Hints, tips & secrets of plumbing - No Banter please!

[Bunker]

Window fitters use about a hundred mastic tubes per window....ask them for a handful of left over unused nozzles, they have hundreds of them, very useful for us.

 

[Chalked]

Service engineer mate of mine showed me this tip today.

for boiler expansion vessel replacement or testing ( with braded hose) he uses a brake pipe clamp to clamp the flexi hose, then replace vessel or test without draining the boiler or system.

one of these.

 

[Bunker]

Service engineer mate of mine showed me this tip today.

for boiler expansion vessel replacement or testing ( with braded hose) he uses a brake pipe clamp to clamp the flexi hose, then replace vessel or test without draining the boiler or system.

one of these.

That is genius, unless it could damage the line?

 

[Chalked]

Mechanics use them all the time on brake lines.
Good enough for 20 bar.

 

[solutions]

Service engineer mate of mine showed me this tip today.

for boiler expansion vessel replacement or testing ( with braded hose) he uses a brake pipe clamp to clamp the flexi hose, then replace vessel or test without draining the boiler or system.

one of these.

Not sure I like the idea of crushing a braided hose. Pinching the hose alone wont allow you to test the expansion vessel unless you also detach the hose before testing the charge. Flexible break hoses are quite different to braided plumbing hoses. You can buy schrader valve extensions from truck supply stores which can make connecting to concealed valves easier. They are intended for lorries with double wheels each axle end to allow the inner wheel valve to be reached from the outer wheel but they work great for expansion vessels.

 

[Whyme]

Service engineer mate of mine showed me this tip today.

for boiler expansion vessel replacement or testing ( with braded hose) he uses a brake pipe clamp to clamp the flexi hose, then replace vessel or test without draining the boiler or system.

one of these.

bet thats good for clamping plastic pipes

 

[kay-jay]

bet thats good for clamping plastic pipes

I usually clamp plastic with my teeth at arms length from where I'm gonna cut it, then give it a snip and whack a valve on it.

The above method works in england and wales however due to poor dental hygiene should not be attempted if you are scottish.....

 

[tamz]

Especially west coast :smile:

 

[Ermintrude]

When your on a job and there isn't one it's polite to fit one. Sick of muppets who fit system or do a boiler swap and neglect to spend £3.49 and two mins to fit them !!!!!!!

 

[Bunker]

Service engineer mate of mine showed me this tip today.

for boiler expansion vessel replacement or testing ( with braded hose) he uses a brake pipe clamp to clamp the flexi hose, then replace vessel or test without draining the boiler or system.

one of these.

Had a thought about this yesterday as I removed an exp vessel. You only have to let the pressure off not drain the system down anyway. I then wind a cap onto the flex just to stop the drips.
If you did use that clamp then the vessel would still have pressure in it and would make a mess.
Just release system pressure (ideally from a drain off or rad, try to avoid the temptation if the PRV)

 

[Ermintrude]

Don't most boilers with internal exp have ISo valves and drain off? With most intergalactic filling loops u can empty boiler off? That is if the previous fitter understood regs and fitted nrv on cold not ch

 

[IDCHAPPY]

If you're going to change the syphon on a close couple toilet that's been in for a few years, it's always worth having a spare donut and bracket handy as the old one will probably be rusted to buggery

 

[gasmanrob]

If you're going to change the syphon on a close couple toilet that's been in for a few years, it's always worth having a spare donut and bracket handy as the old one will probably be rusted to buggery

Just buy a fluid master kit from our forum sponsor Williams and co for a very reasonable £19 and it comes with a bracket and donut

 

[IDCHAPPY]

I'm way up in scotchland though

 

[stevetheplumber]

I'm way up in scotchland though

not got the post that far north?

 

[IDCHAPPY]

not got the post that far north?

Not even got inside toilets yet

 

[Chalked]

Had a thought about this yesterday as I removed an exp vessel. You only have to let the pressure off not drain the system down anyway. I then wind a cap onto the flex just to stop the drips.
If you did use that clamp then the vessel would still have pressure in it and would make a mess.
Just release system pressure (ideally from a drain off or rad, try to avoid the temptation if the PRV)

This is used so you don't have to isolate the boiler and drain off. How many times do you use the boiler isolating valves, only to see them start dripping when you move them.
yes there will still be pressure present in the vessel, but undoing the hose and catching the water will get rid of that. Then it's a simple replacement.

