plastic or copper pipes

[ericmark]

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[ericmark]

I used plastic for air pipes and found there were some changes required, first don't make it neat, plastic expands and contracts and you need run for it to do that or the connectors will pull out, so steel looked a lot neater, would never dream to use copper on air, also found it does change slightly make to make, so you have to select a make and stick to it, found some pipe reinforced and just pushed on the connector others it needed inserts in the pipe first.

Steel was such a big job, threading and screwing in place and in spite of using sealing compound they would often leak, going to plastic reduced costs as less leaks so compressor actually stopped.

But if copper works with air at 200 psi then water should be a doodle, however under floor boards plastic pipes snaking is not a problem, down the wall it would look rotten, so where visible would want chrome coated copper, but plastic also presents a change safety wise, metal can conduct electric, plastic does not, and what we want is to stop a fault in one room transmitting to another.

So if the cat knocks over a standard lamp and the bulb smashes resting on a radiator when we walk into the room we are aware of what has happened and would unplug the lamp, then kick out the cat. But if you go into another room that fault could mean unless earthed the radiator could be live and you would have no idea. So plastic will not transmit the fault room to room, but also could mean sections are not earthed, so metal where visible and plastic under floors OK, but a mixture of metal and plastic can mean radiators not earthed and can transmit faults room to room.

With a all RCD protected house this is unlikely to cause a problem, the risk of a radiator being made live is less than the risk of an earthed radiator causing large current flow through your body when touching some thing else live, so with a all RCD protected house moving to plastic means the house on balance becomes electrical safer, with non RCD protected house likely all earthed copper is safer.

Also installation methods for plastic is safer, and likely a lot cheaper, when a blow lamp is used the user has to remain one hour after use to ensure nothing is burning, or Paris land marks can go on fire. So what may be a 10 minute job becomes a 1 hour 10 minute job, so plastic is safer to install. And no black marks on the skirting boards etc.

Used in the right way plastic can be better than copper.
Needs to be clipped regularly.
Never use where can't get to again.
Use as less fittings as possible.

Let's not forget copper is not as good as it used to be.

Also remember with non leaded solder you need to set up extractors before using the flux, the health and safety involved soldering joints if following the rules makes it a real pain, with leaded solder not so much a problem, the flux did not contain the same nasties, but leaded solder not used much today, organ pipes still use it, that's about it.

 

[Madrab]

Lol....utter garbage

What ...... that which comes out of your mouth sometimes? Please just keep your one liners to yourself ... cheers.

 

[bernardgreen]

but leaded solder not used much today, organ pipes still use it, that's about it.

also used in some electronic equipment, aviation, life critical medical, among others, Lead free solder is brittle and the risk of failure in lead free joints is higher than it is in joints made with leaded solder.

 

[JP_]

I don't do plumbing, so pay, and usually ask for copper.
If i did DIY I'd probably use plastic, but all fittings would be kept accessible, so if you can run from an existing basin to the new ones with no breaks, that would be best (IMO!).

But, I always want the shortest run from mains / water meter to the kitchen sink - in last house it went all around the house after we moved the kitchen, and the water took ages to cool to a nice drinking temperature.

 

[durhamplumber]

Plastic can be fantastic .... but copper is proper

Because it rhymes does not make it factual!.cheers

 

[Madrab]

Suk my nuts..cheers...

Hehe ... if they could be found ....

I believe there is a place for plastic where copper can be too unwieldy or where heat can't be used therefore I do believe that plastic can be fantastic and can make life so much simpler and cheaper for the customer, so it's not just that it rhymes

 

[durhamplumber]

Hehe ... if they could be found ....

I believe there is a place for plastic where copper can be too unwieldy or where heat can't be used therefore I do believe that plastic can be fantastic and can make life so much simpler and cheaper for the customer, so it's not just that it rhymes

Indeed