I really did not think that the most readers would be interested in my publication of articles about flexible water eyeliner. It can be seen really the topic of painful and relevant. Questions still come to my e-mail, some even call questions and ask to advise. Having rummaged a little on the Internet, I concluded that this topic was not completely disclosed sufficiently in the vastness of the world web. To find the answer to questions on this topic, people have to view a large number of sites and collect information grains. In general, I decided to continue to illuminate this topic, in addition, I have all the questions of the readers, and if you generalize everything that you asked me, you will get about the same list:
one. How to distinguish a high -quality hose for flexible water eyeliner from a fake?
2. Is it possible to use flexible hoses that come with the mixer? Or it is better to replace them immediately?
3. How to make a connection correctly?
four. What’s better? High -quality flexible water eyeliner or connection using a chrome copper tube?
We will consider this to be the table of my next article.
Before writing, I went for the samples to the construction market, I also took several copies in my store, armed myself with a camera (at the same time and practice in macro). I will try to describe the differences with the help of the photos taken by me, to tell me what to pay attention to when choosing a flexible eyeliner. I want to say right away. All that is written in this article is my subjective perception. I did not choose the best or vice versa the worst copies of the brands I have chosen. I just took the first samples that came across. Go!
So question number 1.
How to distinguish a high -quality hose for flexible water eyeliner from a fake?
I recommend starting with an external inspection of the braid and the quality of testing the tips. Try to carefully run through the braid with your hand. At a high-quality hose, the braid is even, running through the braid with your hand, you should not feel some protruding rough parts of the braid. And even more so there should not be protruding torn edges of wire, which is easy to prick or scratch, and this happens. This is the first sign of low -quality goods, serious manufacturers do not allow a break in the threads in the production of braids.
For example, in the photo the braid of flexible eyeliner of the following manufacturers:
Mateu (Spain);
TUCAI (Spain);
Aqueline (Russia-China);
Flexible eyeliner, which comes with the KFA mixer (Poland);
And flexible eyeliner, which comes with the Chinese -made mixer. I will not call the brand, I don’t want to offend anyone.
Flexible Mateu’s flexible eyeliner
TUCAI flexible scoop braid
Flexible eyeliner brawl braids
Flexible scoop braid KFA
Screaming Chinese flexible eyeliner
Pay attention to high -quality even braid, almost without weaving threads, the first three manufacturers. This is what a high -quality hose braid should look like this.
The Poles have the quality of the braid frankly weak, although the flexible eyeliner in general is generally quite high quality, stainless wire threads, crimping is seriously and hoses work without accidents. Apparently, some problems with machines weaving a braid. There are a lot of twisted threads in the braid.
With the last model that comes with the Chinese mixer, not everything is so simple. The braid, at first glance, is not much different in quality from the Polish manufacturer. There are a lot of twisted threads, there were no cliffs in my sample. I was immediately alerted by the color of the thread of the braid. If a stainless steel braid has a more matte, not brilliant shade, then the braid of a Chinese hose shines with a specific aluminum white color. This can only be seen when comparing two samples.
We move on to the most important part, to crimping the tips. This is perhaps the most prominent place in which the attitude of the manufacturer to their products is manifested. At the same time, this is the most important part of the hose of flexible eyeliner. Reliability and service life depend on how the connection is made and what material is made on what material is made. I will give one digit. According to European standards, a hose for flexible water eyed, recorded for the tip (over the nut), must withstand the load on the rupture of 130 kg. We will need this figure in the future.
Mateu’s flexible eyeliner testing
TUCAI flexible testing testing
Aquatic wiring testing testing
Resentification of flexible eyeliner KFA
Statement of Chinese flexible eyeliner
We look at the samples. The sequence is the same as in the first case. The first three manufacturers (Mateu, TUCAI, Water Witter) I would assess perfectly. The pressure testing was made flawlessly. Superable materials and high -quality work of the pressing machine are visible. Stainless steel clamps have, in my opinion, sufficient thickness to ensure trouble -free operation. And I would even put the quality of the flexible eyeliner Aqueline. Well, just look great crimping. The eye is happy. All three manufacturers have factory prints in the pressure testing. The Spaniards mark the crimping more expanded: indicate the brand, technical parameters, in general there is something to see; Aqueline puts only branded stigma.
