blue plastic water pipe to loft

I need to replace a long length of internal lead pipe to my water tanks in the loft (main water tank and central heating header). The house dates from

1902.

The supply into the house is lead (which I will replace when funds allow) which is first fused onto copper (15mm) with the stop c*ck within the short copper length and then reverts to lead when it travels up to the loft - sunk into the plaster as originally installed. This is probably why no-one in the past has replaced it. But its only a matter of time till a leak occurs in this ancient lead piping.

What's to stop me replacing the lead section to the loft with the blue plastic water pipe - which is cheap, flexible and easier to deal with than copper. I saw a length of it in B&Q the other day which I think was 15mm bore 25m length for £19.99. I also suspect that it behaves better if the pipe freezes than copper - i.e.. not bursting.

Any views on this.

Regards, Roy

Reply to
Roy
Loading thread data ...

The blue stuff is probably MDPE (medium density polyethylene), which would be an excellent replacement for the lead pipework between the stopcock and the street.

If you want to replace inside the house, you should use different stuff. PEX (cross linked polyethylene) is the stuff you want.

When you replace it, replace with 22mm, not 15mm. When replacing the line to the street, use minimum 25mm MDPE, preferably more.

Christian.

Reply to
Christian McArdle

Its not normal to use the blue stuff after the stopcock. Anyway you don't really need this wide a bore up to the roof tank. I'd recommend plastic pipe but the usual internal stuff. Hep2O is my usual 1st choice; Jewsons have it handier lengths than the likes of B&Q e.g. 6M lengths ( very useful) or a complete coil if you need that much. I think I pay around £1/Metre there. I find that often you can shove it through gaps or pull with string, so there are no joins on the hidden bits. BTW cat is useful for getting string under floorboards, but thats another story.

Reply to
Old Bill

15mm is hardly an excessive bore for the rising main. In any case, I wouldn't use less than 22mm, simply because it makes upgrading to mains pressure supply so much easier in the future, and even with a tank, it gives greater effective capacity due to more rapid replenishment.

Christian.

Reply to
Christian McArdle

Blue plastic is for external underground only and only short lengths as it enmerges from the ground. There is an external version, but mainly used for agricultural uses.

You can use 22mm hot and cold plastic pipe. Marley Equator and Osma Gold are the better brands. Take 22mm right to the cold water storage tank, Fit a 22mm "full-bore" stop c*ck.

_________________________________________ Usenet Zone Free Binaries Usenet Server More than 120,000 groups Unlimited download

formatting link
to open account

Reply to
Doctor Evil

Or polypropylene (e.g. Hep2O) which is what Christian has used :-)

There are 101 plastic piping systems on the market, but apart from obsolete solvent-weld PVC they're either PEX or PP. Speedfit is the main brand of PEX, Hep2O the main PP. PEX is springier and harder to thread through holes or small gaps, especially in 22mm size. PP is easier to handle. It is sometimes available in non-barrier form but barrier or non-barrier are equally suitable for water. The non-barrier type is slightly easier to handle than the barrier type. BES

formatting link
are a good online source of several types, as well as fittings and much else besides. Worth getting their paper catalogue though as their website is hard work.

Reply to
John Stumbles

I know of more than one person who has experienced a flood when a fault has developed in a header tank, and water is admitted faster than the overflow / warning pipe can carry it away. This should be considered if you are arranging for rapid replenishment of a tank.

James

Reply to
James

What is the reason for not using the blue plastic pipe after the stopcock.?

I am proposing to use ( already bought with fittings) it to run from the stopcock in the kitchen to the garage, under the floorboards, to feed the boiler. I was going to wrap some insulation to stop freezing.

Doctor Evile wrote:

Reply to
cubicsupport

No. Pex or Plybuyt'

_________________________________________ Usenet Zone Free Binaries Usenet Server More than 120,000 groups Unlimited download

formatting link
to open account

Reply to
Doctor Evil

It is made of different materials MDPE is Medium Density PolyEthelyne. It is is not designed for excterior use.

