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

[SafeGasInstall]

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

the flarer nis good for pipes that have been frozen youll not get those in a compression coupling

I did mean to use compression when you have imperial pipe work and want to convert to metrick Steve ! However I don't know after a pipes base been fleared how do you join them ?

 

[fogarty]

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

When adding inhibitor or cleaner to a system, shut off both sides drain a few litres or so then use a 15mm compression elbow in the top of the rad to pour inn your chemicals...

To people in the know this is probably obvious but to me it's not, how does the 15mm elbow connect to the top of the rad?

 

[Whyme]

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

I did mean to use compression when you have imperial pipe work and want to convert to metrick Steve ! However I don't know after a pipes base been fleared how do you join them ?

i meant to solder especially where ya cant get at it again, the only prob with comp is that 3/4 to 22mm is proper baggy and needs to be tightend to death.

 

[Whyme]

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

To people in the know this is probably obvious but to me it's not, how does the 15mm elbow connect to the top of the rad?

it only works on compact style rads with a 15mm bleed point/ plug you can remove Look back i posted a similar one to use a bent f/i and auto airvent body

 

[WHPES]

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

i meant to solder especially where ya cant get at it again, the only prob with comp is that 3/4 to 22mm is proper baggy and needs to be tightend to death.

No No No!!!

Never use a 22mm olive on 3/4" pipe as you must use a 3/4" olive on 3/4" pipe.

If you simply try and bodge and screw up a 22mm one tight or there's a good chance it will leak or the joint won't be tight when fully screwed up.

If you want to flare the pipe, heat the pipe end until really hot and allow to cool down naturally so as to soften it and leave it less likely to split when flared.

 

[Whyme]

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

No No No!!!

Never use a 22mm olive on 3/4" pipe as you must use a 3/4" olive on 3/4" pipe.

If you simply try and bodge and screw up a 22mm one tight or there's a good chance it will leak or the joint won't be tight when fully screwed up.

If you want to flare the pipe, heat the pipe end until really hot and allow to cool down naturally so as to soften it and leave it less likely to split when flared.

behave how many new plumbers keep 3/4 olives on their vans. a 22mm comp fitting will make a good seal if tightened enough and its not a bodge by any stretch of the imagination....like i said use flaring kit if you havent got end feed converters solder all the way...

 

[Mike Jackson]

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

behave how many new plumbers keep 3/4 olives on their vans. a 22mm comp fitting will make a good seal if tightened enough and its not a bodge by any stretch of the imagination....like i said use flaring kit if you havent got end feed converters solder all the way...

It is a bodge. 22mm olives will not tighten properly onto 3/4 pipe. They are not designed for it, should there be a leak you will be held entirely responsible for using an inappropriate fitting. There are lots of things that new plumbers may not have on their vans but that is not an excuse for not doing the job properly. When you've turned up to a job, fitted a new boiler, fired it up and a fitting has blown off the other side of the house because it is a 22 fitting bodged onto 3/4 pipe you will know what a bodge it is.

 

[WHPES]

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

I always have 3/4" olives and 1" olives in my van as do my other plumber mates. A 22mm olive is a bodge. Crimp them up and there's a good chance they will crease and not seal properly or blow off - I have come across this after other "plumbers" have been on site. Exactly the same way as you don't try and solder a 22mm fitting onto 3/4" pipe but use a 22 x 3/4 reducer.

These details and others like them make the difference between a bodger and an expert.

 

[Whn1]

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

I always keep stock of 3/4 olives and metric to imperial end feed couplings.

 

[stevetheplumber]

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

i keep a few convertor olives in the olive box tied together with a bit of solder same with the couplings saves digging through to find the right ones

 

[Dannypipe]

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

I cranked up a 22mm compression fitting onto an 3/4 bit of pipe the other week as it was the discharge from an unvented. So no pressure will ever be on the joint.

I would never do it on a joint that's under pressure, as its a bodge. Adapters are pence.

 

[CXR100]

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

i have some 3/4" olives and 3/4" to 22mm solder couplings along with slips couplings in an old small swarfega pot in the van , this way i never try to use them on normal 22mm pipe an think they ar faulty 22mm couplers and chuck then in the scrap box!

 

[Bunker]

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

When removing rads:
(Assuming you've prepared the system appropriately and have your old towels under the valves etc)..
Have a couple of male compression caps at hand (1/2 or 3/4 dependng) and, once the rad is undone from the valve, gently separate and lob the cap in between, then do your rad-side nut up. No need to drain inside the house, no leakage, just carry outside and empty there. (obviously this will make the rad heavier so this will only work if its a smallish rad, or if there are 2 of you, or if you look like Croppie and can lift one in each hand...)

 

[mutley racers]

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

When soldering and a fitting is in a tight place, heat the pipe further down from the fitting and then solder

 

[Whyme]

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

If your in a pickle with a mildly scuffed rad get a small tub of white combined T cut and polish works a treat as long as its not too deep and will last you years..( disclaimer the right thing to do would be replace rad but hey ho).

