Many owners independently replace outdated taps in the kitchen and bathroom, taking into account the fact that the services of plumbers are expensive, and this operation is technically simple and does not require any skills. When installing a new plumbing fixture, you usually have to throw away the old hose for the kitchen faucet, which often loses its seal over time or after dismantling.
When choosing a new flexible eyeliner, several types of products on the market are considered, each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. To make the optimal decision, it is necessary to study the features of each type of hose for water supply, read consumer reviews and products of well-established manufacturers on the market, and take into account the ease of installation.
Examples of connecting reinforced connections
Types of flexible water line
To connect water to a water consumer, two types of flexible lines are used:
- Reinforced eyeliner
- Bellows liner
Reinforced flexible liner
Reinforced flexible water supply hose.
Reinforced flexible hose is a flexible hose consisting of non-toxic rubber and covered on top with a reinforcing braid made of various materials. The mesh can be made of stainless steel, aluminum, galvanized metal or nylon braid . It is believed that a hose with nylon braid is guaranteed to fit any operating environment.
Bellows liner
Bellows liner hose.
Bellows flexible liners are steel rings that are seamlessly drawn or pressed under high pressure and welded together .
The rings are made of stainless steel. Compared to rubber hoses with metal braiding, they are inferior in flexibility. Wall thickness is about 0.3 mm.
Criterion 5. Fitting
Looking inside the hose, you can see a brass fitting. Its presence is an indicator of high-quality eyeliner. In counterfeit products, fittings/nipples are often made of plastic, which is unacceptable.
The fitting is made only from stainless steel, plain or nickel-plated brass and aluminum.
Low-grade metal should not be used in the manufacture of the nipple, and the thickness of the product should not be lower than permissible. Otherwise, these shortcomings will lead to rapid failure of the entire flexible line.
Connection of flexible hoses
All flexible hoses are equipped with end nuts or fittings - fittings . There are two options for connection fittings:
- Nut - fitting
- Nut - nut
Long and short fitting when connecting a mixer.
Pay attention to the length of the fittings , it can be different, with a long and short fitting. This is necessary so that you can connect two hoses to the mixer, in the case of a small axial distance between the mixer seats, less than 12 mm . This will allow the edges of the two fittings to be separated in height. If the axial distance is more than 12 mm, you can install fittings of the same length.
Flexible water supply hose with angled connection.
The angular connection is used to save space or to connect a water consumer in a hard-to-reach place. The angular connection can only be nut - nut , with a variation of internal thread - external thread.
By the way, the notation looks like this:
- Internal thread - male
- Male thread - male thread
- Long fitting - SD
- Short fitting - ШК
When connecting bellows liner, it is necessary to have a retaining ring and a gasket made of paronite, copper or fluorine-containing polymer.
Tough
One of the most reliable options for connecting to the water supply network is a hard line. It is made of metal and is a tube. The production material can be:
- steel;
- copper;
- brass.
The method of installing a rigid line is to thread one side of the tube to the pipeline, and the other to the mixer. The metal structure easily withstands high temperatures, as well as exposure to detergents or mechanical loads, shock, friction, etc.
If installed well, rigid liner has the following advantages:
- resistance to rust;
- resistance to chemicals;
- long service life - about 20 years;
- ease of use.
The disadvantages may be the following:
- inability to move;
- complexity of installation.
Depending on the installation method, when connecting the line to the water supply system, additional adapters or special angle valves with connecting elements may be used.
Dimensions of flexible water connection
Flexible line length
- The length of the reinforced flexible hose starts from 20 cm and can reach 5 m . The length of such hoses is fixed, always a multiple of 10 cm.
- A bellows hose is different in that its length can be changed by stretching, without changing its strength or diameter. The liner is extended to 70-80% of the original length, and can reach 2 m .
Flexible hose diameter
- The minimum internal diameter of the flexible hose is 6 mm for 1/2 or 1/4 inch hose, the maximum internal diameter is 25 mm for 1 inch hose. It is not advisable to use flexible hoses of larger diameter when connecting faucets and household appliances.
- The diameter of the bellows liner varies from 12 mm to 34 mm.
Flexible hose thread diameter
For household appliances and faucets, the connection sizes are different: 3/8 inch or M 10 for connecting faucets , then there are fittings measuring 1/2, 3/4 and 1 inch for connecting the rest of the equipment and filter system.
All necessary dimensions and characteristics of the flexible hose are indicated on the packaging or on a tag attached to the hose. The designation M 10 , for example, denotes the internal diameter of a thread of 9.5 mm in the metric system of measurements (as you can understand, rounding is used for convenience, up or down, so instead of 9.5 mm for a 3/8-inch thread, we see designation M 10, or in other words conventionally 10 mm, this designation also has the name Euro size), 1/2 inches is designated as M 12 at 12.7 mm, and so on.
