Hints & Tips

[CopperPot]

great thread, im learning

[WHPES]

When freezing a pipe, before cutting it, drill a 3mm hole to see if the pipe has frozen. If not, screw a self tapping screw into it with a blob of Boss White.

You can also use a self tapping screw as a temporary repair to a pipe which has had a nail hammered through it.

[WHPES]

When working on oil fired burners, particularly those outside, use Copaslip on the screws and on the fan bush to aid disassembly later.

Never bend a copper tube by loading it with sand and heating up - will affect the metal characteristics and make it vulnerable to cold water pitting.

[WHPES]

When soldering brass fittings, do not overheat as it will affect the material matrix, weaken the metal and accelerate dezincification.

[dontknowitall]

When removing sign writing lettering from a van it's probably best not to use your blowtorch - found that out this afternoon ... !!

Latest plan (to try tomorrow) is to put the van into a covering (no garage) then a gas heater in the van to roast the inside, then apply a hairdryer to the lettering.

I'll let you know if I run out of fire extinguishers ... or have burnt the building down.

[system3]

When bossing heavy lead sheet, use a blow torch (roofers blast style) on the area to be bossed. The lead is so much easier to work and eliminates tears.

For extra grip (and to keep your hands warm in cold weather) slide a piece of hose onto your shifting spanners and footprints.

Always carry a few teabags and "accidentally" drop one on a wet floor in front of your customer. Hopefully they'll get the hint!

If like me you come out in a rash when working near glass wool loft insulation, keep a tub of vaseline in the fridge the night before you go to the job and rub it on affected areas when your finished. Really does curb the itch and cools it down.

[WHPES]

When removing sign writing from a van, soften it with white spirit first and use white spirit to remove residues (Don't smoke or use blowtorch!)

White spirit will usually remove QA inspection labels from WCs and basins. Failing that, petrol.

[Plumbstar Tom]

When fitting a pillar tap to a basin point it to 3 o'clcok tighten the nut as much as possible that swing the tap round to 6 o'clock for it to be tight and not moveable by heavy handed customers

[WHPES]

Toothpaste on a strip of cardboard will usually remove scuff marks from basins, wcs etc.

[oldplumber]

originally posted by Bernie
"One of the bottles, I think its the acetylene, has got a concave shaped bottom with a peg in it, that is supposed to blow out if the pressure gets too high in the bottle.

I thought it was amusing, I have used oxy acetylene many times and we have never or very seldom been supplied with even a cart to carry the bottles on, let alone the chain to keep them upright.

The thing is, it seems not all that many people know much about the safe use of oxy acetylene in the Plumbing industry. They should of course. It may be the guy next to you using it, but if it goes up, it won't ask who you are, it'll just blow.

Incidentally oxygen fires are worse than acetylene.


By old plumber

Working on a farm years back I saw the acetylene bottle leave the workshop after the building had been on fire a while, the firemen overtook me as I ran in the opposite direction and the O2 bottle did its stuff 10 minutes later through another wall.