Rigid eyeliner for the mixer: device, pros and cons + installation features

Turning on the tap water has long been a familiar convenience. Therefore, the layman does not think about a complex system of plumbing devices. Only the quality of her work and water is of interest. But you will need special skills to perform installation, maintenance and the selection of many components.

For example, to bring water to the kitchen, you need pipes for wiring, a flexible or rigid connection for the mixer, and the combined faucet itself. These components have many varieties and installation patterns.

In this material we will tell you what a rigid eyeliner is, in what cases it is used and we will reveal some of the subtleties of its installation.

What is eyeliner and where is it used?

After breeding water pipes in the area, it is required to connect plumbing fixtures to them. Treat her water shutoff valves if necessary, replacements / repairs, and faucets that provide water to showers, bidets, urinals, water heaters, washing machines, dishwashers and other devices.

Since usually they do not have the ability to connect directly to the central water supply system, an additional element is used for connection - eyeliner. It provides pipe contact with the mixer and meets the same strength requirements.

Connector metal pipes are called eyeliner, if it is in a rigid version, or metal and rubber hoses with a braid, if in a flexible one. At the ends of these connectors there is a thread or fitting with a union nut, with which they are fixed to the tap and the water outlet.

With a correctly selected combination of all elements of plumbing devices, the metal design looks more aesthetically pleasing relative to other types of eyeliner

It is used not only in household plumbing, but also in industry for connecting hydraulics of complex equipment, in various transport equipment, for connecting gas pipelines to each other and equipment.

General arrangement and principle of operation

Depending on the type, the plumbing may differ slightly in device.

Its main components include:

• metal tube or braided rubber hose;
• union nut with o-ring - used to tighten joints;
• fitting - a metal pipe that connects the tube and the mixer;
• nipple - mounted on the tube and has a movable connection with a union nut.

The fittings are located on both sides of the liner and are fixed to it by crimping using a crimp sleeve or welding. For connection, the fitting has an external thread and a rubber sealing washer.

For installation on a fitting with an external thread, a union nut is used, which, tightening, provides a tight connection with a nipple at the end of the eyeliner. An o-ring is also installed between the nipple and the union nut.

Since the nut rotates independently of the tube, the latter remains stationary when tightened. Therefore, installation should be done in the correct sequence.

Before purchasing, you need to accurately select the desired size of the connecting elements, and also check the compliance of all the characteristics in the product passport

Depending on the type, the inlet is able to withstand pressure up to 50 Bar and temperature up to 150 ° C, which is more than enough for a DHW system. Indeed, according to GOST, the worker pressure in water pipes The apartments should be 4 bar.

The main types of eyeliner

To install the mixer in the kitchen or in the bathroom, any kind of this connection is technically suitable. But each of them has its own characteristics, which will be an advantage in some situations and a disadvantage in others.

How to choose a connection option?

The main evaluation criteria for selection are as follows:

1. Reliability and service life. These are the most important parameters, but sometimes the urgency of execution and the price of components can affect the result, so for a while you can limit yourself to a flexible rubber hose in a braid instead of durable metal pipes.
2. Ease of installation. With self-installation and lack of necessary skills, this can be critical. The circumstances may be exacerbated by the inaccessible location of communications.
3. Type of construction. In some cases, the features of the location of the plumbing allow you to install only a flexible eyeliner.
4. Quality and properties of nodes connections. They must correspond to the fixtures of the already installed water supply, so as not to use additional adapters.

In advance, it is worth deciding on the position of the mixer and the convenience of access to the water system under it for further maintenance.

When choosing such a responsible node of the water supply system, savings can have serious consequences, it is better to give preference to trusted manufacturers

It is advisable to take into account the possibility of replacing one type of eyeliner with another when installing the mixer and water outlet. To do this, it should be brought closer than 50 cm.

Flexible approach

The cheapest option for this type of sanitary ware is flexible. It is ubiquitous and is sold in any store.

The low price is due to a fairly simple device and materials. Structurally, it is a rubber hose with a filament braid and connecting elements at the ends.

The main components of a flexible eyeliner:

• hose;
• braid;
• crimp extruded metal sleeve;
• rubber gaskets for tight joints;
• nipple and nut, which is connected to the elements of the water supply system;
• fitting.

The nipple is securely fixed in the tube and is movably connected to the union nut, which rotates independently of it. An O-ring is installed between them.

On the other side of the tube, a fitting is usually located, which also has o-rings. But the thread in it is located outside. There are fittings without threads, they are connected using a pressure plate on the body - the petal.

Usually, craftsmen change this product after 3-5 years of service. But if you choose an eyeliner of trusted manufacturers and, accordingly, all the characteristics of sanitary equipment, the service life is significantly increased

The main advantages of such an eyeliner are low cost and mobility. They can connect the faucet to the water supply in any of their mutual arrangement. The installation itself is quite comfortable, since you can change the position of the hose to a more convenient one.

It is made from non-toxic rubber or high-quality rubber. The braid is made of steel, galvanized iron or aluminum. The most reliable and durable is the first material, which with a high quality braid is able to withstand pressure up to 10 atmospheres.

The disadvantages include susceptibility to water shocks and poor-quality hose rubber in low-cost products.

Bellows hose for tap

Such a water pipe is made of stainless steel and has a corrugated surface, which is created by folding a metal tape, the seams of which are welded by argon welding. The connecting elements are brass union nuts.

Key benefits of the bellows supply:

1. It withstands temperatures up to 250 ° C for a long time and without harm.
2. Wear resistant.
3. It is steady against corrosion.