Conversion table inches - mm - euro size.
Purpose of flexible liner
Before purchasing, you need to consider which device or plumbing unit requires a hose. All connections must be connected in accordance with operating conditions. This applies to system pressure, water temperature, and throughput. There are three types of eyeliner:
- For cold water - marked a blue braided insert.
- For hot water - marked a red braided insert.
- Universal , for cold or hot water - marked with blue and red inserts at the same time .
Flexible toilet hose
For the toilet, it is recommended to use a flexible hose with an internal diameter of at least 8 mm ; the throughput of such a hose is about 4 liters per minute. It is appropriate to use eyeliner with blue braided ribbons for cold water. Pay attention to the method of connecting water to the toilet; the connection can be bottom or side . For lateral supply, it is better to use a flexible hose with an angled connection.
Flexible bath hose
To connect a bath and shower faucet, it is better to use a hose with a minimum internal diameter of 15 millimeters ; the productivity of such a hose is already 18 liters per minute. Such a large diameter is necessary to create good water flow. The bath should fill up quickly, and there should be good pressure from the shower head.
Flexible connection for mixer
It is recommended to connect the mixer for the kitchen sink and the bathroom sink with a hose with an internal diameter of at least 10 mm , with such a diameter the productivity is approximately 4.5 liters per minute. In some cases, when connecting a faucet, you may need an adapter from 3/8 inch to 1/2 inch.
Adapter from 3/8 inch to 1/2 inch.
Flexible hose for washing machine
It is recommended to connect the washing machine and dishwasher with a hose with an internal diameter of at least 15 mm for cold water. Throughput is within 18 liters per minute.
Flexible connection for hydraulic accumulators
To connect hydraulic accumulators, filter systems, and water pumps, use a liner with an outer diameter of 1 inch and an inner diameter of at least 25 mm . This diameter will provide a capacity of 78 liters per minute. This is necessary for sufficient water supply to all housing.
All data are given from the calculation: water flow speed in the pipe ~ 1.5 m/s, pressure ~ 3 atm.
Connecting a flexible hose
- Before connecting the flexible line necessary visually check quality of crimping of the sleeve, end fittings, integrity of threads, fittings, metal braid, presence of rubber gaskets.
- To connect you need use plumbing hoses of sufficient length. It is not recommended to extend one hose with another.
- Not acceptable expose eyeliner mechanical stress, such as kinks, twisting, stretching.
- The flexible hose must be installed with bending radius of at least 70 mm. If such a connection is not feasible due to the location of the water consumer, a hose with an angled connection is used.
- In no case it is forbidden install flexible hose in a tense state. So that find out the required length hose, you need to use a tape measure to measure the longest path from the water intake point to the water consumer point, and add at least 100 mm to this distance. The hose should sag slightly, but not be twisted or broken.
Tightening torque of threaded connections
When tightening the fittings, do not use excessive force, as this may lead to damage to the product. The permissible tightening force must be indicated in the technical data sheet of the product; if it is not there, you can use the table below. It is believed that the optimal tightening torque is to screw the fitting in manually until it stops, and then 1/4 turn using a wrench. But despite the recommendations, you still need to rely on your own feelings. If you have a torque wrench , the table below is for you:
Tightening torque of threaded connections.
Tightening torque of threaded connections.
Criterion 8. Dimensions
When determining the dimensions of the eyeliner, it is important to know two main parameters:
- diameter. When choosing it, you need to focus on the expected water consumption. Standard values for various equipment: for installing a toilet - 8 millimeters, for connecting a faucet in the kitchen - 10 millimeters, in a bathroom - 15 millimeters;
- length. When choosing the length, the distance from the plumbing equipment to the water supply pipe is taken into account. The hose should not be stretched or bent too much. Any mechanical deformation will shorten the service life of the liner.
How to choose a flexible water line
- When choosing eyeliner, pay attention pay attention to weight, the product should not be too light. Light weight indicates that low-quality materials were used, such as aluminum or plastic. For a general understanding of the normal weight for the product, a good quality reinforced flexible hose is presented, 1 meter long and of various diameters, made with stainless steel braiding and brass fittings nut - nut nut - BP:
Length 1m / diameter 3/8 inches~ 140 gr. Length 1m / diameter 1/2 inches ~ 160 gr. Length 1m / diameter 3/4 inches ~ 170 gr. Length 1m / diameter 1 inch ~ 370 gr. - A high-quality hose bends easily in different directions, without effort. A product of poor quality is not elastic. To bend, you need to apply force.
