Flexible connection for water mixer: stainless steel or bellows

A flexible water supply will help you connect a faucet, toilet, water heater and other plumbing fixtures even in the most inconvenient locations. It will allow you to abandon rigid pipes that require a large number of connections, and do without calling a specialist. Let's find out how to choose and connect a flexible plumbing hose correctly so as not to flood your neighbors later.

Flexible water line

A flexible water line is more preferable for the vast majority of people. It is small in size, easy to use and easy to install.

Flexible hose is an elastic, strong hose. Its length usually ranges from 30 cm to 5 meters. At the ends of the hose there are fasteners with a seal, which is a special rubber ring. Most modern manufacturers of plumbing products use this particular liner option for their equipment. This is justified by a number of undoubted advantages.

The main advantages of flexible hoses:

This is their mobility, compared to rigid structures.
You can also highlight their convenience when installing in hard-to-reach places. In addition, installation of flexible hoses is easy in places with limited space, without compromising its integrity and reliability. Whereas the installation of metal pipes is very complex, inconvenient and time-consuming.
Almost complete tightness of the structure due to manufacturing from the best quality materials
Even a beginner who does not have special equipment or special skills can cope with the installation or dismantling of the structure
Vibration resistance
If certain rules are observed, flexible water supply has a long service life.
Low exposure to high temperatures

The flexible type of design is convenient when installing in a large network of pipes, as well as other plumbing fixtures. The same cannot be said about tough types.

Peculiarities

Flexible eyeliner has a number of features, among which the positive ones easily stand out. But negative nuances should also be mentioned in order to avoid an unpleasant aftertaste, a waste of time, effort and money.

The advantages of this flexible eyeliner:

Complete tightness and protection against leaks;
Saving space, allowing you to install additional interior items or equipment without having to worry about bulky pipes;
Ease of changing the location of an object connected by a flexible liner;
Refusal to use a welding machine;
Protection of the hose from water hammer. That is, if a pressure surge occurs in the water supply system, a high-quality flexible line is protected from rupture and water leakage;
Easy to install and operate.

Flexible hoses are typically used for various plumbing connections. Most often it is used in bathrooms (connecting a toilet, faucet, boiler to water) and in kitchens.

Disadvantages of flexible structures.

Despite all the advantages, this type of eyeliner also has its bad sides. They are revealed already during use:

Excessive twisting, tension and bending can damage the integrity of the braid, which will inevitably lead to a reduction in service life.
Installation in close proximity to an open flame source is prohibited
Fasteners gradually corrode under the influence of water and time. Which will eventually lead to the repair of the faucet or other expensive fittings.
Some types of flexible structures do not respond well to exposure to too high temperatures (water close to boiling)

Flexible hose covered with reinforced braid.

It is a hose, very elastic and covered with braiding made of various materials. Fittings are attached to the ends. A fitting is attached to one end, and a union nut with a certain external thread diameter is attached to the other.

One of the advantages is the low price. That is why this type of flexible water line is very often chosen by buyers. The hose manufacturing technology is not too complicated. But nevertheless, this type of eyeliner has a very complex structure. The base is rubber, rubber or reinforced cross-linked polyethylene. The hose is braided with wire thread.

When braiding it is possible to use a variety of materials:

Stainless steel is the most popular winding material. It is characterized by the most average parameters. It exhibits its properties well at +95 degrees in liquid 10 atm. pressure. Reliable operation is ensured for 10 years. Ideal for connecting the water supply to the toilet cistern.
Nylon performs better than stainless steel. Operating temperature up to +110 degrees. The working pressure cannot be more than 20 atm. pressure. Stable work for more than 15 years.
Aluminum is a less stable material for braid production. The temperature of the liquid must not exceed a certain temperature. This is +80 degrees for stable operation of the braid. Pressure no more than 5 atmospheres. The service life of such a braid is about 5 years. Disadvantages include increased susceptibility to corrosion. Products with aluminum braiding should be used in environments with low humidity.

Technical indicators

The main parameters of a water supply system are pressure and temperature. Standard pressure values differ in different systems:

Centralized water supply - 4 atm.
Autonomous heating of a private house - 1.5–3 atm.
Central heating – 2–4 atm.

