Jointing compound on pushfit?

[DIYPaul]

Hi, I'm a novice when it comes to plumbing. I've used compression fittings in the past, and have applied jointing compound.

With push-fit copper fittings, do you still need to use jointing compound?

 

[wheeto]

No no no! The instructions will tell you to make sure you have a smooth cut (not a hacksaw) and ensure that any burrs are removed before pushing the tube a set distance into the coupling. Some let you use silicone lube to make it easier to push the tube in and reduce the risk of damaging the 'O' ring.

Follow the mfr's instructions to the letter!

 

[so-solar]

no jointing compound required, i some times use spray lube, especially when i am using 28mm

 

[PuraTherm]

No offence mate but you should walk away from the tools.

 

[dontknowitall]

Questions are so easy when you know the answer ...

 

[obseen16]

No offence mate but you should walk away from the tools.

your wife will thank you for it.

 

[Avatar]

hell no!!!!!

my god . . .

 

[tackleburger]

You only need it on thread to thread joints.

 

[plumbster3456]

put solvent cement all over the o ring rap it in densil tape then apply tar all over it

 

[royston]

Or maybe heat it up and see if you could run some solder round it, just in case !

 

[PlumbBobBob]

not too much heat though don't want to melt rubber o-ring.

 

[Dannypipe]

You horrible swines!! All it required was a simple 'no'.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

obviously got too much time on our hands!!

 

[so-solar]

It may seem a simple question to some but how do you learn in life? I was always told during my 7 year apprenticeship 'IF YOU DONT KNOW THEN ASK' can you imagine how i would of felt if i got the response that you lot have given this new member to the forum, What makes you lot so special that you should make fun of a simple straight YES OR NO question? and to be totally honest, i have seen a couple of your previous answers to some more technical questions and you are not all SUPER PLUMBERS! it is a form of bullying, and bullys are weak! be warned, i will be scanning your every response in the future and as you slip up i will rip the living p@@s and see how you like it!

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

i agree this is not on to take the urine yes or no would have sufficed we all ask for advice on occasions,to the op take no notice of some of the comments on here,and hope this does not put you off asking questions in the forums

 

[PuraTherm]

Not sure which trades you were brought up in but I do remember my appreticeship (even after many hours of therapy) and I received alot worse than this. But you are right. There are no stupid questions. Only ones that make you say "WHAT THE .....?". Besides, these type of people keep us in business.

 

[so-solar]

I was bought up in the plumbing and heating industry, and yes i did receive alot worse than this, not to say i agreed with it 1 bit! I have 6 lads on for me at the minute and 2 young lads at college 1 day a week. If i was to hear any one of them bullying my young lads, i would personally pack there kit up and f''k them straight down the road, it is not on and unfair! The same principal applies here!

 

[carpstu]

fella if your not sure just ask yes the ans is no if your not sure most diy shops have self help leaflets and some have people you can speek to and ask if your not to sure what your buying

 

[kevin h]

okay big heads you have just had a compresion fitting blow out on you causing a lot of dammage to a property,you go down the insurance route but you put paste on the olive before tighening it,after connex have done their bit are you covered?

 

[PuraTherm]

Never had a brass to brass compression fitting, with paste, blow apart. I've had plenty of the push fits come apart though. That's why I avoid them at all costs.

 

[oldplumber]

commpression fittings are designed such that they do not require jointing compound on them if they are assembled correctly. You dont see hydraulic systems and cooling systems on big marine engines covered in jointing compound in order to get a decent seal and I dont really understand why plumbers insist on using it all the time. It does have a place of course where you are using mild steel joints with hemp and jointing paste, which is what it was designed for originally.

 

[kevin h]

a guy i do a lot of work for gets a facial tick when you mention push fit he used it on some boosted down service a few years ago on a posh job in hampsted,operating pressure was 3 bar so he tested to 7 bar to be safe! wilo came to commision the booster set on a friday afternoon,monday morning saw about £70,ooo damage to the property,a push fit had blown off! he sent the fitting off to hep to be tested and after several weeks they said it was ok so he asked for it back they said they had destroid it after about a year of legal his insurance paid out.moral of story-it might be quick but is it realy cost effective! i dont use it!only for temps on building site.

 

[Avatar]

Well you should use JG only then - good god, us plumbers are as bad as DIYers who dont read the packet instructions on push fittings in B & Q!

I never use boss white or that kind of thing, my compression fittings dont leak either . . .

If you come accross a dodgy one, a wee bit of LSX usually does the trick!

 

[DIYPaul]

Don't worry guys, I won't be quitting my day job just yet. Look out for more daft questions in the near future...

(And thanks to those of you who gave a straightforward answer).

