Caleffi and a sensible valve layout
Caleffi is an Italian maker of fittings for water and heating. Its ball valves go into new pipework and replace old screw-down valves. But the valve is only half of it. The other half is where it goes.
A practical layout is a main valve where water enters the flat, plus separate valves for each point or for the whole bathroom. Then changing a tap or a cistern means shutting one spot while the kitchen and washing machine keep their water. Angle valves usually sit under the basin and by the WC, with a lever ball valve on the branch into the bathroom.
A valve that ends up inside a wall needs an access hatch. And the lever needs room for a full quarter turn, otherwise the valve only half closes.
The washing machine and dishwasher deserve their own valves as well. Their hoses are under pressure all the time, and shutting the washer valve before a trip is the simplest way not to flood the neighbours. Once everything is fitted, and before the tiler starts, the pipework is pressure tested: every joint should be dry before it disappears behind tiles.
Rather hand the job over? More here: bathroom refurbishment in Warsaw.
Where a refit comes back to haunt you
- One valve for the whole flat. Any small bathroom repair leaves the whole household without water.
- A valve tiled over because “it never breaks”. It does, and then new tiles get smashed.
- A lever that hits the wall or a cabinet before it is fully closed.
- Unlabelled valves. A year later nobody remembers which one is hot and which is cold.
- The cheapest valve in the DIY store on the hot supply. After a while the lever spins freely and the ball doesn’t move.
What to decide before fitting
- Sketch or photograph where the basin, WC, shower and washing machine will go.
- Decide which points get their own valves.
- Agree with the tiler where the access hatches will be.
- Buy the valves before the visit, or say in the order that the plumber should bring them.
How to book it
In the app you describe what you want and add photos of the exposed pipes. Plumbers who take on renovation plumbing reply with bids carrying their own price and date. You pick one on price, rating and reviews; the phone number and exact address only show after that.
You pay the plumber directly, and he issues the invoice. Valves, fittings, hatches and removing rubble are paid on top of the labour. He answers for his own joints and redoes them if they leak. Old riser pipes and earlier crews’ mistakes are not on him.
Before any work on the pipes, shut the water where it enters the flat and check that nothing at all comes out of the tap.
Order in the app
Describe the job, add photos and the address. Tradespeople send their own prices and dates, and you pick one of the offers.
Open the app