 

[spanner]

When using polypipe pushfit, always Use the insert (don't forget to insert a pipe collar fgs ), for the flitting and not the pipe..
Eg!, if you have a "JG" elbow 22mm and Hep2o pipe 22mm. To get the 101% watertight outcome it is necessary you use the "JG"guide or vice versa...

 

[TBServices]

When using polypipe pushfit, always Use the insert (don't forget to insert a pipe collar fgs ), for the flitting and not the pipe..
Eg!, if you have a "JG" elbow 22mm and Hep2o pipe 22mm. To get the 101% watertight outcome it is necessary you use the "JG"guide or vice versa...

This makes close to no sense.

 

[spanner]

Okay 100% then you can keep the %%

 

[TBServices]

What advice are you trying to offer? Re-write, then proof read before posting again.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

no the insert should suit the pipe not the fitting you have got it the wrong way round spanner

 

[TBServices]

Well that was the point I was going to make Steve, but I wasn't sure whether his "advice" was actually contradictory to this, due to it's general incoherency.

To clarify - The insert/liner must be the correct brand for the PIPE, due to differing inside diameters of pipe between brands. NOT the fitting.

 

[kay-jay]

What a tulip!

 

[Killy Bing]

Spanner.
Pipe sizes relate to the outer diameter of a pipe.

this means jg, polyplumb, hep and the other plastic fittings will work on each others pipes as they fit the same OD

BUT
They have different internal diameters which the insert goes too.

jg could be 14mm id while hep is 13mm.
you need the correct insert to stiffen the pipe or they sit lose and are useless.

 

[Chalked]

Shall we make this easier.

Only use the same manufacturers pipe, insert and fittings.

 

[spanner]

What! My first week in the arms and look..!

 

[SafeGasInstall]

look for ?

 

[spanner]

It was the first interested thread I looked at.. and now I'm doing double work in finding out about push fit fittings... sorry for the hold up.. if I get back to administrator to get the thread removed

 

[spanner]

Spanner.
Pipe sizes relate to the outer diameter of a pipe.

this means jg, polyplumb, hep and the other plastic fittings will work on each others pipes as they fit the same OD

BUT
They have different internal diameters which the insert goes too.

jg could be 14mm id while hep is 13mm.
you need the correct insert to stiffen the pipe or they sit lose and are useless.

Okay thanks. Now let's say you have a jg tee and a polyplumb pipe! The way round would be to use the polyplumb pipe insert

 

[Dannypipe]

OK - so this isn't plumbing related specifically but is trade related, and may help someone who uses Makita cordless tools.

I have lots of Makita stuff and therefore need lots of batteries. So when one died recently, I popped to buy a new one. Toolstation are selling the new 4ah batteries for about £85 which I know isn't super cheap, but when you consider it will definitely be genuine and that until last month Screwfix wanted £149 for a 3Ah it seems a deal.

So I bought 2 of em. When they arrived they wouldn't fit into any of my 3Ah tools. I quickly realised why, and with the Dremel sorted it in under a minute. The 4Ah isn't going to damage my tools just last longer than a 3Ah. So don't worry about that.

Attached are some photos. I hope this is clear, and it may help someone!


PS - so far the 4Ah batteries do last a fair bit longer than the 3's.

 

[Dannypipe]

I must add, after doing this, I won't be able to return them if they fail in the first 12 months, but I'm not really concerned about that. Also checked the web prices out of the 4Ah I can't see anyone doing them as cheap.

 

[Whyme]

Okay thanks. Now let's say you have a jg tee and a polyplumb pipe! The way round would be to use the polyplumb pipe insert

or just use the right plastic insert and a brass compression fitting (can join many plastic sins), sorted.

 

[spanner]

I use all Bosch and always Have And always Do. Magnificent power

 

[gassafe]

I must add, after doing this, I won't be able to return them if they fail in the first 12 months, but I'm not really concerned about that. Also checked the web prices out of the 4Ah I can't see anyone doing them as cheap.

