Plastic pipe and pushfit connections

Search the archives of this group - the subject's been done to death many, many times and you'll get far more opinions on the matter if you read what's been said before

David

Hello Steve I always use copper an endfeed fittings , but I come across a lot o bathrooms now where plastic pipe is used , a few tips Always stick with one brand of pipe an fitting like speedfit never mi with another make , Always use the inserts at pipe ends use plenty of pipe clips on the pipe ends connecting too basin an toilet/ bath always fi isolation valves ,

I find that these tap connectors very easy too fit

-- Mr Jingles

I did the hot and cold water supply for my utility room in plastic (Acorn - equivalent to today's Hep2O) in 1989 - and it's still going strong. I've recently done a downstairs bathroom for my 95-year-old father-in-law - again using plastic pipe. This time, I used Speedfit barrier pipe (from Screwfix) because it also included an extra radiator on the central heating system. [Unless my memory has faded in 16 years, barrier pipe seems somewhat less flexible than the original Acorn pipe - so, if you need to feed it into awkward places, it may be a good idea to avoid barrier pipe unless you're doing a central heating system.]

In places where I've wanted the neatness of copper pipe and the convenience of push-fit, I've used copper push-fit fittings - and these have always been ok.

Speedfit pipe (and, presumably, other PEX systems) are inherently less flexible and more springy than Acorn/Hep2O PB systems. Also Speedfit is only available in barrier (AFAIK) whereas Hep2O is available in barrier or non-barrier - though the barrier version is still much more flexible than PEX.

Why? There is no reason to do so. I use products from several different manufacturers interchangeably, with no problems. 15mm is 15mm.

The tolerates may be different from maker to maker

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That's interesting. I had assumed the difference ion flexibility to be due to barrier vs non-barrier - but it could well simply be a difference between Hep2O and Speedfit.

Not by any significant amount. Take a look at how pushfit fittings grab and seal. There is a very large margin there. Most 15mm fittings will happily grab and seal 14mm pipe.

Grunff

I have worked with some lads who swear by Plastic/mixing an changin makes but I remember one nightmare job where a polypipe manifold burs with speedfit tails ,on an upstairs landing ,boards down an carpet back ... my mate who's job it was ,was gutted .............so was the downstair ceilings , lo

-- Mr Jingles

Thank you all for your advice and comments, I've decided to use copper pipe, it'll take longer and be more frustrating, but I'll have better piece of mind. The last thing I want is to have a leak in my new bathroom.