Capping bath water pipes

[rfisher]

What's the easiest way to cap off bath water pipes?

I've got them attached to the bath taps at the moment (bath is out) but I need to take the taps off the pipes to seat back onto the bath.

I've turned off the hot and cold feed valves in the airing cupboard but the cold supply is still dripping a bit so I can't leave the pipe open.

Or capping even.

Edited by rfisher on Wednesday 29th April 14:11

[Simpo Two]

Push-fit stop ends - probably 22mm.

[mk1fan]

A stop-end. £2ish from a hardware store.

[rfisher]

Thanks.

Nut is 30mm so I think the pipes may be 25mm.

Is that unusual or would 22mm pipes have a 30mm nut?

[mk1fan]

How old is the pipework? I'd assume that a bathroom plumbed in the last 15-years would be metric therefore 15, 22 or (possibly) 28 or 35mm. You could always measure the diameter of the pipe.

[allegro]

Just put some isolating valves on, job done. Also handy if you ever need to fettle with the taps, saves you having to drain the system and possibly getting trapped air.

[Gingerbread Man]

Have you cut the copper pipes leading to the bath? If so then you can cap them off with a pushfit stop end. Should be 22mm or 3/4".


If you have just undone the nut connecting the copper to the tap, you'll be left with this -



You can't put a pushfit cap end on this as it's a tap connector.

As Allegro says, it's good practice to put a service valve on lower down. A simple quarter turn with a flat blade and it isolates the supply.




Ohhhh, open the downstairs basin tap/ anything connected to the same water tank. This'll hopefully help with the dripping!

Edited by Gingerbread Man on Wednesday 29th April 16:25

[mk1fan]

But you can fit a compression stop end though.

Isolation valves would be a good idea.

[rfisher]

Yes I've undone the taps so I've got 2 pipes with those tap connectors on the ends.

I presume that they're good old 3/4 BSP (British Standard Pipe) size jobbies?

What's the best way to plug them?

[pies]

washing machine isolating valves

[mk1fan]

Have you read any of the replies????

Fit compression isolations valves.

Fit a compression stop end.

Or are you meaning how do I do this?

[Gingerbread Man]

rfisher said:

Yes I've undone the taps so I've got 2 pipes with those tap connectors on the ends.

I presume that they're good old 3/4 BSP (British Standard Pipe) size jobbies?

What's the best way to plug them?

Did opening a ground floor tap help the dripping?

I'm not sure if a compression cap end will work. These require an olive to compress and create the seal. Tap connectors create a seal using a fibre washer.

If you're gong down the shop anyway, buy two 22mm service valves. If the copper is 3/4" as you say, you'll need to buy some 3/4" olives. Look identical to the 22mm ones but ever so slightly different diameter.

Cut the pipe with a hacksaw/ pipe slice and put one on. They are compression fitting so you only need a spanner. You can then isolate it until you're ready to allow the water through. You can then quickly isolate it again if you discover a leak!

Seems the best approach bearing in mind that your gate valve is letting by and they're very useful for future maintenance as you don't have to cut the houses water to carry it out.

[Ferg]

Buy a 3/4" brass plug and screw it into the tap connector.
I wouldn't fit screwdriver slot isolators on a tank fed supply. They are rubbish for flow and last very few on/off cycles before they are fked. Either fit decent full bore lever valves or nothing at all. It's really no hardship to turn off the supply elsewhere.

[Gingerbread Man]

Ferg said:

Buy a 3/4" brass plug and screw it into the tap connector.
I wouldn't fit screwdriver slot isolators on a tank fed supply. They are rubbish for flow and last very few on/off cycles before they are fked. Either fit decent full bore lever valves or nothing at all. It's really no hardship to turn off the supply elsewhere.

Even full bore quarter turn isolators? Haven't come across much hassle with them.

If you do drain the system though. Change the gate valves for full bore levers as mentioned above. Much more reliable than gate valves.

[Ferg]

Gingerbread Man said:

Even full bore quarter turn isolators? Haven't come across much hassle with them.

Screwdriver slot isolators are all st. No proper gland, stty little neoprene 'o'-ring. Cheap rubbish.

[pies]

Gents he only wants to put a temp stop on the line not a permanent solution

I thought about 3/4" plugs but thought the thread would tighten before the seal made, but as Ferg says fit plugs , so fit plugs

Edited by pies on Wednesday 29th April 17:58

[Red Firecracker]

pies said:

Gents he only wants to put a temp stop on the line not a permanent solution

That's as maybe but fitting an inline isolator gives the best of both worlds. I've fitted isolators to all my taps and feeds. Fit them now and they'll be very handy in the future if/when there is a problem with the taps.

[pies]

Red Firecracker said:

pies said:

Gents he only wants to put a temp stop on the line not a permanent solution

That's as maybe but fitting an inline isolator gives the best of both worlds. I've fitted isolators to all my taps and feeds. Fit them now and they'll be very handy in the future if/when there is a problem with the taps.

It also gives more potential for leaks

[Simpo Two]

Make sure the isolator valves are not constricting the flow. They have to fill a bath!

[rfisher]

Chaps - thanks for the replies.

Ferg, as ever, is da man.

B&Q have 3/4" brass plugs for around £1 each so I'll get a couple when I can.

The bath cold supply is via the header tank.

All other cold taps (including the shower) are mains fed so I can't stop the slow feed to the bath cold tap without draining the header tank.

TBH I can't be arsed to cut the pipes and fit isolators but I will replace the cold header tank valve the next time that I have to drain down the system. I keep a stock of 22mm gate valves as they tend to break quite easily.