendy ones, not flexible. They look like corrugated copper pipes that can be bent. How much can these pipes be bent to make them fit ?

Sorry for all the questions, a newbie here with regards to plumbing.

many thanks