Just bought a 3/4" ball valve from B&Q and note the instructions say
to use a tap connector.
The original (and my several year old replacement) used a female BSP
coupler.
Is there any advantage to switching to a tap connector?
The end of the new fitting is very sharp (why?) and rough.

Pictures of original, current and new bits here (click on pic to
zoom):-

https://www.flickr.com/photos/136298...381119/detail/

In article , Geo
writes

Just bought a 3/4" ball valve from B&Q and note the instructions say
to use a tap connector.
The original (and my several year old replacement) used a female BSP
coupler.
Is there any advantage to switching to a tap connector?
The end of the new fitting is very sharp (why?) and rough.

Pictures of original, current and new bits here (click on pic to
zoom):-

https://www.flickr.com/photos/136298...381119/detail/


On a conventional ball valve, the end of the fitting is flat as shown on
the old part. In this case the advantage of the tap connector over the
BSP fitting is that the nut on the tap connector can spin, meaning that
you can change the ball valve in future more easily. If you use BSP then
you will need to also break a connection lower down to undo the BSP.

The new part however is intended for use with an olive and compression
nut, you can see the counterbore for the pipe to be inset into the
fitting and the internal taper indicates a fitting for an olive. Did the
fitting come with an olive and compression nut? If not then you can pull
them off a 22mm compression joint[1].

The problem is that your pipe will probably be too short to lift into
the recess so you can either replace that length and use a compression
nut and olive or continue to use a fem BSP conns, thread sealed with
compound or PTFE rather than end sealed with a rubber washer (which
would be cut by the sharp end of the fitting).


[1] or take the overpriced **** back to B&Q
--
fred
it's a ba-na-na . . . .

On Wed, 10 Sep 2014 12:33:10 +0100, fred wrote:


On a conventional ball valve, the end of the fitting is flat as shown on
the old part. In this case the advantage of the tap connector over the
BSP fitting is that the nut on the tap connector can spin, meaning that
you can change the ball valve in future more easily. If you use BSP then
you will need to also break a connection lower down to undo the BSP.

OK - thanks that makes sense.

The new part however is intended for use with an olive and compression
nut, you can see the counterbore for the pipe to be inset into the
fitting and the internal taper indicates a fitting for an olive. Did the
fitting come with an olive and compression nut? If not then you can pull
them off a 22mm compression joint[1].

That is what I initially thought - but a piece of 22mm pipe (or olive)
would not fit in.
I have now measured the internal diameter of the valve end and it is
about 20.6mm i.e about 1.5mm too small...

The problem is that your pipe will probably be too short to lift into
the recess so you can either replace that length and use a compression
nut and olive or continue to use a fem BSP conns, thread sealed with
compound or PTFE rather than end sealed with a rubber washer (which
would be cut by the sharp end of the fitting).

Right - have both tape and compound "in stock".

[1] or take the overpriced **** back to B&Q

:-)

In article , Geo
writes
On Wed, 10 Sep 2014 12:33:10 +0100, fred wrote:

The new part however is intended for use with an olive and compression
nut, you can see the counterbore for the pipe to be inset into the
fitting and the internal taper indicates a fitting for an olive. Did the
fitting come with an olive and compression nut? If not then you can pull
them off a 22mm compression joint[1].

That is what I initially thought - but a piece of 22mm pipe (or olive)
would not fit in.
I have now measured the internal diameter of the valve end and it is
about 20.6mm i.e about 1.5mm too small...

That's strange, maybe it is intended for a tap connector after all but
like you I'd be unhappy with that tapered edge sealing on a fibre or
rubber washer. O-ring perhaps? Size wise I don't have a 3/4" tap
connector here but a 1/2" one has a 13.7mm end ie under 15mm pipe size
so perhaps that does make sense.

The problem is that your pipe will probably be too short to lift into
the recess so you can either replace that length and use a compression
nut and olive or continue to use a fem BSP conns, thread sealed with
compound or PTFE rather than end sealed with a rubber washer (which
would be cut by the sharp end of the fitting).

Right - have both tape and compound "in stock".

Solved! As the fem BSP in the pic has a compression end then that should
be an easy swap.
--
fred
it's a ba-na-na . . . .