How well do push fit fittings work (both the plastic and copper variants)? Next project is to re-do our ensuite, new shower tray, shower, enclosure, basin and toilet. Also, possibly move a radiator to the opposite wall and replace with a towel rad. Would probably like a concealed shower head so means removing parts of the wall to install the pipe work etc.
Would like to use push fit for ease and if I do anything wrong I can easily disassemble and change it.
On Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:10:01 +0100 someone who may be "slider" wrote this:-
If they are used on properly prepared pipes they are adequate. Their chief advantage is speed, so long as one doesn't have to sort out the mess when one fails.
Being an old fashioned sort of person, soldered or compression fittings are my personal preference.
Do you think you will do anything wrong? What sort of things do you think you will do wrong?
Anything!!! lol
I have used a modest amount of Hep2O - and been very pleased with it. Hepworth's website is full of excellent detail, description, technqiues, products, etc. Even worth viewing their videos. Consider HepVO waste "traps" - they too can be very useful.
1 Buy a proper plastic pipe cutter. 2 Buy the proper demounting tool for the system you choose. 2 Develop a technique that includes marking each joint as you put the pipe insert into it - something as simple as a pencil mark will do. Make sure you always use them. 3 Choose a system and stick with it for pipe and fittings.Sometimes (e.g. shower fittings) push-fit is incorporated into the unit as purchased. Obviously you are then rather stuck for that specific connection. I had that when fitting the power shower - Hep2O pipe up to that was fine.
You are supposed to use barrier pipe for central heating - there has been much discussion over how important that is - not sure which way the coin landed.
My main complaint is that any visible pipework tends not to look very good. So you might end up wishing to use short pieces of copper or chromed pipe for aesthetic reasons - e.g. the last few inches to the radiator/towel rail.
In general, I would choose solvent weld connections for waste pipes.
Though I am far from a pro, and can only speak for my diy experience:
The marvellous thing for me, was, not so much the fittings themselves - though these are truly remarkable - but the ability to just feed plastic piping off a reel to whatever length one wants, and thread it under floorboards amazingly easily. And, no danger of setting light to anything whilst trying to heat up big joints in tight corners and under floors (Usually no need for joints under floors at all: that is the BIG plus!)
The plastic joints are a bit bulkier than the copper or 'brass' ones, and you have to make sure you have the right sized insert for the former as there seem to be slight differences in the bores - between grey and white pipe I've noticed.
So impressed with this new system that I started off needing to move one radiator, and then did the lot while I was at it! All the bits - esp the tubing reel - so cheap for what you are getting.
Particularly impressed with a couple of brass connectors on our bathroom basin, which I did not fit: I have had the taps off, and changed a couple of times, and have been very impressed that these joints slide on and off so easily but never seem to leak at all. The contrast with the old nuts and olives, and the hassle of getting spanners on them in tight spaces could not be better demonstrated. Add to this the modern flexi tap connectors, and you are in 'plumbing' heaven!
Do plan it all out first, as it is surprisingly easy to not notice exactly how many joins; end stops; stop valves etc you are going to need until you actually start putting it all together, and these fittings can be quite expensive as one off's over the counter rather than bulk 'Screwfix' etc.
S
That's a joke, right? Hmmm, let's do this wrong ...
Types which unscrew are easier to undo if you need to because with types where you push in the locking collar and pull out the pipe you have to have the pipe and fitting correctly aligned otherwise the pipe binds in the fitting. Also you need to get both hands to the fitting to do so which can be hard to reach. However with Hep2O and other unscrew-able fittings you still have to fiddle to get the locking device off the pipe or even cut off and fit a new grab ring. Speedfit are to my mind the best of both worlds: you can unscrew the fitting if you need to, but then the various components come off the pipe easily and can be replaced in the fitting which can then be reused.
What product(s) did you use? Hep2O?
Mostly Speedfit I think: Screwfix having a tendency to 'substitute' I don't recall if they were all genuine. Don't know the make of the brass ones, or the grey pipe that was probably from an early version of the current system. The experience with the brass fittings might encourage me to try them another time, as they rather indicate that the bulky screw nuts of the Speedfit items might be superfluous. However, if it's going to be a joint under the floor, you want it as secure as possible...
I did actually use a couple of large copper T pipe joiners in one place under a doorway where there was not room for the bulkier plastic fittings, now I come to think of it. No problems there either though this is where the full force and heat of the ch pump 'arrives first'. (Perhaps I shouldn't be tempting fate by writing that!)
Make sure you buy the right pipe and inserts for your fittings; cut the pipe square and bur free; don't be tempted to 'stretch' the pipe between fittings, as I suppose it could move if heating and cooling under tension. (There are appropriate pipe retaining and guiding clips and formers, but remember that the more of these you use, the less leeway you are going to have without pulling up floorboards again, should you need to make any changes at the pipe ends in the future.)
Take your time and you will enjoy.
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