I wonder why makita bring out new 4ah battery's then try not to let us use em on are kit?

 

[Dannypipe]

Dunno, its weird. Which is why I didn't check it before I bought the batteries. I would have been annoyed if there wasn't a work around. They probably do work on the latest 'brushless' tools. Don't know.

 

[spanner]

Are we using the right domain ere.. good night lads

 

[JAH HEATING]

When your on a job and there isn't one it's polite to fit one. Sick of muppets who fit system or do a boiler swap and neglect to spend £3.49 and two mins to fit them !!!!!!!

A quid for doff in local merchants, 12 quid for ten e feed tees in tool station I think I've just paid

 

[Killy Bing]

Check this link on the 4ah batts

[DLMURL="http://www.makitauk.com/lithium-ion-40ah.html"]Makita UK - Lithium-ion 4.0Ah[/DLMURL]

 

[solutions]

OK - so this isn't plumbing related specifically but is trade related, and may help someone who uses Makita cordless tools.

I have lots of Makita stuff and therefore need lots of batteries. So when one died recently, I popped to buy a new one. Toolstation are selling the new 4ah batteries for about £85 which I know isn't super cheap, but when you consider it will definitely be genuine and that until last month Screwfix wanted £149 for a 3Ah it seems a deal.

So I bought 2 of em. When they arrived they wouldn't fit into any of my 3Ah tools. I quickly realised why, and with the Dremel sorted it in under a minute. The 4Ah isn't going to damage my tools just last longer than a 3Ah. So don't worry about that.

Attached are some photos. I hope this is clear, and it may help someone!View attachment 16833
View attachment 16834

PS - so far the 4Ah batteries do last a fair bit longer than the 3's.

 

[solutions]

Killy you beat me to it.

 

[Ermintrude]

Had new lad notch out joists, he started and I stopped him. Was only going to leave 5mm of joist.

Ok so this is what I showed him. You need rip snorter, bendinding guide for size of tube u need to notch out for, hammer and a pointy sharp thing.


Remove board

Run saw with blade set at pipe thickness plus 3mm

Run saw so guide is against adjacent board

Cut all joists needed

Next put guide between edge of board and side of snorter.... Cuts hole with 3mm gap either side.

Then simply whack notch with hammer and tidy with sharp thing.

 

[TBServices]

That means taking up 2 boards! Good tip though

 

[Ermintrude]

No u can also set snorter to pipe plus board, just use old board as a straight edge on top. For two 15mm use two guides or slice pipe slice

 

[Ermintrude]

Only lifted two as offset further up

 

[acecharly]

You need to give him a junior hackjsaw he will soon stop cutting so deep then lol

 

[Kyle87]

Become friends with a carpet fitter. Their business is in and out fast as they can and on to the next. So they see a lot of people per day........the "do you know a plumber?" Question is often popped out when tradesmen are in someone's house.

Also they change their knife blade like every ten mins. Their bluntest blades are still sharper than anything in a plumbers tool box. So it's free Stanley blades for life

 

[Ermintrude]

Bang tidy blow off just like ideal.

Use end feed stopend as Yorkshire but big.

Then chew pipe as I did or use a Jr hacksaw

Sweat end on

Punch tube

Done

 

[Mike Jackson]

Need to replace a built in shower or one with non standard spacings. Get a piece of stainless sheet, fix two easy fit connectors to it and you can hide a multitude of sins.

 

[CXR100]

I use polytheen dustsheets when replacing rads o trv's ect, one 12x12ft does like 2 rads change easily if you cut them in half and that's if you triple layer them up. masking tape them to the skirting behind the rad and cut them so they fit around the pipes feeding the radiator then masking tape the dustsheet to the pipe. tidy job, no spills thru to the carpet and once you finished you can wrap all you rubbish up in them and chuck away! and at £23 for a pack of 10 in TRAVS PERKIS!!!!! ( enough to do 20 rad changes approx.) id say they are a bargain. I don't like dust sheets after they get whet , they smell of amp and look awful!! that's my opinion anyway, if you masking tape them to the skirting no dust will get behind onto the carpets when drilling!