 

[WaterTight]

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

When fitting a fluidmaster dual flush drop valve into a WC with a 2 inch cistern hole and therefore using the supplied 2 inch seal, keep the foam washer that it comes fitted with - they are better than the thin rubber ones which come with normal handle operated syphons.

While on the subject had anyone tried the handle operated fluidmaster dual flush valves (not flapper type)? Wondering if they were as reliable and the classic...

 

[kay-jay]

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

Yes. Excellent. Lift up handle for half flush and depress handle for full flush.

 

[Bunker]

Best tool in my box - 52mm pump valve spanner from Screwfix. Oh god it's awesome...

 

[Dannypipe]

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

Best tool in my box - 52mm pump valve spanner from Screwfix. Oh god it's awesome...

They are good, and a life saver if you're in a tight spot. However I've since gone back to grips for pump unions. Haven't pulled the pump spanner out in months. Simply as I have the grips in the tool box I carry onto a job and the bloody great big pump spanner is in the tool tub in the van.

 

[Bunker]

COMPLAINT:
I've not been around the forum for long but having been reading it including this section, I have increasingly found my work is suffering. For example, on your appalling advice, I bought a wet n dry vacuum and have used it so many times its getting embarrassing, so much stuff is alot easier and taking LESS TIME! How am I supposed to string these jobs out now? Plus, I keep reading it like now when I should be working. It's an outrage.

 

[CXR100]

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

tell customers to put harpic blue block in cisters of leaking toilets, had loads this year and turned out to be condesation , couldent believe it was so much water, if the base of the toilet or the flush pipe or doughnut washer is leaking you will see the blue mark from the leak , very handy if it is a very small leak, or for customers in social housing that just want a new toilet because its "leaking" when its really just condensation!

 

[Bunker]

13mm ratchet spanner on tail key.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

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

13mm ratchet spanner on tail key. View attachment 11770

Should have for your self the rotenberger rad rachet .... Sorry can not post link as I use my phone

 

[Bunker]

Should have for your self the rotenberger rad rachet .... Sorry can not post link as I use my phone

Yes I've seen those but that's an extra tool, my way uses stuff I already have.

 

[WHPES]

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

If you can't find the test point plug for the boiler after you've finished doing a combustion test, it's usually stuck to the magnet on the back of your analyser.

 

[WHPES]

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

Leave it in a compartment in the top of your toolbox then it won't get lost under dust sheets etc.

 

[WHPES]

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

Don't carry round junk and scrap and tools you don't need in your van, only adds to weight and uses extra fuel hauling it all around.

 

[Plumb-pro]

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

When applying silicone along a bath, basin etc i always spray with windolene before smoothing, this stops any smearing up the tiles and bath and gives a great finish.

 

[iiplumbing]

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

When applying silicone along a bath, basin etc i always spray with windolene before smoothing, this stops any smearing up the tiles and bath and gives a great finish.

I use the smallest amount of silicone possible and then from a cup of water wet my finger to smooth down. Different colour silicones sometimes behave differently, black being the most difficult (I used fairy liquid on finger to ease lubrication!)

 

[Dannypipe]

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

13mm ratchet spanner on tail key. View attachment 11770

I like that. I resent paying Rothenburger 30 sheets for a posh spud key!

Here's a tip talking of boilers - purchase this set of magnetic trays from Toolstation :
Magnetic trays. That way you can put boiler components into them as you remove them, and not mix screws up.


I personally have a couple of these trays, also from Toolstation- but wished I'd bought the above set as it's better value.
Magnetic tray

 

[Whyme]

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

Get a short piece of copper pipe with a stop end on to slide over your hot blowlamp nozzle when used in case it gets knocked over.

 

[CXR100]

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

handy if you got the rothenberger blowlamp with the tip that goes red when soldering!!!!!! much prefer the bernzomatic!!

 

[CXR100]

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

do everybody else's do this or just mine?? the bernzomatic tip stays coldish all times, but the rothenberger jest goes red hot straight away when i solder a joint!

 

[Dannypipe]

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

Mine only gets red (glowing) hot if I turn the flame right down.

It always gets hot though! It's a blow torch.

I use Mapp gas BTW.

 

[CXR100]

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

mine goes red whatever i try to do!!! i always use mapp gas with it, the bernzomatic tip doesent get red or hot tho!

 

[ne1ls0n]

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

allways carry an extra roll of solder in the van, don't know how many times that one has bitten me

 

[Dannypipe]

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

mine goes red whatever i try to do!!! i always use mapp gas with it, the bernzomatic tip doesent get red or hot tho!

Mine doesn't mate. If I'm sweating a joint and want to be careful with it, I'll wind the gas right down. Only then will the end start to glow red.

