Pegler Brassware vs Others? - Any thoughts on quality parts?

[Deaf Cat]

Hiya,

My Dad used to say that Pegler was one of the best quality makes of brassware.

When I first started plumbing a few years ago I bought what my local shop had. After coming across a few isolating valves that leaked once touched, I thought there must be a better quality type around that lasts, so found Pegler brassware at screwfix, my local shop wanted far too much money for Pegler stuff.

So I've been buying Pegler isolating valves and lever valves (full bore) as well as stop cocks, thinking, decent brasware that will last.

Over the last year say, I've had, must be getting on for about 8 Pegler isolating valves, just installed, water back on, and they just don't turn off, even when the screw driver slot says they are shut, last thing that one wants a!

The full bore lever valves seem much better quality, but it does make one wonder, after the careless balls up of making and sending out isolating valves that don't isolate.

A couple of the 15mm stop cocks I've had don't fit on a 15mm pipe, I've had to hammer them on! Quality slipping me thinks.

Oh and to put the icing on the cake, a customer wanted a thermostatic bath mixer tap that does a shower too, so recommended Aqualisa and Peger, they bought the Pegler, 3 days later I was back to change the thermostatic cartridge....

So, I'm feeling a little lost at the moment, my chosen so called quality brassware is a bit of a shambles, do you have any prefered brassware manufacturer that you know is going to lead to no call backs and no installation problems?

I appreciate any thoughs or comments,

Cheers,
DC

 

[Bartdude]

I'm a fan of Marflow,I've fitted a few sets and have found it to be excellent quality. I ended up using the Oblique range on my own bathroom.

[DLMURL="http://www.marflow.co.uk/shop.smxp"]A world-renowned range of showers, mixers, taps and bathroom accessories[/DLMURL]

 

[turnpin]

Have always liked to use Pegler brassware standard taps rad valves ball valves etc never had any problems but like a lot of stuff now too much of it is imported I am not sure if Pegler has any of its production based abroad but I personally have found some of the many well known brands dont seem to have the same quality as they used to have.All my isolation gate valves stopcocks drain cocks and ball valves and terrier rad valves in my own house are pegler and are as good today as when I installed them 15 or so years ago regards turnpin

 

[plumblee]

Hiya ,Thought it was just me... had the same problem with pegler isolating valves about two years ago,out of 10 purchased two failed and have never paid the extra price since, standards all the time...

 

[Reg Man]

Pegler used to be the premier of brass fittings. Not so sure now. Problem being the great British companies can't compete. So it goes else where and the spec changes. Welcome the brands view point on this.

 

[WHPES]

Always tend to use the Conex brassware. Always been good quality. I also think the style of the nuts is more pleasing to the eye where visible. Maybe its a bit of OCD but I always line my nuts and screwheads up on anything I do. It also tells me if anyone has tampered with anything of mine if I come back to anywhere!


Comap valves are always good quality.

The Pegler outside taps are far more durable for a commercial premises than anything else on the market.

 

[Bernie2]

The simple problem is I suppose you simply don't know where they come from. As said perhaps they reduce the spec to keep costs down. The thing is it would be nice to know. There is nothing worse at times to get lots of call backs through faulty gear. The customer gets annoyed and you get annoyed and feel let down by products you should be able to fit and forget.

However like in many other things you can't even go by the brand or price now. I just got a Miele washing machine, after loads of hassle with other machines, great stuff, only had it a week and the door latch failed. I feel people would pay premium prices if they knew the stuff was good and reliable, but you just can't tell.

Imagine if they used the same standard on a spacecraft the wings would probably fall off before it got into space.

 

[Deaf Cat]

Thank you for your replys

Easy to tell a decent quality part from years ago, wish they were the same now.

Yes I would guess Pegler isolating valves are made on the cheap now as quality has obviously gone down hill, shame, I'll maybe try some Conex isolating valves see how they go, they've not got proper nuts lets hope their balls work

Generally I use stop cocks were the isolators are not seen, simply due to the failures of the Pegler valves.

In saying that, I installed a full bore lever valve in a Complementary Health Clinic on a Colonic Irrigation set up. That gets turned on and off pretty much every day even though the pressure is pretty much nothing, its holding up to much more use than I guess an isolating valve would normally have... that was a few years ago now before I had the run of bad isolating valves though, ho hum.

Cheers