Hi

 

Im trying to find what is/isnt allowed regarding having either radiator or potable water pipes in walls in a new house. I ve seen the regs for chasing into walls but thats not necessarily for water, i know that plastic pipes in walls need detectable metal tape over them but not sure about using copper 15mm running down internal block walls.

 

With your new builds, was this allowed? im sure all house builders use plastic in walls but i dont know for a fact.

 

thanks

Most of us self building are using more modern building methods.  e.g. we are timber frame and between the frame and the plasterboard is a battened "service void" for all pipes and cables.

 

Cables must follow "safe zones" as defined in the wiring regulations,  I am not aware of any such regs for water pipes but I suspect there are for gas pipes.

If your using a solid construction 

You can run the wiring on the surface  following safe zones on the surface of the block or brick 

The pipe work can also be run on the surface 
If you are using dot and dab as a posed to wet plaster the gas pipe needs to be fully covered with drywall adhesive To prevent any gas leaking behind the boards 

 

There are plastic water pipes all over the place inside our walls and mainly ceilings. Not aware of any rules on where to put them and never hard of putting metal tape on them, someone might just be doing that to make them easier to find. You would only chase them in if you needed to hide them, normally they are surface mounted behind the plasterboard. Is your issue that you plan to wet plaster blockwork so need to hide the pipes?

 

I can see if you had radiators you would want to use a consistent routing system so you know where the pipes are likely to be.

 

Don't see why copper would be any different, although I don't see why you wouldn't just use much cheaper plastic.

 

 

My guy always uses foil tape on hidden plastic pipes behind dot and dab

1. thanks guys, just as i thought, i cant find anything regs wise BUT the WRAS do say that all pipes in walls must follow certain methods - ie chased in for blockwork, inside studwork etc but why do they bother making this cra p up when no one follows their "advice"

and yes NHBC do now say that plastic pipes need to be detectable inside wal

@gwebstech what is the exact issue that you have?

48 minutes ago, gwebstech said:

1. thanks guys, just as i thought, i cant find anything regs wise BUT the WRAS do say that all pipes in walls must follow certain methods - ie chased in for blockwork, inside studwork etc but why do they bother making this cra p up when no one follows their "advice"

and yes NHBC do now say that plastic pipes need to be detectable inside wal

Quite rare to see pipes chased in onsite nowadays 

Even gas pipes are on the surface and saved over 

They say it weakens the block work

When we used to wet plaster or use projection Everything was chased in 

doesn't the aluminium in barrier pipe make it detectable?

 

On 08/04/2020 at 20:20, ProDave said:

@gwebstech what is the exact issue that you have?

 

sorry, only just seen this -  i was just making sure not to get on the wrong side of the BCO that was all, ive clipped the pipes to the blockwork anyway

 

thanks