In addition to all this, it allows a fairly simple and comfortable installation. Significantly more reliable and durable flexible braided hoses, although it itself has the property to bend and keep in shape.

Read more about the bellows connection for the mixer and the intricacies of its installation can be found in this stuff.

Bellows eyeliners can be made with the ability to stretch and fold within specified limits or have a certain length. It is worth pulling it carefully - the lifetime depends on it

Rigid eyeliner design

The name characterizes this eyeliner. Its main quality is rigidity. The mixer with this design is fixedly mounted on the pipes.

With any repair, you will have to disconnect the liner. This is quite inconvenient, because in its flexible design with a crane you can still perform some kind of movable manipulation.

Externally chrome or copper pipes may look more aesthetically pleasing than the hanging wires of flexible hoses, but in most cases this part is hidden from view inside decorative panels or in the plumbing body.

Mounting to the water supply system and to the tap is carried out in a manner similar to all other types of hoses.

On the mixer side there is a fitting with an external thread with one or more o-rings, and on the other hand a nozzle with a nut

There can be several types of mounts:

1. Petal latch and fitting. To ensure a tight connection, just insert the tube into the mixer hole until it clicks.
2. Threaded connection. The tube is simply screwed into the tap.
3. Collet connector. It is a spring cylindrical sleeve, cut on one side longitudinally so that it forms 4 petals. A special nut bends them towards the center during rotation. Thus, they tightly clamp inside the cylindrical part.

For compact marking, the manufacturer indicates the type of end connection, such as g / g, g / w or w / w. This means that the product uses a flare nut on both sides of the product, in the second case with a nut and a fitting, in the third - with a fitting.

These clamps come in several diameters of a union nut:

• 1 inch
• ½ inch;
• ¾ inch;
• 3/8 inch

The fitting has a standard mount size M10, which means a diameter in mm. In length, it can be standard and elongated.

Sometimes you can find a custom size M8. The length of the tube is in the range of 20 to 50 cm. Therefore, it is so important not to remove the water sockets from the mixer by more than 50 cm, so as not to extend the design

Types of manufacturing material

Another classification is the separation of the metal used.

Handsets can be:

1. Steel. Very strong galvanized pipes eliminate corrosion and have a low expansion from temperature.
2. Copper. Do not rust, disinfect water, plastic, withstand temperatures up to 250 ° C.
3. Brass. They have high thermal conductivity, can withstand pressure up to 400 atmospheres, easily tolerate temperatures up to 300 ° C without harm to adhesion, are not destroyed by the influence of chlorine.

If there is a need to bend the tube, then you should use a special device - pipe bender. If it was not at hand, you should not try to do it just like that, because the tube can lose its stability by changing the cylindrical shape at the turning point.

You can use a suitable diameter spring, which will go inside the tube. The spiral should be strong and with frequent turns. Next, heating the tube, you need to gently bend it and remove the spring.

There are many devices on the market for changing the shape of the tubes. Their designs can be: crossbow, mechanical, spring, lever, manual and hydraulic

Another option is to seal the tube with sand. To do this, closing one side with a plug, you need to fill it in. After heating, you can bend, but pour out the abrasive only after cooling, after which it is advisable to rinse the structure.

Pros and cons of metal design

Despite the fact that flexible eyeliner is used almost everywhere because of its simplicity, low cost and a set of excellent characteristics, the use of a metal option is in sufficient demand.

This relatively expensive type of plumbing device is fully justified in quality.

The main advantages of metal include:

• interesting classic appearance;
• ability to tolerate high temperatures, as well as its differences;
• resistance to harmful chemical effects;
• high strength;
• not susceptible to corrosion;
• service life up to 20 years.

Among the shortcomings are only the high price and difficulties in installing this type of water supply. Since during installation the connected elements must be stationary, the assembly causes problems.

It is necessary to accurately measure the length of the tubes and change the direction of the water outlets, if it is not in an upright position. This will require special curved fitting. In addition, in the future, due to the motionless design, maintenance and repair of cranes becomes more complicated.

The most common choice is a hard liner made of copper, because harmful bacteria and plaque do not develop on this material, it is durable and is able to fit into any interior

Features of the installation of metal eyeliner

Long-term use of plumbing products depends not only on correctly selected components, but also on the correct installation and compliance with all the nuances during installation:

1. A strainer should be installed at the beginning of the water distribution system to prevent clogging of complex equipment.
2. After bending the metal eyeliner, it is necessary to clean it inside from possible chipped particles.
3. Tightening the connecting elements is done carefully so as not to squeeze the sealing rings, violating the tightness.
4. After tightening, open the water and after 15-20 minutes check for smudges.

There are some more useful tips that will come in handy when carrying out installation work yourself. So, if you have to cut the tube, this is done with a hacksaw. But the pipe cutter is better not to use for these purposes - it leaves dents.

As for the eyeliner, size 10, it can be bent without using a pipe bender and filling with sand.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

In the video, the flexible hoses of the mixer are replaced with metal ones:

Despite the fact that due to low cost, practicality and ease of installation, in most cases, flexible versions of eyeliners are chosen, rigid will always be in demand. This is due to its reliability and durability indicators.

At facilities of increased responsibility, in places with large and sharp pressure drops, for example, in basements and first floors of buildings, for trouble-free operation, preference is given to metal rigid eyeliner. Such products are more expensive than flexible ones, but even their most budgetary options win in the ratio of price and quality.

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