Compression fittings on chrome pipe

[oldskoolskater]

Hi All

I am debating the best type of connection for joining tap connectors to 22mm chrome plated copper pipe. My plumbing skills are adequate but not exactly neat so I am unsure whether to use solder ring or compression fittings? I would have to file off the chrome for soldering and there's a very good chance the extra solder i put on (copying my plumber mate there) would surely run down the nice shiny chrome pipe and spoil it. Compression would be neater but the fittings are bulkier, also i'm not sure how the olives will grip on the chromed surface.

Any tips or pointers Gents?

[Dave Fawthrop]

|!Hi All |! |!I am debating the best type of connection for joining tap connectors |!to 22mm chrome plated copper pipe. |!My plumbing skills are adequate but not exactly neat so I am unsure |!whether to use solder ring or compression fittings? |!I would have to file off the chrome for soldering and there's a very |!good chance the extra solder i put on (copying my plumber mate there) |!would surely run down the nice shiny chrome pipe and spoil it. |!Compression would be neater but the fittings are bulkier, also i'm not |!sure how the olives will grip on the chromed surface.

Are you sure that the pipe is chrome plated copper? scratch it and see! I have used stainless steel pipe with compression fittings, no problems.

[Brian Sharrock]

I have used 15mm chromed copper pipes with compression fittings - just sandpaper off the chrome to reveal copper below.

[Fred]

Why? Won't the olive cut through the chrome and create a good seal without removing any chrome?

[Brian Sharrock]

Why? Experience!

I tried to make a 'conventional' compression joint onto a chromed pipe - and fundamentally; it pulled off when pressurised. I twiddled one of the cylinder pipe cleaners thingy around it - abrading off the shiny chrome - and reconnected - voila -watertight; no drips. Without going into the metallurgy - I suspect that chrome is harder than the brass 'olive.

I've only got two such joints in the house - a chrome downpipe-feed into the toilet's cistern. [The toilet cistern's connection cum service valve is chrome and I opined that a Cu feed pipe would look naff] ... however next time I'll channel the (rear) wall and not have any supply pipe visible. with the service valve inside the cistern. It's astonishing how 'tunnel vision' overcomes one when the 'bog' is out-of-service for even a short time. :)

[stevelup]

Hi

I can't say whether it is right or wrong but I've used these...

on all my radiators and the taps in the bathroom. They are chrome plated copper and none of them leaked when using conventional compression fittings.

Steve

[Roger R]

Are olives supposed work by cutting into the pipe to a small extent? The question for me with stainless pipe was brass or copper olives. I tried brass first but drips could not be stopped. 2nd with copper olives was ok.

As copper olives are much softer than the stainless, the copper olive must be deforming to take up any imperfections in the pipe - but is there as possibility it might blow off later as it can't have cut into the stainless?

Are there any special olives for stainless pipe?

Roger R

[John Rumm]

Not much to debate - compression is the only real option for chromed pipe.

If you leave the chrome in place then you will need to tighten the nut more than you would for an ordinary copper pipe joint. If you used chromed compression fittings and pipe clips it can all look quite neat.

[nightjar]

Wipe the excess off with a cloth while it is still hot. Assuming you use a water approved flux, the excess will not bond to the chrome.

You should take the chrome off for any type of fitting. Heating the end of the pipe and dipping it in hydrochloric acid is my preferred method, but not one I would recommend for the inexperienced.

Colin Bignell

[The Natural Philosopher]

Chrome really doesnt solder well at all. Compression ONLY..

Exactly.

Its not so much the chrome, as the steel underneath..the fittings will tighten up much more abruptly and need more force.

There are a few loctite things that might be worth painting on to seal any micro leaks.

[oldskoolskater]

Thanks All for your insight

The pipe is copper and I have have successfully soldered the other end of the pipe that is going under the floorboards without leaks under mains pressure (by taking the chrome off first) Think I'll be taking the compression route and taking off the chrome plating where the olive will be sited. Do I need to be careful not to overtighten on compressions?

[nightjar]

Hand tight plus half a turn is the traditional advice, but I find that people have different values for hand tight.

Colin Bignell

[Andrew Mawson]

"nightjar .uk.com>"

under

chrome

IIUI there is absolutely no need to remove the chrome plating under the olive, the olive will crush seal onto the chrome quite satisfactorily

AWEM

[oldskoolskater]

My next challenge seems to be sourcing the fitting I need!

Does this fitting exist?:

22mm to 3/4 bent tap connector (compression)

Ringing round I can't find one anywhere??

[Andrew Mawson]

Try BES part number 7417

[John Stumbles]

Compression with brass olives.

(just my 0.02 euros'orth :-))

[Fred]

I'm rather surprised. Olives bind onto copper pipe through shrinkage and a thin layer of chrome shouldn't have any effect. If there's any doubt I would give the fitting another 1/2 turn to ensure the olive shrinks down and binds onto the pipe.

[Brian Sharrock]

Yep! {as I've stated , my experience is of only two} ... tried the 'normal amount of torque'; turned water ON; both connections spurting water; tried re-tightening the nuts, water spurting still; dismantled junctions, sand-papered off chrome; reassembled - new olives (just to be safe), tightened (normally) reapplied water - no drips. [I learnt from that ...].

BTW; I can't agree that distortion under pressure equates to 'shrinkage'.

[nightjar]

You need the olive to cut into the copper for a secure seal. Chrome is hard, which makes it difficult to break through, and brittle, which means it will crack and break into pieces, rather than deform, potentially making the seal less secure.

Colin Bignell

[Andrew Mawson]

"nightjar .uk.com>"

message

under

But so is stainless steel much harder than copper. I've installed loads of stainless 15mm in high pressure hydraulic oil systems using normal 15mm compression fittings in an agressive foundry environment, and the only leak I've ever had was when a steel billet was dropped on the pipe! Even then the joint was ok but the pipe fractured !!!

AWEM