Flexible tap connectors and copper tails

Look under most modern sinks and basins and you will find short, silver braided hoses running from the pipes up to the tap. The same kind of hose often feeds a toilet cistern. These are flexible tap connectors, usually called flexi hoses or flexis. Older installations, and many fitters who prefer them, use rigid copper "tails" instead. Both do the same job: they make the last short link between the fixed pipework and the fitting.

This page is about that link. If the problem is the valve on the pipe, see isolation valves. If water is coming out of the spout when the tap is shut, that is a washer or cartridge, covered in dripping taps.

Why flexis are used

A monobloc kitchen or basin mixer has two thin connectors already screwed into its base. These are sometimes called tails too, but they are part of the tap. They are too short to reach the supply pipes, so a flexi hose bridges the gap. The hose bends round a waste trap or a bowl, takes up small differences in height, and lets a tap be lifted out later without cutting pipe.

On a toilet, a flexi from an isolation valve to the cistern inlet does the same thing. Washing machines and dishwashers use a different kind of hose, with a hose fitting on the end, and that is covered in washing machine plumbing.

A copper tail is a rigid length of pipe bent to fit. It is tidy and durable, but harder to remove when a tap is changed.

What is inside a braided hose

A braided connector is a flexible inner tube, usually a rubber or plastic compound, wrapped in a woven metal braid. The braid takes the pressure and protects the tube. At each end there is a crimped metal ferrule and a fitting: a threaded nut to screw onto a tap tail, a compression end for a pipe, or a push-fit end. Some have an isolation valve built in.

Why a tired hose leaks

Flexis are reliable, but they are not permanent. Common causes of trouble include:

• Kinking. A hose bent too tightly, or squashed by a cupboard shelf, can crack inside.
• Corrosion of the braid. Cleaning products stored in the cupboard, damp, or a slow drip from above can attack the braid. Rusty or discoloured braid is a warning sign.
• Twisting during fitting. A hose that was twisted as its nut was done up is under constant strain.
• Overtightening. Too much force can damage the seal in the end fitting or crack the nut.
• Age. The inner tube can harden over time.

A failing flexi is under full mains pressure, inside a cupboard nobody watches, so a weeping hose should not be left. If you see a drip, a bulge, fraying or rust, plan to replace it. Smart leak detectors can help in cupboards you rarely open.

Isolate the water first

Before you touch a flexi, turn the water off. Isolate the water first, every time.

If there is an isolation valve on the pipe, turn its slot a quarter turn so it sits across the pipe. If there is no valve, or it does not stop the flow, turn off the stopcock. Find a leak and the stopcock explains where to look. Open the tap to release pressure and drain the last of the water, and keep a bowl and a towel ready. If the hose you are changing is on the hot side, let the water cool first.

A replacement hose is not a replacement isolation valve. If the valve under the sink is stiff or does not seal, that is a separate repair: see isolation valves.

Replacing a flexi like for like

The general idea, once the water is off:

1. Note how the old hose is fitted: which end is on the tap, which on the pipe, and what kind of end each is.
2. Undo the nut at the pipe end, then at the tap end. Hold the fitting behind with a second spanner so you do not twist the pipe.
3. Match the new hose to the old one: the same thread or pipe size at each end, and a length that reaches without stretching or a tight loop.
4. Fit it by hand first, so the threads start straight. Then tighten as the maker's instructions say. Many flexi ends seal with a rubber washer and need only modest force.
5. Turn the water on slowly and watch both ends for a few minutes, then check again later with dry tissue.

Do not use PTFE tape on a fitting that seals with a washer unless the maker says so. Do not mix a compression end with plastic pipe without the insert the maker specifies. The choice between push-fit and compression ends is covered in push-fit vs compression vs solder.

If you are fitting a new tap rather than replacing a hose, kitchen tap types and mixer and bath taps explain what usually comes in the box and what the tap needs from the supply.

When to call a plumber

Call a plumber if the pipe end is corroded or bent, the isolation valve will not shut, water has reached the floor below, or you are not sure what fitting you have.

Two connectors Wickes lists

We haven't tested this. Figures are as the maker states them (checked 13 November 2026).

How often should flexible tap connectors be replaced?

There is no single rule. Check them whenever you clear out the cupboard, and replace any hose that is rusty, frayed, kinked, bulging or damp at a joint. Follow the maker's guidance where it gives one.

Can I use a flexi hose instead of a copper pipe?

For the short link under a tap or cistern, usually yes, if the hose suits the pipe, the thread and hot or cold water. Do not use a tap connector on a heating system unless the maker says it is suitable.

Why is my new flexi hose dripping at the nut?

Often the thread was started at an angle or the washer is missing or pinched. Turn the water off again, undo it, check the washer and refit it straight. Forcing it tighter rarely helps.