Poor quality push-fit fittings - I've found some!

[Grunff]

Push the neatly cut pipe in, the o-ring comes out of its groove. Try again, same happens. Try a different identical fitting, with a fresh piece of pipe, same happens again. Only way to get the pipe in while leaving the o-ring in place is to lubricate the pipe, and use a gentle circling motion (rocking the pipe in a circular fashion) until it goes in.

Dying to know which fitting?

Screwfix 88980. They are unbraded ss braided hose connectors (15x15x300mm). Oddly enough, it's only the non-valve-end which is a problem. The other end is fine. Also, that end (the problem end) has two o-rings next to each other.

[Lurch]

On Tue, 18 May 2004 21:39:31 +0100, in uk.d-i-y Grunff strung together this:

You haven't been hacking at the pipe with a rusty breadknife have you? I know some people do! ;-)

[Grunff]

I use my guineapig for all my plastic pipe cutting. Always keep him in the toolbox.

Actually it was a copper pipe, which had a perfect cut produced by a pipe cutter. So was the second pipe.

[Lurch]

On Tue, 18 May 2004 22:00:05 +0100, in uk.d-i-y Grunff strung together this:

Ah, just as well I don't buy any plumbing products from Screwfix then.

[Grunff]

They carry a pretty good selection of JG Speedfit, and at much better prices than my local plumbers merchant.

[Lurch]

On Tue, 18 May 2004 22:17:34 +0100, in uk.d-i-y Grunff strung together this:

My sister works at Plumb Center, so I get everything cheaper than Screwfix! And they have large stocks of all things JG.

[Andy Hall]

Presumably including the pipe cutters....... :-)

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[Lurch]

On Tue, 18 May 2004 22:30:09 +0100, in uk.d-i-y Andy Hall strung together this:

I'd assume so, all the pros I've seen locally use Plumb Center, and have pipe cutters so there must be some link! Personally, I use my Hilmor freebies, not had a leak yet on any plastic pipe, emergency or otherwise.

[G&M]

Can't be our Plumb Center then. Guy who tried to serve me last time I ventured in wouldn't have known what a pipe cutter was even if I'd used it on him.

[Lurch]

On Tue, 18 May 2004 23:22:29 +0100, in uk.d-i-y "G&M" strung together this:

We've got one of those, he 'struggles' a bit with anything more technical than a request for 'a 15mm balofix'!

[John Stumbles]

Ours is not so much a plumbers' merchants, more a way of life ;-)

Unfortunately I don't make money hanging around trade counters drinking plastic coffee and making smalltalk, and I have to pay for stuff out of what I earn, so I only go in there if I'm desperate.

[Andy Hall]

One can certainly tell who's employed and who isn't in these places.....

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[Lurch]

On Wed, 19 May 2004 00:32:07 +0100, in uk.d-i-y Andy Hall strung together this:

Or those who just don't give a f*ck!

[Christian McArdle]

Did you use end caps on the copper? These are little plastic parts which prevent the copper from damaging/dislodging the O-ring.

Christian.

[Christian McArdle]

P.S. See the below to see what I mean.

[IMM]

And the O ring comes out of those too.

[IMM]

Mr Pole,

Bean, that is fabulous. You can get shoddy fittings even cheaper.

[Grunff]

No, I didn't - but I've never, ever used them on any pushfit fitting before. That includes hundreds of SpeedFit, Hep and Cuprofit fittings.

What I always do is make sure that when I cut the pipe I cut it a bit tight, so the cutter pinches the end a little, producing a slight taper.

TBH I don't think they'd have helped with these fittings. The second o-ring is just dying to come out of its groove. It takes very little effort to move it.

[Christian McArdle]

So basically a batch quality issue? Perhaps the groove has been badly formed.

Christian.

[Grunff]

Yes, either batch or product design issue. The groove for the second ring is really very shallow - just about 1mm deep. As a result the first ring (which is in a deeper grrove) stays in place, while the second one gets pushed out.