What did I do to deserve this??

Nipped past after work to inspect tiling & plastering that’s currently going on, literally days before I move in. All very nice, feeling really quite happy for the first time, sigh of releif….

*drip*

Stay still for a minute in fear…

*drip*

Oh no….

Cue running down stairs, finding puddle & tracing back.

Initially thought it was the isolation valve on bog, as water was weeping out of the top, down into living room, but it’s actually coming further up the supply, from inside the nut that goes into cistern.

This supply pipe is at a really tight angle, the arsehole of a plumber that installed it, used the old basin pipe and just stretched this across to fit.

So, water is now off and I need to source something flexible sharpish, to remove the strain that I assume is causing the leak, but I’m not really sure what I need or what sizes?

I know that it’s a 15mm pipe, but no idea what size the thread is going into the toilet (instructions didn’t specify).

Also, should I fit onto isolation valve, or just bypass it now?

(..and I would just pay a plumber, if I knew a decent one in the area)

Ta (Couldn’t take a pic of the bit going into cistern that’s leaking, but it’s just up from here)

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You need a 15mm to 1/2″ flexi. Should be able to get one from B&Q. Cut the pipe off an inch or two above the iso valve and it’ll be compression onto there and then screw onto bottom of ball valve. You could do away with iso valve and get a flexi with one built in but you’d need water off at the stopcock.

Ball valve may, if it’s a weird one be 3/8″ but it’s not very common.

One of these

Edit: would normally recommend a merchant but B&Q is open til 8pm

as above, looks like a small bit of reinforced hose, compression nuts each end, also screwfix and toolstation and wickes sell them.

Got one on my shower no problems at all.

Dont forget to put the rubber washer in the female end.

Ah, thanks Matt (& Project) – reasuringly simple answer.

Does the female that’s going into cistern require much tightening; i.e how many turns after hand tight? (don’t want to crush the washer project refers to)

Also, B&Q says “The use of potable jointing paste is strongly recommended”

Um, is it?

Hand tight then a bit more,check fr leaks after flushing a few times.

…and top tip from my plumbing advisor when I was making all the same mistakes that you are, was ‘It’s only water, it will dry’.

I connected my combi driven shower, then the hot water pipe came off after I’d tiled it all. The kitchen was flooded with nice hot water for about an hour. It dries, it’s all fixable.

You will develop a Zen like approach after a while.

It’s whether it now dries and borks the laminate flooring I’m worried about now, which will mean wall tiles off that have been on for..oh, one day!

For an easy life, just turn off the isolator that’s there already. Remove the pipe that goes to the cistern and replace with a 1/2 – 1/2 flexi. They’re about 2 quid at screwfix. It’ll take you no more than 2 mins. When you fit it, DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN THE NUT! Hand tighten with a glove on Is sufficient. Any more than that and you risk damaging the washer, causing a further leak in the future. I guarantee this will happen the day you leave for a 2 week holiday.

i d cut the iv and pipe above out and replace with a flexy with intregal iv direct to the valve tail.. hand tight plus a couple of flats will mre than do..

Why would you need potable jointing paste on a supply to the bog 😯

You don’t need jointing paste on the female nuts with captive rubber washers. The thing you’re referring to from b&q was a compression nut and olive on one end. That’s the bit that would benefit from jointing paste. If it’s on anything that’s connected to the cold water supply it needs to be potable.

^^ B&Q have certainly learned that their prices were too high as I was expecting that to be >£10.

Flexi hoses are perfect for this kind of thing and fitting taps. They look smarter than copper pipe.

I don’t normally use any jointing stuff but I bought a tub of this when I had one problematic joint and will use it all the time from now on: http://www.screwfix.com/p/fernox-water-hawk-400g/21548#product_additional_details_container

Deleted. I misread your post. Carry on.