Antex Pipemaster Pro - quick review

[Steve Firth]

Just to be clear, you think that honey is a secretion from the nasal mucosa of sloths?

Or are you being a reseller of ironing boards made specifically for gnomes?

Yes, like, whatever.

Care to compare the total cost?

Last time I checked 50m of 15mm copper tube was £150.

For 50m of 16mm PEX-AL-PEX it was £50.

Fittings seem to range from 50p to £1.00 depending in size, type and material. You can buy a lot of fittings for £100.

Are you spoiling for yet another pointless argument BTW? If so I'm not bloody interested.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Think that's what I meant. ;-)

For copper tube, end feed is the cheapest - and by quite some margin. Never did see the point in Yorkshires - you're paying far more than the cost of the solder.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Thought you'd have no sensible answer.

[John Rumm]

I use mostly end feed - but keep a few solder ring fittings handy, for those jobs where you can only get one hand to it and at arms length (e.g. reaching into a floor void etc). You can do a solder ring one handed, but its far harder to do end feed that way.

Having said that, it really pays to keep them separate from your solder ring 22 to 3/4" adaptor fittings... cos once you have one of those jammed on a pipe under the floor at arms length, its a right bugger to get off and use the right fitting. DAMHIK.

[Steve Firth]

Try not begging the question and of course you snipped the sensible answer. Why are you constantly spoiling for a fight?

[Tim Watts]

On Monday 29 July 2013 00:06 Dave Plowman (News) wrote in uk.d-i-y:

I like them for the simplicity and having one less hand needed (esp confined spaces).

As the solder comes from inside, once it appears, you are pretty certain that it's everywhere it's supposed to be.

OK - someone used to end feed will be fine, but a "weekend plumber" such as myself has less confidence :-o

[Dave Plowman (News)]

That from one who thinks because something is common in the rest of Europe, it must be best. It may well be nice and easy and cheap. Not the same thing.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Never found that a problem.

But can you? In a confined space you can't see all the way round it.

Main thing is cleanliness and a decent flux. End feed will then be fine.

[Onetap]

Solder ring fittings usually indicate someone who hasn't mastered soldering. Proper plumbers don't use them, if they can avoid them. They're occasionally useful in awkward spots.

They are usually specified for potable H&C water commercial jobs because the YP, or similar, marking was the only indication that lead free solder had been used.

I saw a "proper plumber" using them on a job. He was 'topping up' the molten solder with solder wire, from a yellow reel. Nothing is foolproof.

[Steve Firth]

Perhaps you can reference a post in which I said that because it was used in Europe it was "best"? I'd like to see that.

[charles]

They can also produce a much neater result that comprsson fittings, but I assume you were comparing them with end-feed. Even in a open space, it's quite difficult not to geta solder "run" on the lower bit of pipe.

perhaps he was re-using the fitting?

[Tim Watts]

On Monday 29 July 2013 10:49 Onetap wrote in uk.d-i-y:

Nothing wrong with that (unless you are some sort of plumbing snob).

I'm usually successful at what I do because I work to my known limitations and choose products accordingly.

The cost of solder ring fittings, push fit or whatever suits are all peanuts compared to *paying someone else" to do the job - not to mention that amount of aggro it would be to book a plumber every time I wanted to do an incremental job.

Proper plumbers chop bloody great holes through structural timbers. I would not hold them up as a bastion of anything.

Never had a solder ring fail. Not sure what he was doing - solder rings are over loaded anyway - most of mine produce a significant blob outside as well as filling the joint.

[Onetap]

There are good and bad in every trade. I'm not suggesting they're all wonderful. End feed are cheapest and get used 95% of the time on heating. You can avoid solder runs with practise.

He was an idiot. The fittings were new. There's no sense in trying to re-use soldered fittings. End-feed fittings are cheap, compared with the time required.

[charles]

but if you've got to drive 8 miles to get one and then another 8 miles back, re-using might be more economical. Certainly quicker.

[Onetap]

A 'plumber' wouldn't/shouldn't need to, they buy them (well, the usual sizes) by the 100s. If you're DIYing, you can do as you please.

You'd distort a soldered fitting in trying to dismantle it. I've never seen solder fittings re-used.

[charles]

you've obviously not had to do something on a Sunday - when everything is shut. With care the fittings are fine.

[Tim Watts]

On Monday 29 July 2013 15:32 Onetap wrote in uk.d-i-y:

I would be surprised if you could get one one after it's used. They are a tight fit before they get a coating of solder - unless you put them on hot.

[Dave Liquorice]

It can be done, I've done it (50 mile round trip to nearest plumbers merchant or DIY shed(*)). Once you have the fitting off, flux it well, get it well hot, add more solder, then knock it out by knocking the holding pliers firmly against something with the open end of the fitting in line with direction of travel. Most of the solder will come out. With a 22 mm fitting a slighly damp cloth can be used to wipe the rest out, 15 mm are too small to get a finger safely in... You may still have to use some abrasive paper to remove the last few thou and/or the same on the recipient pipe to get a fit.

(*) We now have a hardware store in the town that carry the very common plumbing bits, only a 5 mile round trip. B-)

[dennis]

Or someone who likes neat soldering. You can easily get solder drips and stuff with end feed while its very difficult to do that with solder ring.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yup - I've seen plumbers do this. Not a good idea, as too much solder can build up inside the joint and restrict the flow.