Return the stuff ASAP and get the right pipe, either pex recommended (Marley Equator) or Polybuytlene (Osma Gold or Hep20). The none barrier Polybuytelene is much more supple than MDPE.

Doctor Evile wrote:

_________________________________________ Usenet Zone Free Binaries Usenet Server More than 120,000 groups Unlimited download

formatting link
to open account

Reply to
Doctor Evil

What will happen if I install the blue MDPE pipe? Is there a technical reason for not using it

? Doctor Evil wrote:

PolyEthelyne. It

Reply to
cubicsupport

Yes, it is meant to be supported all around as the earth does. You should have done some research before buying. Now you know, take it back and exchange it, and do the job properly. DIY does not mean taking short cuts.

Please do not top post.

_________________________________________ Usenet Zone Free Binaries Usenet Server More than 120,000 groups Unlimited download

formatting link
to open account

Reply to
Doctor Evil

Look, you just don't, OK? ;-)

Actually - now he mentions it: why *can't* you use an exterior grade pipe indoors? Other than the lack of range of fittings etc to go with it, what's the difference? And 25mm MDPE is a lot cheaper than 22mm Speedfit, innit?

David

Reply to
Lobster

D'oh! Knew PP sounded wrong, but couldn't think of the right name.

Reply to
John Stumbles

Heat resistance?

Reply to
Rob Morley

Well if you look at just about any farm you'll find blue MDPE running overground and doing all sorts of contortions, much of which has been there since the Lord created water. Same on any building site or festival or show ground (though obviously temporary). The stuff's amazingly tough and will stand up to all sorts of abuse. That's probably why it's OK for direct burial in the ground where PEX and PB are too wimpy and could be cut by sharp flints etc in the ground (it's amazingly easy to nick PB and PEX with a craft knife and then crack it open by bending it). So if you've already installed MDPE in your house I wouldn't lose any sleep over it provided it's terminated correctly[1] - it'll more than do the job. However if you haven't it'd be kosher to do it with PEX or PB.

[1] One of our lecturers at tech regaled us with the story of when he'd been asked to connect up to a stopcock on an MDPE incoming mains feed in the foyer of a posh golf club being built: as soon as he got hold of the valve it came off the pipe because whoever had fitted it hadn't used an insert on the pipe. He's a big strong guy and he was wrestling with this mains pipe trying to get a fitting onto it to close it off (with water spraying all around over the lovely solid hardwood panelling etc in the place) but couldn't do it: had to find where the main c*ck was and get that turned off.
Reply to
John Stumbles

I think it's more likely because it is such a b'trd to work with compared with the indoor grades, also, but not relevant to hidden indoor use, it doesn't have extended resistance to UV for which you use the carbon loaded (black) MDPE. I've used it indoors where I needed to interface to lead as there's a really wide range of adaptor sets available to connect up to just about any kind of pipe.

My suggestion to the O/P would be to use an interior grade if the interface to lead is available but if not don't worry about using MDPE but use 25mm. A wide range of fittings are available from

formatting link

Reply to
fred

On Sat, 05 Mar 2005 16:11:25 GMT, Lobster strung together this:

Some mistake Shirley? MDPE isn't UV protected AFAIK so it isn't external, it's intended for direct burial.

I think some rereading of this thread is in order.

Reply to
Lurch

Not much UV under floorboards or in the roof is there ?

Nick

Reply to
nick smith

On Sat, 05 Mar 2005 22:47:48 GMT, "nick smith" strung together this:

As I said, some rereading of the thread is needed as there is some thread drift going on. I personally don't realy care and no, there isn't much UV in enclosed spaces so there probably won't be a problem. However, if it were me I would use some pipe designed for the jo in hand specifically, e.g. Hep2o.

Reply to
Lurch

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.