USEFUL INFORMATION: Screws for gypsum water line: technical characteristics of self-tapping screws, dimensions.
Pressure fluctuations are typical in centralized water supply systems, so it is recommended to choose the strength of the hose with a margin of 20–25%. The table shows the technical characteristics of flexible hoses with different braids.

Braid	Max. pressure, atm	Max. temperature, °C	Durability, years
Aluminum	5	80	3
Stainless steel steel	10	95	10
Nylon	20	110	15

Bellows liner has higher performance, but it is important who the manufacturer is. The hoses are designed for operating pressures up to 16 atm and temperatures up to 150 °C, and the “GIANT” variety of the same type has increased throughput and can withstand temperatures of 250 °C.

Bellows liner for water.

It consists of flexible bellows tubes with design features.

The advantages include:

Reliability in operation
Much longer service life compared to reinforced structures.
The bellows liner is also very flexible. The design consists of assembled stainless steel rings of different diameters.

This eyeliner comes in two types:

The first type is folding. It has the ability to stretch in the ranges specified by the manufacturer: from 200 to 355 mm. and from 140 to 250 mm. To avoid reducing service life, care should be taken when stretching.
The second type is a fixed bellows connection for water supply. Does not stretch and has a certain length. Minimum length 10 cm. Maximum length 80 cm. Manufacturing step 10 cm.

The main negative property of such a liner is the hum that occurs when water flows to many products at once. For example, water is supplied to several plumbing units at once. To avoid this drawback, you should purchase an insulated bellows liner. Or use special anti-vibration types of liners that absorb sound.

Review of manufacturers

In order not to delay choosing the right products, you need to familiarize yourself in advance with the most proven and sought-after companies that are included in this list.

Grohe (Germany). The company produces high-quality eyeliner that attracts customers with its reliability, ergonomics and service life.
ProFactor is a German brand with 50 years of experience in this field. During this period, the products demonstrated their best performance on the world market and today are the undisputed favorites. Any sample from the ProFactor range is an example of high quality.

How to choose flexible eyeliner.

When purchasing flexible eyeliner, it is better to pay attention to products from well-known brands. Since when buying little-known eyeliners, you can encounter a number of problems.

When choosing a flexible eyeliner among Russian manufacturers, it is better to choose eyeliners from the companies Monolit, Flexiline, and Akvatekhnika. Among the foreign ones we can highlight products from Tucai, Mateu, Uni-Fitt. These foreign companies have the necessary guarantees and the necessary sanitary permits.

The temperature and pressure characteristics must exactly match the parameters specified in the eyeliner manufacturer's instructions and on the label.
Understand under what conditions the liner will be used and only then choose the braid material. This is especially important when connecting a washing machine or faucets.
Estimate the weight of the selected eyeliner. If the product is too light, then most likely low quality materials were used in its production. Or aluminum was used in the production process.
The eyeliner should be completely free of unpleasant odors. If they are present, there is a significant probability that technical rubber was used during the production process, which is very dangerous when exposed to it.
Check the elasticity of the selected eyeliner. Low elasticity means that the tubes are likely to burst quickly during installation or when the product is already in use.
Carefully inspect the fittings. They must be absolutely free of defects. The best materials for their manufacture are nickel-plated brass and stainless steel. Aluminum fittings should not be used. Also, plastic fittings are not recommended for use.
Check the correspondence of the internal or external threads of the liner with the holes of the connected product. Thread diameter ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 inches.
The diameter of the liner for sinks, shower stalls and sinks should be more than 10 mm.
The ideal length for the liner is the one when no sagging or tension is formed after it is connected to the system.

Faucet fittings

What are they like?

Note. The installation of various plumbing fixtures always requires some kind of fittings, which can be welded (soldered), collar, coupling and combined (coupling-fitting with different diameters or thread pitches).

In the top photo you see a transitional combination fitting for imported faucets, where the stroke at the inlet of the threaded connection is M12, and the standard needle on a hose of the same Russian production has the M10 parameter.

This part is made of 57-3 bronze and EPDM gasket. In most cases, the kit consists of two elements of different lengths (24 mm and 30 mm), which helps to facilitate the installation of flexible tubes.

In any case, this set is sold in pairs, despite the fact that different lengths are not a prerequisite - there are also similar pairs - it all depends on the batch, despite the fact that different ones are still seen more often. In both cases, a minimum distance of 13.5 mm is maintained between the threads (for small ones).