We move on. Flexible eyeliner, which comes with KFA mixers, is somewhat inferior to three leaders. I would put her well. Only because of one, in my opinion, a significant difference, namely, the clamps of the tips have a much thinner wall than the first three samples. Otherwise, the quality of crimping is quite decent. These options can be taken as a sample when choosing a flexible eyeliner. Pay attention, the crimping of these samples is solid, not segments, like the next sample.
Well, they came to the last model. Flexible eyeliner, which is equipped with a Chinese mixer. I would give her an assessment of zero, although zero, I think, will be offended – the assessment is disgusting!. In my opinion, this is not a crimping, it is the nonsense of a blue mare. Such a segment testing cannot have a high -quality hose. I am not against segmented crimping, many Italian manufacturers use it, the mixers of the Kludi trademark (Germany) are equipped with a flexible eyeliner with segmented pressure testing. But this one does not climb into any framework. I will not even describe it, just look at the photo and compare with any other eyeliner that I described above.
Further even better, I looked inside the nut and did not believe my eyes. Just in case, he even picked up his fingernail. My assumptions were justified. The assessed fitting turned out to be plastic.
Plastic fitting!!!
To be honest, I have never seen this before. Impressed by what I saw, I decided to conduct a crash test of this creation (I really did not think that I would reach that). With one hand he took a flexible eyeliner at one end, the other took the nut and pulled. I do not consider myself Heracles, but I easily tore the nut! Remember, I wrote that the hose should withstand the load of 130 kg.
A torn nut!
A torn plastic fitting is clearly visible
The details of this crash test are clearly visible in the photo. This plastic part is clearly visible, which should be at normal hoses of brass. Well, since I broke it, do not stop at what has been achieved! I picked up a nut, torn off from this hose. Its weight is completely no, as it seemed to me. Completely without effort, with pliers I broke off a piece of nut. The most ordinary alloy similar to Silumin or Zamak, as it is called in Europe. Inside is a very loose structure with numerous pores and voids.
Gaika of a Chinese hose
This is visible in the photo. The nut literally crumbles when clicking on the edge with pliers.
Having entered the courage, I decided to eat this flexible eyeliner with the same pliers and see what’s inside. The hose was quite easy. Screaming is clearly not made of stainless steel. Stainless steel, woven in this way, and even with a rubber tube inside, is not so easy to eat (I was then convinced of this). The wires sticking out after snacking easily break after several reciprocating movements (try to break stainless steel in this way!). Another “surprise” was waiting inside. Small parts of rubber sprinkled, moreover, unpleasantly smelling of ordinary chemistry.
Pieces of scattered rubber are distinctly visible
I don’t know why the internal tube is made of this flexible eyeliner, but it can be torn off just with your fingers. I was not mistaken, it is torn off. There is simply no viscosity or viscosity. This is not rubber, it is not clear what … and it is sold in our markets!!!
We must pay tribute to the seller from the market, from which I borrowed this hose. He warns buyers that a flexible eyeliner is better to change for something better. But not everyone listens to his advice, if not unit. Why buy something else if there is already a flexible eyeliner in the kit with the mixer!? No comment.
Since such an unforeseen turn has acquired the case, I decided to check the flexible eyeliner in the same way, which KFA mixers (Poland) are equipped. Looking in advance I will say that I did it in vain. I did not succeed in tear off the nut of this flexible eyeliner, whatever ways I would not invent at home. I managed to eat a flexible eyeliner, only I spent five of my precious time, all my strength, energy and the most ordinary Russian words on this.
I had to suffer to eat
The wire from which the braid is made does not want to break at all, whatever I do with it. Inside the braid there is a hose from EPDM (ethylene-propylene-di monomer, so, if I am not mistaken, this material is called). To break it worth a lot of effort. This material has no smell at all, you can tear a small piece only with the help of the same pliers and a fairly great effort. The material stretches perfectly, it breaks very badly. I could not break the nut from this hose for flexible water eyeliner. High -quality brass, and even the wall of a nut of very decent thickness. In general, I concluded that the flexible KFA eyeliner is very decent quality.
