Plastic ch plumbing

[Mary Fisher]

Has anyone used this piping?

Mary

[Roger Mills]

Yes, I used it when I converted part of the garage into a downstairs bathroom for an elderly relative, and needed to hook and additional radiator into the CH system.

Make sure you use barrier pipe - some makes, such as Hep2o come in 2 versions, only one of which is suitable for CH systems. You mustn't use plastic pipe within one metre of the boiler. I prefer a short length of copper on each radiator valve too, joining onto plastic under the floor. If you have horizontal runs, it is as well to support the pipe over the entire run to prevent it sagging - which might encourage air-locks to form.

[John Rumm]

Yup, used speedfit many times for CH mods.

[noelogara]

you can use it but as Roger advised it looks terrible because it sags with the heat if on a skirting board run. copper is the much better option even though a bit more expensive. I had to replace a whole line of pipes because it looked so bad and saggy.

[Roger Mills]

Although I didn't explicitly say so, I wouldn't use it anywhere where it

*shows* - but it's fine for threading through awkward places where getting a straight run of copper in would be very difficult.

My comment about sagging was more to do with avoiding airlocks rather than appearance. For a horizontal run under the floor, I would support it along its full length on pieces of timber so that it *can't* sag.

[John Stumbles]

.... unless you have inhibitor in your system. The amount of air absorbed through non-barrier pipe is probably still vastly smaller than from the header tank in an open vented system.

[John Rumm]

Yup, and it is also very handy where you need to bury the stuff in plaster or concrete.

[Doctor Drivel]

Best only use in awkward spots, where threading is useful. Don't use the pushfit fitting as they tend to be problematic. use brass compression fitting, and they even cost less.

[Doctor Drivel]

British Gas will not take on a system with non-barrier pipe.

[chris French]

In message , Roger Mills writes

Yep, I used Hep2O in our old Leeds house when we redid the CH. Very happy with it- of course not where it shows though (or at least where you would care) I found a slightly better finish was had by using copper for the drops from the rad valves through the floor.

I didn't find that necessary. Fixing to the side of joists, or at each joist crossing was enough.

[Doctor Drivel]

Hep2O and Polyplumb have been know to have the nuts work loose. Marley, Osma Gold, Hep2O slimline and Speedfit don't have this problem. Unipipe which had a compression (crimped) joints using two O rings is far better than the common stuff around. The pipe stays bent when bent.

Best just use brass compression joints. far superior in every way.

[Ian_m]

My whole house both CH and water is done in Osmagold pushfit plastic, except the boiler to HW tank and pipework to loft which is copper. If you read the Osmagold documentation bits near the boiler etc need to be in copper in case the boiler faults and starts blowing superheated water around the pipework. Osmagold is at

I got all my new bits from local Travis Perkins.

Just added two kick space heaters on the CH system this weekend. Popped in a couple of 15mm T's, ran 15mm pipe down wall behind plaster board, luckily builders used very generous dot and daubs to attach the kitchen plaster board, connected to heaters, refilled and Fernox'ed system and all OK.

Two recommendations are buy a proper set of pipe cutters, makes the job easier (£9 from Wickes) and get some silicone lubricant (£4) as it makes reseating seals and pushing in pipe easier. You are supposed to scrap the grab rings and M ring seals, but if you are careful you can push the grab rings off existing pipe and reuse them. Oh remember to put the inserts in the pipe before fixing.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Eh? If you use solder fittings it's cheaper.

[zymurgy]

So why bother faffing around with it then at all ?, Copper, all the way unless there's somewhere awkward to thread it through. I had a nasty offset bend to go through to get around some framing. That's the only plastic in my house.

Oh, and 1 pushfit on copper. Left by a plumber. grr.

P.

P.

[Tournifreak]

Don't ever, ever, ever buy the big curled up rolls of Speedfit piping. Especially 22mm. It will never go where you want it to.

Regards, Jon.

[Andy Hall]

It will if you use hot water.

I used it for pipe runs between the house and the workshop to provide heating there. Even the 6m lengths would not have been long enough without underground joints and I wanted to avoid them since they wouldn't mechanically fit into the ducting.

[John Stumbles]

That's not the same as whether it's suitable or otherwise (and not true unless you substitute 'may' for 'will').

[John Rumm]

It has its attractions... Easy to thread, easy to bury, and quick to cut, form and assemble. If you use copper or chrome for the visible bits then saggy bits do not matter much so long as you are not stressing joints. The issue of air locks on CH systems is not that significant with pressurised systems anyway.

[Doctor Drivel]

That's what he said.

So is copper when coiled a plastic coated.

So is copper.

So is copper.

[Sponix]

Plastic always seems 'amateurish' to me, like it was designed for people who don't know how to solder or operate a bender.

Personally, I prefer copper as it appears more professional and 'permanent' somehow.

I dunno what it is but plakky pipe has an 'aura' similar to secondary double glazing, iyswim?

sponix