1 1/4" tailpiece washer; also-best compression ring for plastic?

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NBachers

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In my store, we occasionally sell chrome 1 1/4" tailpieces. They're the kind with a little round flange at the top, like is installed in sink drain strainer baskets. I'm trying to find the plastic top-hat washer to go with them. Does anyone know where I can get the plastic washer to fit into the top of a 1 1/4" tailpiece? I've looked around to all our suppliers, and online, but can't find it. I don't want to use the flat rubber ones because they sometimes compress down into the pipe, but that may be my only choice. If anyone knows sources for either, I'd appreciate it.

Also- We sell copper pipe, tubing, and plastic tubing. Some people prefer to run 1/4 inch or 3/8 inch plastic tubing, and connect with compression fittings. Here's my question:

I usually recommend the copper compression rings for plastic tubing, with a ferrule insert so the plastic doesn't collapse. My reasoning is that the copper ring will compress and grab more strongly than a plastic compression ring. Am I giving the correct advice, or should copper rings be used only for copper; and plastic rings be used only for plastic?

Now I remembered another question: All our compression unions and fittings are male thread, except for the compression nuts & caps. There are times when a female compression union would be good, but I haven't been able to find any of those, either. Any ideas or sources?

Thanks for any help you may be able to give.
 
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Jimbo

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1 1/4" flanged tailpieces are not common. I have heard of it but never seen one. You would have to find a very large plumbing supplyhouse to get one, or the gasket. What is your application using a 1 1/4" flanged tailpiece?

There is divided opinion on using the brass ferrules on plastic tubing. One school of thought is the risk that the ferrule may tend to cut the tubing, especially if it is subject to any "wiggling around" where it is installed.
 

NBachers

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The application: There's the odd sink drain or something that requires it. People bring in strange items from Ikea, old stuff, foreign-made products, specialty items. Occasionally there's a need for the 1 1/4" tailpiece. We have a supply of rubber washers; I can cram one into a 1 1/4" slip-joint nut and tighten it, but it often just crunches down into the tailpiece.

I've also had people complain that the plastic compression ring shreds and doesn't hold well; it may be that they were putting it on backwards or superman-tightening it.

Anyone else have any ideas?
 

hj

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The 1 1/4" top hat washer is such a rare item, that I doubt that any manufacturer would even bother setting up a production line for it. Use a thin flat washer, rather than a slip joint washer, and it should not deform. You get female fittings from the same place you get the male ones. To damage a plastic ferrule you have to really abuse it. Once it is tightened properly it is just as effective, on plastic tubing, as a brass one, if not more so.
 

NBachers

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In my store, we occasionally sell chrome 1 1/4" tailpieces. They're the kind with a little round flange at the top, like is installed in sink drain strainer baskets. I'm trying to find the plastic top-hat washer to go with them. Does anyone know where I can get the plastic washer to fit into the top of a 1 1/4" tailpiece? I've looked around to all our suppliers, and online, but can't find it. I don't want to use the flat rubber ones because they sometimes compress down into the pipe, but that may be my only choice. If anyone knows sources for either, I'd appreciate it.

Also- We sell copper pipe, tubing, and plastic tubing. Some people prefer to run 1/4 inch or 3/8 inch plastic tubing, and connect with compression fittings. Here's my question:

I usually recommend the copper compression rings for plastic tubing, with a ferrule insert so the plastic doesn't collapse. My reasoning is that the copper ring will compress and grab more strongly than a plastic compression ring. Am I giving the correct advice, or should copper rings be used only for copper; and plastic rings be used only for plastic?

Now I remembered another question: All our compression unions and fittings are male thread, except for the compression nuts & caps. There are times when a female compression union would be good, but I haven't been able to find any of those, either. Any ideas or sources?

Thanks for any help you may be able to give.
The 1 1/4" top hat washer has been one of my "holy grail" searches as long as I've been in my store's plumbing department. Despite years of searches and inquiries, I've never been able to find them for sale. I have occasionally found products that feature the 1 1/4" tailpiece, and the top hat washer is included with the assembly, but I've never been able to find them available separately.

We sell the 1 1/4" tailpiece for the odd time when people need 'em. If you take a 1" rubber union washer and push it into the 1 1/4" slip joint nut, it'll be tight, but when you tighten the nut, it'll seat properly. There are similar sink connection washers for the 1 1/2" tailpieces, so I figure this'll work. My customers have confirmed that it's OK.
 
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