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)