Wickes roundline gutterfittings

[moggs]

I am feeling really dumb. I think to help me you need to know the Wickes fittings ( although the answer could be more generic)

I want to replace a corning fitting to my aging plastic guttering system.

I bought a corner fittingf of the Wickes 112 mm Roundline system.

Up the ladder, I could not fit (clip ) the existing gutter into the new fitting even though it appeared a compatible size.

So I removed the gutting on one side of the corner ( the short length that joins my neighbours system) and took it & corner fitting to ground level to better understand the system. I still could not complete the clipping. So thinking the was a subtle incompatibility with the old guttering I have purchased a lenght of the Wickes roundline guttering. So now , with fitting and gutter from the same system and working at a bench I still cant get it to clip.

Basically with the rubber seal in place in the fitting and the gutter sitting on top of the seal , the seal will not compress enough to allow both "butterfly clips" to to clip.

The Wickes "good Idea" leaflet 60

says "toinstall the gutter into a fitting, insert the rear edge of the gutter under the back retaining lip of the fitting. Ensure that it is fully home, This is even easier with The Wickes system gutters. Simple wing clips are used to hold the guttering in place in most connectors. This prevents sore fingers. See FIG. 11."

After rear edge of gutter is inserted with clip down the other edge of the gutter is too high to allow the other clip to clip into position.

By way of experiment I have tried clipping without the rubber seal in place. In this case the clipping is easily acheived. But obviously the fit is too loose and would be useless.

When in place sitting in the channel in the fitting the rubber seal strip sits about 4/5 mm above the suface of the body of the fitting.

I have not yet applied silicone lubricant to the seal . I canot see that this will solve my issue which seems to be about the profile of the seal strip. I have also experimented with laying the seal strip alternative sides upwards. ( One side has 6 small ribs, the other has 3 larger ribs - I thik the fitting came small ribs upwards) But either way does not seem to make a difference).

Sorry - this urgent Its going to rain. Grateful for any comments.

thanks Richard

[Kipper at sea]

Spray the joints with silicon spray

[The Medway Handyman]

Dead right Harry. Wickes is made by Hunter, B&Q by Marley IIRC and they don't always fit despite being alledgedly the same size. I've used water pump pliers before to get the clip over that 'last bit'.

Dead right again, you often see these notches on the front edge where problems occurred during the original installation.

[sm_jamieson]

I tried Wickes fittings and had the same problem, so I gave up and used stuff from B&Q (Marley I think). Same type of clips. I think the Wickes ones are just too tight. Simon.

[moggs]

Thanks for all your comments.

Based on these , I started this morning by smothering the fitting with Wickes silicone lubricant ( not a spray as Wickes dont sell it like that ).

It appeared to make an amazing difference. I was able to clip the joint first time. I wonder if also my leaving the gutter in my semi outside store ( ex privvy) helped. It was straight from the store when I was stuck last night.

I should make the point , because some posters had the wrong end of stick , that I was trying to fit a wickes fitting to a wickes guttering length so the incompatibility element was already allowed form.

Now I just have to repeat the trick up the ladder and fit the existing guttering to the other end of the fitting. But I am more optimistic now.

Many thanks to all

Richard

[sm_jamieson]

Well at least you will know the parts are securely fixed together ! Simon.

[Kipper at sea]

No, its the just the silicone lubricant.