Hi,
I've done all my previous plumbing work in copper, and I'm perfectly happy using end-feed, yorkshire and compression fittings.
But I'm a n00b with plastic pipe. My basic understanding is this: It shoves as-is directly into push-fit fittings, where an o-ring in the fitting provides the seal. But you need an insert for use in compression fittings, to prevent the pipe collapsing under the olive. Is that basically correct?
I have some old recovered plastic pipe here, which I'd like to re-use. It is marked "Hepworth BS7291/2 class S 15 x 2 mm H+C services and Central Heating 12 bar/20c 7bar/82c" and has metal inserts on some of the ends which went into copper compression fittings. These are plain inserts with no o-rings or anything. The olives are still there, and I guess I can probably cut the olives off and re-use the metal inserts.
Is all flexible plastic pipe basically the same, or are there different 'systems' which require matching fittings and inserts etc? Or is it just the fittings which come in different 'systems', and each family of fittings has it's matching inserts?
I'm a little confused about the different systems which I can find, for example on Screwfix. There's stuff called 'Pushfit', and 'Speedfit'. Presumably 'Speedfit' is a brand name, and Pushfit' is just a generic term?
I see plastic pipe like this:
The inserts are here:
It seems to me I'd want plain metal inserts like I have to go into a compression fitting. But I don't see those on the 'Push-fit fittings' page at screwfix.
Looking at copper push-fit systems, I see the cuprofit ( presumably hep2o is similar? ) require inserts in plastic pipe, even in a non-compression fitting. These are marked 'only for use with cuprofit fittings', so I guess they are also not the correct thing to use for a compression fitting?
So what's the compatability story here with plastic plumbing? What inserts do you use with what pipe and what fittings? Specifically, what inserts do I need for fitting this pipe into a compression fitting?