A warning for everyone [ well maybe not everyone]

[johnnyplumb]

After fitting sink taps this morning, i got a phone call in the afternoon from the customer, 'my showers not working, it was alright before you where here'. Years ago i would have probably phoned her back and said ,it's nothing to do with me darling, i was'nt near your shower. Nowadays though, i've got a different attitude, i'am right into all this customer service stuff. This has happened to me before, so i new the likely cause and she was probably gonna blame me anyway. Well if you have'nt already guessed the fault, here it is, a blown prd valve, caused by turning the shower on at full pelt while it's full of air. luckily it was a bog standard triton shower and i usually keep a few prd valves from old showers in the van, a pain in the @rse to have to go back though. So to all the newbies out there & maybe some novices as well, maybe we should all be re-commisioning those electric showers after doing any job where you have to shut off & drain down the mains.

 

[Guest123]

For this very reason, I now prefer to freeze the supply pipes I'm working on and leave the water live to the rest of the house. Saves any inconvenience to the customer too by having to switch the water off to their whole house, plus they can't blame you for anything that has supposedly happened to their appliances!
My CO2 kit freezes a 22mm pipe in about 3 minutes and it's ultra reliable. A drain down can take 30 minutes and if gravity fed, have airlocks after refilling. No brainer.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

system3 can you post a link to this kit ,please

is electric one better or co as you mention ?

 

[Guest123]

system3 can you post a link to this kit ,please

is electric one better or co as you mention ?

I like the CO2 kit as I can take it anywhere, even into properties that have no electricity. I use the Rothenberger Rofrost kit and it freezes up to 65mm and comes in a big red case with multiple sizes of freezer heads. It uses liquid CO2 cylinders about the size of a fire extinguisher and is not to be confused with the spray can kits. It can also freeze 2 pipes at the same time.

http://www.tradecounterdirect.com/plumbing-tools/pipe-freezing/rofrost-co2-pipe-freeze-set_type.html

 

[Whn1]

You have me interested now, what purposes have you used it for? I never used a freeze kit before, how long does it stay frozen! how do you unfreeze, or is it just a waiting game. How much is the cO and refills?

 

[royston]

As above , but im now thinking of the users it could have. Does it freeze mains water then ?

 

[johnnyplumb]

For this very reason, I now prefer to freeze the supply pipes I'm working on and leave the water live to the rest of the house. Saves any inconvenience to the customer too by having to switch the water off to their whole house, plus they can't blame you for anything that has supposedly happened to their appliances!
My CO2 kit freezes a 22mm pipe in about 3 minutes and it's ultra reliable. A drain down can take 30 minutes and if gravity fed, have airlocks after refilling. No brainer.

freezer kits have got there uses and they might save inconveniences to the customer but you've got to weigh up the time the water is likely to be off and the cost of the gas etc, remember you need more gas the longer the water is off, might be quicker & cheaper just to check the shower before you go. imo

 

[Guest123]

You have me interested now, what purposes have you used it for? I never used a freeze kit before, how long does it stay frozen! how do you unfreeze, or is it just a waiting game. How much is the cO and refills?

If you keep the gas on very slightly, it will freeze indefinately. It thaws naturally and at room temp, about 5 minutes. I run a rag round the ice plug and it seems to make the pipe defrost quicker.
I use it to freeze any pipe I'm working on and fit iso valves, rads are brilliant, water mains and basically any pipe you need to slice open as you can fit a ballofix and not even have to turn off the water to the rest of the building.The down side, is there is a rental for the cylinder if you use BOC but this is nothing if you use it very often as it more than pays for itself. Fleabay sell liquid CO2 cylinders with no rental. A refill costs about 20 quid and lasts ages.
Someone was selling one in the For Sale/Wanted thread on the forum a wee while back.

 

[Resolute]

Ahh, should always check all services run properly after draining down!

Has similar problems before though - left an air lock on a shower in an ensuite in a loft conversion once as I hadn't checked it before I left the property. Luckily the customer was OK and I went round the following morning to sort it.

 

[tamz]

Nowadays though, i've got a different attitude, i'am right into all this customer service stuff.

:lol: that one made me laugh. It must be an age thing or maybe the times we now live in:lol:

My CO2 kit freezes a 22mm pipe in about 3 minutes and it's ultra reliable.

Could have done with a freeze kit today when swapping a combi. The numpty had tiled in his stopcock behind some lovely travertine tiles. Just had to cut it live and slap a valve on at the boiler. No mess i hope :lol: