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

[stevie t]

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

If you use Hep and Speedfit push fittings and pipe and run short of one or the other you can use Hep pipe with Speedfit fittings and vice versa. However, make sure you use the correct liner/insert for the fitting being used. EG if using Speedfit fitting with Hep pipe ensure you use a Speedfit liner/insert and vice versa!

 

[Guest123]

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

If you use Hep and Speedfit push fittings and pipe and run short of one or the other you can use Hep pipe with Speedfit fittings and vice versa. However, make sure you use the correct liner/insert for the fitting being used. EG if using Speedfit fitting with Hep pipe ensure you use a Speedfit liner/insert and vice versa!

No you can't. There is a small difference between the diameter of barrier pipe and fittings between different manufacturers. You should use a compression fitting with TS inserts for Speedfit and metal liners for Hep and use PTFE tape and only copper olives never brass ones. Use a quality compression with a deeper slip like Conex.

 

[Spanner2k7]

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

Came up with this one the other, call out to a bath mixer which would not turn off, 1/4 cerdisc insert had broke, could not isolate the tap as the floor had been laid to the panel, customer said it was ok, to leave as they would just keep turning the main stop tap off, after a coupler of minute thinking, I remembered I had a ballvalve washer kit in the van. Used one of the flat washers and screwed the tap insert back into the tap, stop the water completey.

I remember when I bought that ball valve washer box, and said to myself when the hell will i use those LOL.

 

[Ravenrider]

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

Probably too simple for you guys but i find the humble heavy duty rubbish bag is excellent for catching any water in awkward places where getting containers/buckets are too difficult. I use them mainly between joists, where pipes are too close to walls and even when emptying rads. Obviously check them for holes first.

 

[markfxy]

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

The diameter of all pex pipe is the same as 15mm copper the internal diameter is different therefore you can use any fitting with any pipe but you can only use the inserts from the same manufacturer as the pipe you are using.

 

[stevie t]

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

If soldering a fitting close to felt (say in a roof space) and you aint got a solder mat, wedge a normal joiners saw between the fitting and the felt. This will deflect the heat while soldering and stop the felt catching fire.

 

[stevie t]

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

If you come across the old type black alkathene pipe and you aren't sure what size it is (5/8" for example), cut a piece off take it to your plumbing supplier and he will recommend which size of coupling to use to reconnect to your new MDPE (blue pipe) if thats what you are using.

 

[stevie t]

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

Yes you can but I should have stated to be used only in an emergency. You are right System3 there is a small difference in diameter and you have to force the inserts into the fitting. I have done it on 2 occasions on call outs in the wee hours sometime ago. If have since returned to these customers recently fittings showers/changing taps/general maint work etc and the fittings and inserts are good to this day! Thanks for pointing that out.

I've only used Hep on a couple of occasions, but do you not use plastic inserts for comp fittings and metal liners for push fit fittings?

 

[stevie t]

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

When powerflushing a htg system and there's no outside tap to connect your mains fill too, connect your powerflush unit mains fill to the cold mains from the washing machine.

 

[Guest123]

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

I've only used Hep on a couple of occasions, but do you not use plastic inserts for comp fittings and metal liners for push fit fittings?

Yes you use TS plastic inserts for compression fittings when using Speedfit. With Hep use the metal liners. Not used Hep very much, I prefer JG Speedfit as I find it far more user friendly and cheaper to buy.

In a perfect world I'd use soldered fittings and copper all the time, but it's way to expensive right now.

 

[stevie t]

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

When using bungs on an open vented system to change a rad make sure you work on/open one tail at a time. Once that end is sealed/compressed only then open the other rad tail to work on.

 

[stevie t]

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

Don't throw out your old bath towels. Keep them in the back of your van, they come in handy when doing minor repairs/maint work like changing taps, removing rads to avoid water thats lying in the pipework spilling onto carpets etc..

 

[Ian10261]

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

I always hang on to any used slip-on C/H pump valve nuts. When i go to change a pump and the nuts are siezed solid, i use a hacksaw blade in a holder to make a cut across the nut. Then prize the nut apart and off comes the pump. Slide on the new nuts, fit the pump, job done.

 

[Hybrid]

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

Not sure if this has come up already.

If you cut out an old stop tap with flared compression connections keep the nut and cone. When you're called out in the depths of winter to a burst on an outside toilet you'll be glad you did.

 

[armourer]

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

When working on 8mm pipework but find you have only got 10mm fittings (or rad valves).
Solder an 8mm straight coupler onto the pipe.
The outside diameter of an 8mm coupler is 10mm.