Joining 22mm compression fittings to brass pipe

[Ken Adam]

I'm replacing a bath in an old flat. The existing supply pipes are lead, which are then "soldered" to very short lengths of 3/4 brass pipe. What sort of fitting can I use to connect to the 3/4 brass pipe? I naively tried a 3/4 olive in the 22mm fitting, expecting it to work as on a copper pipe, but the joint has a very slow weep (i.e. it gets damp, but no actual drip). (of course now I can't remove the olive, and there isn't enough pipe to cut it off and start again).

Am I condemned to getting a new pipe fitted to teh old lead, and if so, does that still have to be brass?

Is there some other solution?

TIA, Ken

[G&M]

I expect there are more prefessional solutions from the plumbers out there, but wrap lots of PTFE tape round the olive for now and try again.

[Richard Savage]

Not sure if this is exactly an answer to the question but IIRC there is something called a Lead Lock that allows connection of copper pipe to lead pipe. A friend has used one in his parents kitchen. Again IIRC it's a type of compression fitting. I guess similar in idea to the fittings for plastic pipe. Could you cut your brass/lead pipe off just below the brass and use the lead lock to join to a conventional copper pipe at that point?

HTH

Richard

[Coherers]

You can get 3/4 olives., e.g BES 9055 which **may** be okay in a 22mm fitting, or a special compression imperial-metric adapter e.g BES 7826 at

[IMM]

Brass is very "old", and there is no guarantee that it is the same OD as imperial copper. It was meant to be threaded. Cut it away to the lead. There are lead compression to copper fitting now available. I think Screwfix do them.

do them. Better still strip out all the lead.

[Set Square]

I think I would use Plumbers' Mait or Boss White rather than PTFE tape - but that had ought to fix it if it is only a slight weep.

[Richard Sterry]

Can you actually get at the olive? If so, the usual thing is to carefully cut it with a junior hacksaw until it's nearly through, and then split it with a flat-blade screwdriver. You have to be very careful not to nick the pipe, of course.

Rick

[Ken Adam]

Thanks for all the respones so far. My first time in this group, and I'm certainly impressed with the enthusiasm!

I won't get a chance to try anything for couple of days (I'm renovating a flat for my daughter in my "spare" time") but I guess I'll start with the Plumber's Mait.

Ken.

[Dave Liquorice]

With just a non-drip weep another 1/4 turn tighter would probably have cured it but as you've now taken the joint part again you'll need a new olive...

So go to a proper plumbers merchant and get a 3/4 > 22mm adapter or a

3/4 olive for 22mm fittings

A junior hacksaw and flat screwdriver is your friend, or do you want an excuse to buy another toy (shit site but gives you the idea):

[Andrew]

In article , IMM writes

Homebase sell 3/4 imperial to 22 mm end-feed solder connectors for just this job. £2.99 each and the one on Earls Court rd had ten in stock - strange (for a shed) but true.

[IMM]

The old imperial 3/4 "may" fit the brass, but not guaranteed as brass was meant to be threaded.

[Ken Adam]

Having gone back to the job fresh, I managed to get another 1/4 turn on the nuts (guess I was getting weak last week). This, together with Plumber's Mait seems to have done the job. Thanks again for you advise. Ken.