UKC

Any plumbers out there, please?

I'm trying to help a friend fix her shower. I haven't seen the installation and don't know the manufacturer. Her handyman removed a male+male adapter between the shower hose and main shower body but didn't use a hex key and irreparably damaged the adapter thread on the supply side (not the 1/2 inch BSP thread for the hose). It is a slightly lower OD (roughly 19mm including thread) than the hose connector side and of smaller thread pitch....this side of the adapter is only about 5mm long including the sealing O ring.

Does anyone know what the thread is likely to be (M20 ?) so I can order a part or parts on the internet? I doubt if it will be a standard component. My only alternative would be to get her to try different bolts to see which fitted, but I don't have access to such large sizes.

In reply to oldie:

Plumber's merchant will sort you out, there are loads of them dotted about most towns.

jk

In reply to oldie:

I agree that you are probably best taking this into a Plumbers' merchant however, be warned, they don't have a great reputation for being very helpful. Try small locally-owned place if you can find one still and avoid chains.

Alan

Here is my true plumbers merchant story from a couple of weeks ago:

Got a leaky cistern so I took it apart and found a corroded washer. Went to the (chain) plumbers merchants down the road with the ball-cock bit and the washer.

Me - Hi, have you got a replacement washer this size?
Grumpy Guy Behind Counter (GGBC) - No mate can't help you there.
Me - Oh, so you don't sell replacement washers?
GGBC - Most people just replace the full unit these days.
Me - But that is fine, it is just the washer. Do you sell washers?
GGBC - Yeah but they are all different sizes. (Points to rack of packs of washers).
Me - Have you got one this size? (showing him the corroded one).
GGBC - No. Most people just replace the full unit these days. 
Me - So what about these washers? (grabbing a pack from the rack that looked about right).
GGBC - That's for a heating system, it won't work. 
Me - Do any of these fit cistern systems then? 
GGBC - No, you could try Screwfix.
Me - What about this? (grabbing another pack of fibre washers with 'Ball Valve Fibre Washer' written on them).
GGBC - You could try those but they probably won't work.
Me - Okay, how much?
GGBC - £1.20
Me - I'll try my luck with that then.

Fitted perfectly, almost as if they were made for the job! I now have five, but it was worth it!

In reply to oldie:

If you don't have a thread gauge ( I presume you don't) the first thing I would do is try and find a manual or parts diagram online.  It may not have the adapter, but might have the thread of the shower fitting.  Next try a plumbers merchant (as suggested above). Finally you can normally work out pitch and diameter with vernier calipers and just look up the thread from those.  They will also let you check if you need a tapered thread, which may be relevant for a shower fitting.

 

 

 

In reply to Alan James - Rockfax:

TBH I'd just go to Wickes, B&Q or Screwfix to start with.

In reply to Alan James - Rockfax:

Sounds like you were unlucky.  Guy who helped me sort out a new cistern, fittings and bits and bobs at a local Plumb Base couldn't have been more helpful despite me obviously having very little clue what I was doing.

In reply to Neil Williams:

Yeah,  but the problem with those places is that you need to know what you want since no-one in Wickes is going to help you choose the right washer.

Ask a technical question in Wickes and they just go through the process you have already gone through like staring at the shelves or reading the back of the packet.

In reply to oldie:

It's not just plumbers, I had a similar conversation with a lady at a posh Ribble Valley stove supplier:

"I need four brick liners for my Douvre 250 stove"

"What year is the stove?"

"Fourteen years old but no need to worry because I've got one of the bricks in my hand and it measures seven by four and a half by two inches."

"Yes sir but what year is the stove? The specifications may have changed so we need to check!"

"But I've got the brick in my hand, it measures....." etc. for about three more cycles until I gave up. 

In reply to oldie:

These guys are very good for bits for old showers. https://www.showerdoc.com/

In reply to Alan James - Rockfax:

TBH it'd probably be just as quick for me to compare it against the ones in the packets.

 

In reply to jkarran:

I've tried three to no avail....I think most just can't economically stock a huge array of components.

In reply to Alan James - Rockfax:

A bit like my experience at a 'long-established, local hardware store' before xmas, trying to buy a chisel for my BiL, who wanted a bit of an old skool carbon steel chisel.

Me: hi, what have you got in the way of high-carbon steel chisels?

GGBC: Why do you want that for? <it wasn't a friendly, helpful question; it was "you idiot, what are you talking about?">

Me: my BiL is a bit old skool, and wants a high carbon steel chisel.

GGBC: We've got those Stanley chisels, or those Marple chisels

Me: so what is the steel content of those then?

GGBC: I don't know...

Me: so how do you know that I'm wrong to be looking for a high-carbon steel chisel, if you don't know the steel content of the chisels you sell?

GGBC: err...

Me: Goodbye.

I got something from my local ScrewFix; one of the Marple chisels they were selling, at a much lower price.

I might be prepared to pay a premium if I get good advice, and good service from someone who knows what they are selling. I'm not prepared to pay a premium to be patronised by an arrogant, ignorant git.

In reply to MarkJH:

Thanks. Manufacturer unknown (not marked on shower, no paperwork) so can't check details. I've actually found several connections for 1/2 inch to M20 on web but don't know if it is M20 ...I'll try and borrow some vernier calipers if all else fails though the thread is badly chewed up.

In reply to Neil Williams:

Can't find anything in the Screwfix or B and Q online catalogues I'm afraid. Looking elsewhere online there are possible frigs eg male 1/2 inch pipe containing female M20, which could be united with a protruding male M20. There are also male -male adapters for hydraulic systems but with the thread stopping a bit short. I'm not going to order too much before I'm reasonably certain what the thread size is however!

In reply to Denzil:

Thanks. I'll keep a note of this site. However it seems only to be searchable under manufacturer, which I don't know for this shower, and be largely large components and kits.

In reply to Alan James - Rockfax:

Thanks everyone. I've decided to take a chance on M20 in the first instance and have found this on Amazon: 

 1/2BSP Male to M20 Male Thread Copper Faucet Adapter Connector. 3 for £4.48 It was a question of me using the right search terms.

If this isn't any good I'll try and measure the thread.

In reply to Alan James - Rockfax:

Reminds me of a recent trip to get a fuel hose clip which went along the same lines.

"No you'll not find them that small, don't make em."

"oh but I've got some at home I just wanted some more"

"nope, just have to use jubilee clips"

"what are those"

"oh these, just for fuel I think".

"cool, i'll try some of those then"