greater particularly 66 greater such that a volume for liquid flow is provided between the lift valve 542 and the second lower chamber wall 583 when lift valve 542 is opened flow conduit 183 a receives lift valve 542 such that there is free flow of water around lift valve 542 within second lower chamber wall 583 if lower chamber 582 had the typical shape of a tundish there would be no flow conduit 583 a below first portion 580 a but instead there would be a shelving floor the insertion of the flow conduit 583 a has surprisingly been found to increase flow rate of liquids through the connector 500 by 50 compared to the connector of fig1 but with only a 20 increase in the overall length of the connector the diameter of the connector 500 being the same as the diameter of the connector 100 in an alternative embodiment the diameter of valve disc 545 may be less than that for outlet 520 such that the valve spring 555 and or valve disc 545 may be replaced by removing valve spring clip 560 allowing the lift valve 542 to drop through outlet 520 and out of the connector 500 so that one or more of the components of lift valve 542 may be replaced the increase in overall length of the connector 500 provides the connector with a push fit facility without the push fit connection the length of the connector could be substantially the same as that disclosed in the previous embodiments an embodiment of a shielded connector according to the invention is shown in fig1 11 and 12 the shielded connector 600 comprises a connector substantially as described in relation to fig5 a corresponding sequence of reference numerals for connector 600 have been.