Pushfit

[old duffer]

Erm, have you never heard of rats/rodents chewing through the insulation on electrical cables?

One friend that had field mice chew through the water pipes above her flat in a converted commercial builder was told by the insurance company's forensic plumber that given the proximity to the nearby fields, most of the pipes should have been copper. Granted, the same field mice could have chewed through the electrical cables.

I am simply relaying what I have been told previously.

I'm still laughing at the fact there is a "forensic plumber"......perhaps it was Jonathon Creek...or loofah maybe

 

[opps]

I'm still laughing at the fact there is a "forensic plumber"......perhaps it was Jonathon Creek...or loofah maybe

The fact that you have never heard of them doesn't mean that they don't exist.

Late 2022, a regular customer was on holiday but phoned to say that water was gushing out of the ceiling. I turned up to find the housekeeper trying to keep warm in front of the gas fire (the electrics had tripped). On that occasion a hep20 popped out of a T junction.

10 days later,they called me again, yet another torrent of water. This time I had to start smashing holes in the ceiling. Again another Hep20 that had popped out (mains pressure water).

The pipework was 7 years old. Others here suggested that they hadn't been pushed in fully.

A few weeks later, I was contacted by a man working for the insurance company that described himself as a forensics plumber. He asked me to forward any photos I had of the pipes. He went on to ask me if I saw any scratch marks from the toothed grab rings. I got the impression that he was hoping to blame the previous plumbers.

 

[aveatry]

A friend of mine brought a new house and 3-6 months later had a leak in the living room ceiling, they were told that it was a scratch on the plastic pipe.
A solder fitting would not of done that.

 

[aveatry]

I love the way plastic pipe can be fed around beds ect but do not like the fittings just being pushed on so I have a plan, I am going to use plastic pipe but solder the copper fittings on

 

[aveatry]

Interesting about the dirt build up in a copper pipe but what about plastic pipe and microplastic Average-bottle-water-contains-240-000-pieces-cancer-causing-nanoplastics-100-times-previously-thought.html
And what about legionnaires in plastic pipes- copper has antibacterial properties does it not

 

[Exedon]

A friend of mine brought a new house and 3-6 months later had a leak in the living room ceiling, they were told that it was a scratch on the plastic pipe.

That's why all first fix pipework should be water pressure tested.
Polypipe recommend 18 bar pressure for minimum 15 minutes max 60 minutes.

 

[Madrab]

So just to wrap up can I b fairly confident that the hep20 connectors will b pretty reliable ?

Yes - HEP has a rumble insert so twist the pipe when inserted and you can 'feel' its all the way home. That and HEP/JG plastic pipe have marks on it, as long as the pipe is cut to the mark then as long as it reaches the next corresponding mark (same letter with HEP) when inserted means it's all the way home too.

 

[SandyLyon]

That's why all first fix pipework should be water pressure tested.
Polypipe recommend 18 bar pressure for minimum 15 minutes max 60 minutes.

Depends on which system you are using, they all require both low pressure and high pressure tests, but the “O” ring first type of fitting (Polyplumb etc) recommends the high pressure test to be at 18 bar.

While the “Grip first” type of fitting (Hep2o, PolyMax, Polyfit, Speedfit etc) recommends 1.5 times the max working pressure or 10 bar whichever is the higher.

 

[Agile]

A lady I know had her house repluimbed by a builder.

After a few weeks there was water pouring through the light fitting in the kitchen.

I had to knock through plasterboard to access the leaking joint.

I needed to tell her that he had not used any pipe inserts and left her to decide how to tell him.

He denieded they were necessary but all the manufacturers I could find all said to use them.

 

[Deleted member 294929]

The problem with plastic pipe is those who fit it.
It's not idiot proof but idiots seem to fit it and then they call themselves plumbers.

I much prefer press fit but it's never taken off in this country.

Push fit done correctly in the right situation as part of a system will last a long time.
Rules for me:
Use top brands
Never mix and match (if it's in you conttol)

I much prefer copper but its not always the answer and not as good as it was.

When hiring a plumber, just remember:
●That all Copper plumbers can do push fit.
●Not all pushfit plumbers can do copper.
●Not all pushfit plumbers are plumbers.

 

[Deleted member 294929]

Am confused. Press fit is different from the Pushfit ? The Pushfit connectors being used are hep20

I'm not of my terminology is correct but press fit / crimping system are fitting that need a tool or gun to join fittings to pipe.
Copper & plastic.

 

[Deleted member 294929]

So just to wrap up can I b fairly confident that the hep20 connectors will b pretty reliable ?

●Never put under expensive floor finishes or screed.
●Always have access to all fittings.
●Don't use if you intend on having a secondary return.
●Don't use straight off of boilers or cylinders.
●Don't mix and match (other than copper)
●Be sure not to oversize or undersized.
●Clean cuts, smooth clean pipe, use inserts.
●Clip regularly.
●Be sure that it will not rub.
●Keep away from things that chew.
●Don't use it for gas.
●Don't let monkeys fit it.
Other than that and what I've forgot, it's fine.

 

[Deleted member 294929]

Interesting about the dirt build up in a copper pipe but what about plastic pipe and microplastic Average-bottle-water-contains-240-000-pieces-cancer-causing-nanoplastics-100-times-previously-thought.html
And what about legionnaires in plastic pipes- copper has antibacterial properties does it not

But can still get Legionella through copper pipe.

 

[aveatry]

But can still get Legionella through copper pipe.

Yes but due to coppers properties its more liky in plastic pipes than copper (isn't it )
And what then about microplastics they say you shouldn't continually drink out of plastic bottles as microscopically the plastic breaks down and that isn't under pressure and constantly flowing. I see an asbestos like future for plastic pipe and fittings.

 

[Deleted member 294929]

Yes but due to coppers properties its more liky in plastic pipes than copper (isn't it )
And what then about microplastics they say you shouldn't continually drink out of plastic bottles as microscopically the plastic breaks down and that isn't under pressure and constantly flowing. I see an asbestos like future for plastic pipe and fittings.

I do agree with you, but I do drink Evian and Pellegrino from plastic bottles.

I've been looking into getting a Quooker or similar that does filtered and sparkling water. But grey are so expensive.