For faucets in the bathroom or kitchen, it is very convenient to use a rotating water-saving adapter, which will not only help save about a third of the water when using it, but will direct the stream at the angle you need.

Flow redirection can be carried out in the range of 15? regarding the spout of the product. It is suitable for externally threaded aerators and is made from excellent bronze.

The Hihippo iron adapter is suitable for all faucets with an aerator that have a 24 mm external thread, as presented in the Drop catalogue.

The advantage of this fitting is that it can rotate 360°, which is very convenient for large sinks - you can wash any corner with a stream of running water, which is impossible to achieve by turning the spout. This nozzle is made in Taiwan and the instruction manual provides a 24-month warranty.

It is not uncommon that the faucet spout is made with an external thread, but all water savers are also made with an external thread, which means that there is also no way to do without an adapter.

In most cases, all water-saving devices have a thread diameter of 24 mm, and such faucets have a 22 mm spout - this is exactly what this 22x24 mm combined coupling is designed for. It is interesting that such fittings from the Hihippo line can have a different diameter - if necessary, you need to measure the threaded section of the adapter and spout and purchase a suitable fitting.

From time to time, especially in the private sector, there may be a need to deliver a lot of water to a previously unforeseen place - perhaps watering a garden or filling a container.

Under such conditions, it will not be superfluous to have an adapter for a faucet for a hose - with its mediation you can deliver water to any part of your estate, as long as it is long enough. When choosing a fitting, you need to know two parameters - the diameter of the thread on the spout and the internal diameter of the hose - these numbers in the store will help you select a fitting of the required size.

Note. If you need to connect a hose to a spout with an external thread, it is better not to pull it over the spout, but to use the same fitting with a fitting, just screw it on using a coupling adapter - their non-specialized price is low.

Some installation details

DIY installation instructions for flexible hoses.

Even a beginner will be able to cope with connecting flexible hoses in a short time. You should know that hoses can be installed in the same way for used faucets. If you connect a mixer with a flexible hose, make sure that the hot and cold water are located correctly.

Connecting bellows and reinforced liners is the same.

First, you need to ensure the integrity of the product after transportation.
Turn off the hot and cold water supply taps to maintain safety precautions.
You need a wrench or adjustable wrench that exactly matches the diameter of the union nut.
It is necessary to place containers for the remaining water under the connections.
When the hose is disconnected, you need to loosen the fixing nuts of the mixer and remove it.
Then disconnect the liner.
To install a new product, all steps are performed in reverse order.

There may be cases where the mixer and hose do not fit together. To do this, you should use special adapters.
The connections can be sealed with fumlente or flax.

Accessories

To carry out work on installing or rotating the mixer, you should immediately prepare the appropriate components: extension, taps, sealing gaskets for threaded connections. They are useful when mounting an adapter, a coupling, or packing the threads of a fitting for metal-plastic on a water pipe.

You should not trust FUM tape - it is better to use simple flax tow and sealant paste - such a connection will reliably protect against leaks.

A few rules when installing flexible hoses:

The hose must be straightened before installation. Kinks should be avoided
Do not use excessive force when screwing the flexible connection
Access to the installed product should be easy for inspection and maintenance. (period 6-12 months)
It is better to make connections from similar materials. In the worst case, the development of electrochemical corrosion will be inevitable. It is possible to connect brass and copper parts.

The last stage of installation will be mandatory testing. The hot and cold water supply valves open. And then within half an hour the tightness and free flow of water in the installed product are checked. If moisture is detected at the joints, carefully tighten the nuts with a wrench again.

The last piece of advice should be noted that when leaving for a long time, you should turn off the hot and cold water supply valves to the water supply. Since any flexible liner is always subject to stress and can burst.

Useful tips

Some expert advice will help you make the right choice of connections for your faucet.

Each hose must have a label with characteristics and technical parameters. This information makes it possible to choose the correct eyeliner in terms of diameter and method of fixation.
By weight you can tell the material of manufacture: aluminum is light, steel is much heavier. Light hoses are mostly of poor quality and fail after not even working for six months.
A plastic fitting is a sign of dubious quality hose. With such a fastening, the liner will not be able to withstand workloads.