 

[mickg1]

when you fit a bath dont use the L shaped brackets there useless and you will get alot of movement from the bath, instead level the bath put a pencil line around the top of the bath ease the bath out of place and apply PINK GRIP adhesive about 10mm below your line, use plenty of it then throw your bath in place, give it a good wiggle to ensure it grips, if any goes on the bath dont rub it off, let it cure an it will just break off in go, (same goes for expanding foam if it gets on your hands dont rub it, let it cure an peal off in one go)

 

[Whyme]

Good skills or if youve a bit more time on your hands batten out the back and side walls so the lip sits on it.

 

[iiplumbing]

when you fit a bath dont use the L shaped brackets there useless and you will get alot of movement from the bath, instead level the bath put a pencil line around the top of the bath ease the bath out of place and apply PINK GRIP adhesive about 10mm below your line, use plenty of it then throw your bath in place, give it a good wiggle to ensure it grips, if any goes on the bath dont rub it off, let it cure an it will just break off in go, (same goes for expanding foam if it gets on your hands dont rub it, let it cure an peal off in one go)

I pity the poor fitter, who, in years to come, goes to remove one of your baths!

As for the "L" brackets, the problem with them is potentially splitting the wooden batten if you screw through without first pre-drilling. Also so many fitters (for ease of installation) put the bracket facing upwards (and then tiled over). Makes it a right pain if bath is to be removed without disturbing the tiles above!!

Why not put one bracket at each end (of the long side near each end) then one each on the near side, four brackets = bath reletively secure without the need for any adhesive, dont forget to use the lock bolts on the legs (they help stabilise as well and (before you tile) a sufficient but small amount of clear silicone between the bath edge and wall.

This silicone will be thin enough to secure but not enough so as to make it impossible to remove the bath without destroying the wall behind.

The finishing silicone then becomes a waterproofing and decorative layer and although it will also provide some mechanical grip that is not is what is intended, thus this top layer does not become stressed and fail causing a leak path.


www.iiplumbing-services-derby.co.uk

 

[SafeGasInstall]

Typical Plumbers post well done , unfortunatly all the builders that do bathrooms will never read this , or they will never listen to any plumbers advice

I pity the poor fitter, who, in years to come, goes to remove one of your baths!

As for the "L" brackets, the problem with them is potentially splitting the wooden batten if you screw through without first pre-drilling. Also so many fitters (for ease of installation) put the bracket facing upwards (and then tiled over). Makes it a right pain if bath is to be removed without disturbing the tiles above!!

Why not put one bracket at each end (of the long side near each end) then one each on the near side, four brackets = bath reletively secure without the need for any adhesive, dont forget to use the lock bolts on the legs (they help stabilise as well and (before you tile) a sufficient but small amount of clear silicine between the bath edge and wall.

This silicone will be thin enough to secure but not enough so as to make it impossible to remove the bath without destroying the wall behind.

The finishing silicone then becomes a waterproofing and decorative layer and although it will also provide some mechanical grip that is not is what is intended, thus this top layer does not become stressed and fail causing a leak path.


www.iiplumbing-services-derby.co.uk

 

[Dannypipe]

I can’t take full credit for this as I got the idea from another forum member who mentioned he had made one of these.

He didn’t detail how.

This ‘fence’ sprayer comes from Screwfix. It’s on special at the moment for £18.

If you remove the spray wand, a piece of 10mm copper tube fits in perfectly, and seals with the supplied O ring. Then screw on the back nut that comes with the sprayer, which also has a compression piece to hold the assembly tight. On the end of the 10mm pipe, I've got a 10/15mm compression adapter that I got supplied with a load of rad valves I bought. I've then got a 15mm compression coupling. Which is perfect for attaching a filling loop hose.

You then have your own dosing tool for sealed systems. You can use cheaper bottled chemicals and still put them in under pressure.

I initially tried using a reducing ‘bush’ on the male end of the fitting, but a 10mm bit of tube is miles better.

You also get the handle which you squeeze to activate the pump.
Anyway, get down Screwfix and buy one of these. They’re normally £25.

 

[Barry98]

It was mike and this one is mine

 

[Dannypipe]

Did Mike ever show us his 'original' version?

Like I said, the pump shown in mine is on special at the mo for £18.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

just found this one on ebay

 

[Dannypipe]

just found this one on ebay

That's a great deal Steve!

 

[mickg1]

i just use a 15 to 22 mm connex coupler with a 22 mm full bore flexi tap connector screwed on to it and from that a small stub of 22mm with a 22 to 28mm reducer on it, a few loose bits i had knocking around the van one day

 

[R1CKY]

I posted this tip before, but I'll do it again with a pic. Struggling to get PTFE on lagged cylinder unions? Wrap PTFE around a pencil, then use the pencil to apply the PTFE to the threads..............

 

[TBServices]

I posted this tip before, but I'll do it again with a pic. Struggling to get PTFE on lagged cylinder unions? Wrap PTFE around a pencil, then use the pencil to apply the PTFE to the threads..............

This is a great tip! Although I'm not sure why you'd need ptfe on cylinder unions.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

What can I say Tom ........you said it all