Have you ever seen mice have a nibble on vertical plastic pipes?

[DIYNotIan]

Hi folks

We live in the sticks and sometimes have mice in the house. I even saw a stoat once in the loft!

Most of our pipework is copper, but there are a couple of bits that are plastic which I'm going to have changed to copper while the plumber is here doing other work. It's not worth the risk imo. The obvious bits to change are at ground level and in the kind of places mice like. But there's also a run from the top of the cylinder in the airing cupboard, which then comes down behind the cylinder and joins copper beneath the floorboards. Have you ever seen mice have a go at pipes in that kind of position - i.e. vertical-ish and above ground?

Here's a couple of pics. You can't see it all cos the cylinder is in the way, but hopefully it's enough to get the gist.

Many thanks

 

[jeff the gasman]

They prefer to eat the fittings in my experience.

 

[DIYNotIan]

Thanks @jeff the gasman

By fittings do you mean bits like the elbow in the 2nd photo?

 

[jeff the gasman]

Thanks @jeff the gasman

By fittings do you mean bits like the elbow in the 2nd photo?

Yes, they nibble the heel of the bend but stop when it squirts.

 

[DIYNotIan]

but stop when it squirts

How considerate of them!

 

[ETAF]

i would do something about the soft plastics, cables down the side
I have had cables chewed and also soft flexible pipework under a kitchen cabinet
ended up with a leak, But at least the electrics did not go as we found the issue , but only after the kitchen was flooded
No idea on the normal plastic JG or Hep2o type pipework had very little in old house , although the bungalow we are in and renovating a lot of JG Speedfit plastic pipe now used

 

[ianmcd]

Mice and rats love plastic pipe, its a delicacy to them

 

[DIYNotIan]

Thanks for all the replies.

Methinks I'll get all the plastic changed for copper then while he's here and everything is drained.

RE electric cable - Excuse the naive question... If a mice or similar chews into an electric cable and causes a short, are we talking fire? Or trip switch going?

Cheers

 

[ianmcd]

Thanks for all the replies.

Methinks I'll get all the plastic changed for copper then while he's here and everything is drained.

RE electric cable - Excuse the naive question... If a mice or similar chews into an electric cable and causes a short, are we talking fire? Or trip switch going?

Cheers

Possibly but your consumer unit or fuses should come into effect, up here we have a lot of problems with squirrels getting into lofts and chewing cables, they get fried and you find them stuck to the cables

 

[mattylad]

Possibly either.

 

[DIYNotIan]

Hmmm, that's not good. If it helps any, a couple of years ago we did have some re-wiring done and a new consumer unit put in. So at least it's up to spec. Hadn't thought of the potential fire risk, which is quite a worry.

 

[mattylad]

rats and mice like the gnaw, so protecting pipes and cables should be considered whenever you can especially if your house is commonly visited by them.

 

[DIYNotIan]

OK, warning taken. Many thanks

 

[ianmcd]

OK, warning taken. Many thanks

And insulation is just a starter for them