 

[Avatar]

HA we are plumbers - striaght forward answerers we aren't!

Generally!

 

[WHPES]

Most packs of push fits contain instruction sheets and every sheet I have seen so far mentions not using jointing compounds, and also there are detailed fitting instructions on the manufacturers websites which I am sure say the same.

Whilst we should encourage new people to ask, it is reasonable to expect them to do a little bit of research before posting.

When making joints with plastic pipe in compression fittings it is recommended to use a few turns of PTFE round the olive to ensure a good seal.

 

[TGor]

No No No ... white lead and string wrapping then paint it with gloss paint .. white is best! Seriously jointing compound can eat away at some plastics.

 

[stevetheplumber]

most plastics will be attacked by the oil in jointing compunds

 

[fuzzy]

Hi, I'm a novice when it comes to plumbing. I've used compression fittings in the past, and have applied jointing compound.

With push-fit copper fittings, do you still need to use jointing compound?

never ever heard of that

 

[dontknowitall]

Never had a brass to brass compression fitting, with paste, blow apart. I've had plenty of the push fits come apart though. That's why I avoid them at all costs.

I did a pressure test on a few pipes today (brass 22mm elbows plumbed by someone else) and one blew off at around 2.5 bar. Also had an isolation valve blow off last week (again not my installation) under mains pressure.

Last year I had a HEP2O blow off.

Just can't be too careful. Waiting to experience a soldered joint take off now.

 

[Dannypipe]

I've never had a Hep joint blow off. It's quite a worry really as I hear it happens, but I genuinely trust them 100%. I seriously would trust a Hep joint over a compression joint.

When you go to burst pipes, it's always a compression joint that fails. I wonder if Hep fails with freezing as easily?

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

a compression joint with the correct insert(bearing in mind IF i use plastic its the grey poly pipe with aluminium inserts) can not come apart and i have never had one fail i would never trust push fit fittings

 

[dontknowitall]

I had a Speedfit joint to replace last year that had frozen then burst and was beyond repair.

 

[carpstu]

if he didnt know / wasnt sure what he was doing theirs nothing wrong to read the packets on the fittings in b n q or anywhere else for that matter enerybodys got to learn some time

 

[shorticus]

metal everytime but I'm oldschool as I've said before

 

[plumbster3456]

It may seem a simple question to some but how do you learn in life? I was always told during my 7 year apprenticeship 'IF YOU DONT KNOW THEN ASK' can you imagine how i would of felt if i got the response that you lot have given this new member to the forum, What makes you lot so special that you should make fun of a simple straight YES OR NO question? and to be totally honest, i have seen a couple of your previous answers to some more technical questions and you are not all SUPER PLUMBERS! it is a form of bullying, and bullys are weak! be warned, i will be scanning your every response in the future and as you slip up i will rip the living p@@s and see how you like it!

so solar people are only having a bit of a laugh with the answers but who are you to come out all high and mighty.
The question asked was a bit funny to some of the experienced members as to us it is a daft question maybe we should not take the p but i think you should take a look back at some of your own answers from previous threads as you seem to sometimes cause a question mark upon yourself.
I f you where talking about a previous post from me I could not care less if you thought i have answered a technical question not to your liking.
I no more then you anyway

 

[pcollins]

Actually I've attended a burst this week that was a soldered joint blowing off. I've never seen this before, was it likely to be duff soldering or just sheer bad luck?

 

[Avatar]

'I dont use soldered joints - I dont trust them . . . .'


See how stupid this claim is - the same applies to pushfit joints!

All fittings fail at some point or another, and often because they weren't fitted right. A JG fitting actually tightens, as water pressure increases within it, something which a compression joint cannot claim!

Plastic plumbing is the new way and it should be embraced as such. I have seen compression joints fail, and even soldered joints after so long - but i cant say i have seen a pushfit that has failed!

Besides when you are jointing under the floor, up against the wall and in the most difficult possition known to man, soldinging is impossible, compressions are highly unlikey to tighten properly - the only thing you can fit reliably IS speedfit!

 

[tackleburger]

Everytime I have attended a failed push fit of any description the installation has been at fault in some way. e.g no inserts, copper pipe not pushed home, copper pipe forced in damaging hep grip ring, copper pipe dented, o ring damaged etc etc. Once saw a copper pipe push in and out a hep fitting inexlplicably, although the fitting and the gripper were in tact? Different piece of pipe worked but replaced fitting anyway with a polypipe. Only ones I have never seen fail so far are polypipe grey, their grip rings are steel like the old Acorns which were good too.

Started using plastic more now. The fittings are good but I always immobilise the pipework by clipping well, as that gives you added assurance if it can't move it can't pop anyway.