best option for fitting tee on this pipe?!

[andy1020]

Hi folks,
need some advice on the best fitting to use here on these CH pipes. (It's the feed or return pipe)

I've removed the old soldred tee and the horizontal pipe, but the vertical one is really confined. You can just get a couple of fingers betwen it and the soil pipe, less space than it looks in the pic..!) The old soldered tee was leaking from 2 joins in the tee after pipes moved around when fitting boiler. The guy did a solder over the old join but it's leaking again since I did some more plumbing to powerflush the system and tidy up the pipes over the boiler. Hardly moved it but I think his fix was a bit of a temporary job really as he never replaced the fitting. So I reckoned removing the old tee was the best option and fitting a new one.

I've sand papered it and steel wooled it as best i can but don't want to heat too much cos it's really confined next to plastic soil pipe and a joist that I've charred a good bit already just getting the old tee off (yes I used a heat mat but it took a LOT of heating to get the top join off...)

(By the way the scoring in the bottom pipe wasn't me sanding it, it was like that already, maybe from the pipe cutter originally??)

I think a solder join would work best but I'm no expert at this at all and feel given the space and risk it's not worth me trying to solder.

Quesiton is I've got a cuprofit push fit tee, do you think that would take to the old pipe folks? (I'm not sure it would, but anyone know how they take to an imperfect pipe??)

Untitled

• andy1020
• 20 Mar 2012
• 1

Opinions on push fit tee to those pipes?? Or any other option.

(Given it will be behind the wall when the plaster board is put back too...!)

Failing that I might get a plumber in to solder cos in the confined space not worth me learning. (I used to be a good gas welder but discovered soldering copper pipes has to be learned just like gas welding had to be...!)

Thanks folks.

PS system is not pressured, it's open vented regular boiler...

 

[dcawkwell]

With a heat mat you can happily solder the pipe without any risk to
the plastic soil pipe.

If the pipes are 28mm pipes I suggest getting a plumber in with a bigger
torch. A cheapo diy torch will be poor on 28mm pipe.

 

[Nige F]

With a heat mat you can happily solder the pipe without any risk to
the plastic soil pipe.

If the pipes are 28mm pipes I suggest getting a plumber in with a bigger
torch. A cheapo diy torch will be poor on 28mm pipe.

what torch have you got ? dcawkwell is dead right - I found that to my cost once - But having said that , most plumbers now have a Rothenburger size lamp anyway. I would say a Yorkshire fitting with a touch of solder added . heat the fitting and the pipe keeping the flame moving - and await debate

 

[doitall]

I'm surprised that ever held water looking at the pic. If the other joints are as badly soldered as that was I would rip the lot out before the flood.

 

[andy1020]

thanks folks,

it's a 22mm pipe

thanks, ok i've got yorkshire sitting there and can add a bit of solder too.

Torch was on ei got years ago for other general work on cars, standard big plastic handles thing, (wee bit like this one: http://www.screwfix.com/p/gogas-auto-start-blow-torch/64845) adjustable flame, gets hot but only with a big flame, did melt it off ok though.. got butane/propane high power mix if that helps?

how do i know if the torch is any good?

i might just give it a go soldering then..

thanks folks..

 

[dcawkwell]

thanks folks,

it's a 22mm pipe

thanks, ok i've got yorkshire sitting there and can add a bit of solder too.

Torch was on ei got years ago for other general work on cars, standard big plastic handles thing, (wee bit like this one: http://www.screwfix.com/p/gogas-auto-start-blow-torch/64845) adjustable flame, gets hot but only with a big flame, did melt it off ok though.. got butane/propane high power mix if that helps?

how do i know if the torch is any good?

i might just give it a go soldering then..

thanks folks..

Yes it will be ok for 22mm.

 

[mysteryman]

You need to clean up those pipe ends very thoroughly. Take care not to get the flux too hot, the joint is hot enough when the solder is liquid. I'm not convinced that a thermal mat will give unlimited protection to the soil pipe. It may be worth cutting back the old pipes and using two couplers so you will be soldering on a 'new' area of the old pipe. You could also pre-make the tee joint, and consider using two push-fit couplings.

 

[andy1020]

thanks everyone!!
soldered the new tee in where it was, not too hard this soldering really. Even getting in to cut back would've been tricky.

Will need to wait till tomorrow to fill system and check for leaks but solder seemed to take fine.

And yes, I frazzled the soil pipe even through the heat mat.. hasn't melted right through so hopefully ok. If the kitchen starts smelling I'll know why

thanks folks.

 

[Charnwood]

And yes, I frazzled the soil pipe even through the heat mat..

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