Chromeed Pipework

Just remove the chrome where you solder or a compression olive goes.

NT

Well, I never managed to join it. I think you need special fittings, or at least special olives, which I didn't have. I gave up and used grey plastic, which looked okay.

I wish I'd asked on UK.d-i-y first. :)

sand/wire-wool to remove the plating anywhere you're soldering it

if bending it, you'll probably be unlucky and the plating will flake off

Don't spoil the job with those clip-on "plastic chrome" pipe collars, gulp at the price then buy the solid brass ones, e.g.

I've never bothered with the latter when fitting rad valves (don't remember Dad [ex-gas board] recommending it) and never had problems.

Compression joints are fine with chrome pipe.

Don't bend or attempt to solder or use push-fit.

I've used chrome compression fitting where I had to. Despite another poster mentioning about issues with olives, I confess I didn't have any problems [1] although a brass olive is recommended as its harder and more likely to pinch into the chrome.

Just remember to tighten them a little more than you would on plain copper since the olive can't bite into the pipe quite as easily.

(I say this having had a rad valve pop off the end of a pipe when I touched it!)

Copper & brass don't bite into chrome, so there's always the possibility of slip between the 2. Occasionally the result is the pipe coming right out. Like anything you can do it, and it's usually OK. But it gets messy when it isn't.

NT

Shouldn't be a problem on low pressures like central heating. More of a problem on mains pressure.

And hide the edge where you removed it. It is also possible to find really bad Chromed pipe where the chrome kind of peels off like a scale. Brian

Is there a vast amount? For the pipework on show in my bathroom - just a very small amount to the towel rail and rad - I just painted the copper with chrome paint. Which looks more like brushed stainless steel - but OK at a glance. I didn't even consider chrome as it had to be bent.

I wanted the minimum amount of pipe showing, so concealed it in the wall behind the tiles with just a small bend out to the connections to the towel rail.

To solder, you'll obviously have to file the chrome off the end.

With compression joints, I use brass olives as they allow a harder "bite" into the pipe.

Other than that, nothing special really.

Shouldn't do - I bent a few bits in my bathroom and no such problems.

I'd say it would be difficult to remove the chrome neatly anyway - being so hard.

Yup never had a problem myself either. However I expect there might be some poor quality pipe out there since I have seen a few people mention a flaking problem over the years.

Many sealed systems will run at something approaching 2 bar when hot. For some, that *is* mains pressure.