Irish plumbing

[zymurgy]

RACIST !!!!

Well, if the Jews and pikeys are getting some air cover ... ;-)

P.

[zymurgy]

Indeed.

Cheers,

Paul.

[zymurgy]

Or on BSP female tees with parallel threads, again for iron elbows etc.

Wall plate elbows ...

Spotting a pattern here, where the thread is involved in the seal.

P.

[Doctor Drivel]

I assume you are both on about wrapping PTFE on the thread and nut of a compression fitting. That seals sweet FA. Thee is a gap between the nut and the pipe. What is can do is stop the nut from running up to the olive fully. You always know a DIYer when PTFE is used on compression/copper pipe joints.

[Doctor Drivel]

In practice as well.

The water will work its way out via the gap between the nut and pipe. Look at a fitting. take it apart.

[Doctor Drivel]

Not at all, unless using plastic pipe.

Yes, on BSP taper threads

Yes, on BSP taper threads

No.

See above.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Guy King saying something like:

Indeed. I've seen crap work all over the British Isles.

This bit rings very true...

"A reasonable charge should be made for a detailed written estimate as it is often used as a basis for corrective work carried out by others."

I've been caught out by bastards like that a couple of times.

[al]

A bloke I know swears by putting PTFE around the olives before tightening the compression fitting. Seems to work. A bit of normal threadlock on the threads - as much to stop it seizing/binding as to stop water. The olive seal is what counts for stopping water, not the thread.

a

[Andy Dingley]

I know blokes who swear blind that Elvis works down the chipshop, but it doesn't mean they're right.

[dennis]

Gease/oil on the threads might stop them binding (it works fine on car wheel nuts) but threadlock can only lead to trouble.

[Bob Mannix]

But so does cleaning the pipes and olives and not using *anything* else (which I always do and have never had one leak). Why add something that isn't required on the basis it "seems to work"

True but why put anything on the threads, I have never had one bind or seize if you clean everything and add nothing.

[al]

Fair point. I ain't no plumber though ... just saying what I've seen ;)

a

[noelogara]

many chancers or handymen think plumbing is basically about joining pipes so that they dont leak. perhaps the reason the trade attracts so many chancers is because plumbers charge so much for what is often a simple job like turning a nut one half turn for fifty quid call out charge.

over the years I have had about a dozen would be plumbers who did plumbing work for me and all were ok to do the jobs needed but one could be iffy in many cases. however if the price is right then why go for the expensive option for what is basically a simple job once one has a knowledge of how a system works. of course there are many tricks to the trade and leaks and airlocks provide a rich source of income to plumbers who love these call outs by the people who should know a basic amount about their house plumbing. Really it should be taught in school in a basic way so that kids learned how to join a pipe and fix a leak or an airlock as well as many other basic home repairs.

[Bob Mannix]

While looking for a theme for a Scout activities for a group I used to assist at (11-13 mainly), I used DIY. One evening I got them all, individually make a pipe join with a solder ring fitting. The down side nowadays is risk assessment etc with blowtorches (which we glossed over a bit). The up side was that they all went home as pleased as punch with their little bits of pipe with joins in. Young people actually enjoy doing things like this if they are given the chance, and it could easily be taught in schools, as you say.

[dennis]

It is/was in some schools. My daughter went plumbing, bricklaying, and a bit of electrical stuff when she was 12.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Ah, very fortunate that.

I hear that Nu Laber is going to issue every child at birth not only with an ID card, but also a PhD from Oxbridge, in order to entirely remove the expense and inevitable unfairness of the state run education system.

The cost of these degrees will be offset by making each child pay back a fee commensurate with the high income that may be expected to go with such exalted qualifications.

[John Cartmell]

Scouts are generally self-selected as motivated and are there because they want to be. In addition class sizes are likely to be smaller than in school. Add the greater likelihood that parents will complain that Jason burnt his finger and you reduce the chance of such activities being promoted in school. Despite that such activities do go on in some most unlikely schools - but teachers are always running the risk that their next totally innocent move will end their careers. :-(

[Owain]

Skills like that must prove very lucrative come bob-a-job week. Or is that now guinea-a-leak-week?

Owain

[Bob Mannix]

Sorry bob-a-job went the way of all risky things a long while ago :o(