Summarizing all of the above. Carefully inspect the flexible eyeliner before buying. Pay attention to any little things, do not hesitate to ask the seller the most uncomfortable questions. When buying a mixer in the market, ask how high -quality flexible eyeliner comes with it. If there are any doubts, do not risk, do not chase cheapness and remember, the cheapest flexible eyeliner will cost you very expensive!
Having retreated a little from the topic, I will tell you about one case, whose witness I was in the clothing market. I go choosing jeans for myself. The guy comes to the tent with which I stand and examine the window and asks: “Girl, and you have high -quality jeans?“I think you can predict the answer:“ My product of factory Turkish production. This is not a fake of some Vietnamese. My jeans are the best in this market.”I will not transmit the whole conversation, but in the end the guy asked:“ If I pull for the legs, they will not break?“No, they won’t break,” the hostess answered malicious. The guy takes jeans, pulls the legs in different directions. Jeans are torn at the seam. The guy silently puts jeans on the counter and leaves. A dumb scene … I naturally left too, recalling the good old jeans Rifle, Levis, which was not demolition.
Question No. 2
Is it possible to use hoses included with the mixer? Or it is better to replace them immediately?
If you buy a faucet of a well -known brand (not from land on the market, of course), then it is quite possible to install a flexible eyeliner that comes with such a mixer.
By the way, many, for example, German manufacturers supply faucets with hoses already connected to the mixer. And change them, let’s say for a flexible eyeliner of a larger length, it just doesn’t work. The hoses are pressed inside the mixer body and for the replacement you will have to disassemble the entire mixer. This is done with one single purpose – to exclude possible problems with the consumer if he changes the branded flexible eyeliner to another and it will flow from him during the warranty life. As a rule, for such mixers, the manufacturer gives a 5-year guarantee. The same guarantee applies to a branded flexible eyeliner. I emphasize once again – this applies only to high -quality proprietary products.
The first trademarks that have come to mind using a flexible eyeliner is Hansgrohe, Kludi (Germany).
As for the flexible eyeliner, which is included with Chinese mixers … I hope you read my article from the very beginning. Change definitely. Even if the internal pressed fitting is not plastic, as it was in my case.
Question No. 3
How to make a connection correctly?
There is nothing complicated here. And you will have a few simple recommendations to help you.
one. The bend of a flexible eyeliner should be natural, without tension and straight angles. The minimum bending radius depends on the diameter of the flexible eyeliner and makes up, for example, for a hose with an external diameter of 12 mm – 30 mm.
2. After installation, flexible eyeliner should not be stretched, like a string. The hose must have a slight sagging.
3. Flexible eyeliner after installation should not be twisted around its longitudinal axis.
four. No need to tighten the nuts with a flexible eyeliner with great effort, especially gas keys. I advise this – they twisted the nut with his hands to capacity, then slowly swore a maximum of 1/4 turnover with a key. Naturally, the connection place should not have sharp torn edges, as often happens on old and rusty pipes. In this case, you run the risk of damaging the sealing gasket, with all the ensuing, in the literal sense of the word, the consequences.
Question No. 4
What’s better? High -quality water eyed or connection using a chrome copper tube?
The answer is unequivocal, of course a copper tube. Again, I will not get tired of saying that I mean only quality products! Moreover, this applies not only to the copper tube itself, but also to the cane compound, with which the second end of the tube will be connected to the corner faucet or to the entire corner tap, if it comes with a cangy compound. The service life of the copper tube is actually equal to the service life of the mixer.
The only point that needs to be taken into account is the connection of a copper tube is more difficult to install than connecting with a flexible eyeliner. It is necessary to carefully bend the copper tube; trim if it is long; handle the end. But this is a worthwhile work.
I think the article will be interested and useful to you. Well, if there are questions or I wrote something incomprehensibly-ask! I will try to answer all questions. Good luck to you!!!
To the record “How to distinguish a high -quality hose for flexible water eyeliner from a fake?”4 comments left.