- Another nuance that needs to be taken into account when choosing is the smell . A high-quality eyeliner should not have a strong chemical smell.
- The wall thickness of union nuts and fittings should not be very thin; products with thin walls do not withstand long-term use. 2 mm can be considered normal thickness .
- Pay attention to the gasket . It must be of good quality, elastic, not crumble, not over-dried, or too hard.
The best brands
Among most manufacturers there are the most popular companies. These include German companies Grohe and ProFactor, which produce high-quality products. The products are durable, reliable, but expensive. There is a brand from Italy called Remer, which is a competitor to its German counterparts. You can find fakes from this company; they do not include all the components for the mixer.
Among domestic brands, ST Giant eyeliner from Santrade is distinguished. Reviews about this product are mixed. The company produces products at different prices. Products of low cost are of poor quality, hence the different opinions of consumers.
The Spanish brand Industrials Mateu has high product performance and always controls its quality. Products are manufactured according to international quality standards. The Turkish company Rispa, founded in China, has an affordable price and fairly good quality. The product can operate uninterruptedly for many years. Therefore, if you have a limited budget, you can buy products from this company.
Materials of manufacture and service life of flexible water line
The service life depends on the area of application of the liner and the material used to make the hose and fittings.
Aluminum braid
This braid is short-lived , suitable for water no higher than 80°C and a pressure of about 5 atm , and is susceptible to corrosion . The service life is only 2-3 years. Use in damp areas further shortens the service life. distinguish it from any other, just rub it on the surface with your finger ; if there is a dirty mark on your finger, then it is an aluminum braid.
Stainless steel
Stainless steel braiding is much higher quality than aluminum, the temperature range is increased to 95°C and the pressure is up to 10 atm . Service life within 10 years .
Bellows connection (stainless steel)
Eyeliner material: stainless steel . The service life of such a device reaches 25 years . Used at elevated temperatures up to 250°C and pressure 20 atm . Resistant to hydraulic shocks. You cannot install a gas connection for water and vice versa. distinguish them by color; the gas sleeve is yellow.
Nylon braid
A flexible hose with nylon braid can serve at a temperature of 110°C and a pressure of 20 atm for 15 -20 years . Compared to previous flexible hoses, it has the highest price .
Cink Steel
Flexible hose with braid made of galvanized iron (steel), as well as aluminum, is the least resistant to oxidation . In terms of characteristics and service life, and actually in price, it is very similar to aluminum eyeliner. Due to its extremely low service life (less even than aluminum), it is recommended as a temporary measure .
Fittings manufacturing materials
The best materials for nuts and fittings are traditionally brass, stainless steel, bronze . These materials do not oxidize and can last a long time, unlike aluminum fittings, and in no case plastic fittings ( with the exception of hoses for connecting washing machines and dishwashers . Hoses with plastic nuts designed for hand tightening can be used there).
- Brass is highly resistant to corrosion and low cost. Service life is 15 - 20 years.
- Stainless steel . The best option. Copes perfectly with vibration loads and thermal expansion. Compared to brass hoses, the price is high. The service life is the same as that of brass fittings.
- Carbon steel. Inferior in characteristics to brass and stainless steel, much cheaper than both. Carbon steel fittings will last about 3 years.
Bellows
Bellows hoses are more reliable and durable. They are made in the form of alternating rings of different diameters made of stainless steel. During production, the workpiece is selectively crimped, after which it receives a corrugated shape that provides high flexibility. The cost of such a hose is much higher.
The eyeliner is available in two types:
- with fixed length;
- foldable.
The first does not stretch and has a certain size: 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80 cm. For the second, the range of minimum and maximum values is indicated: 140–250, 200–355 mm, etc. It is not recommended to get too carried away with stretching, since this affects the service life of the product.
The disadvantage of a bellows hose is the noise that occurs when water is simultaneously supplied to several consumers, for example, to a faucet, toilet and washing machine. To avoid this, it is recommended to purchase hoses with a plastic coating.
Flexible hose is not allowed
- It is highly undesirable to use liners with aluminum and galvanized braiding in damp rooms .
- Rubber or nylon hoses should not be used near open flames or heating elements .
- Metal hoses are prohibited from being used near electrical panels .
- Flexible hoses cannot be used in constant flow mode instead of pipelines .
- It is prohibited to use flexible hoses at sub-zero temperatures .
- Hang and dry various items on hoses , store all kinds of chemicals nearby .
- Install the liner through the ceilings .
Having figured out what flexible eyeliner is, its characteristics, how to choose and use it, let’s say a few words about the manufacturers.
