saveasteading Posted October 6 Share Posted October 6 I'm doing some fairly coarse plumbing to get the wc and sink connected in the outbuilding. Some time later it will need to be reasonably tidy. Incoming is a 32mm blue pipe with stopcock. I'm thinking of then changing to domestic pipe but I have only ever used copper. ( I got good with end-feed copper a long time ago but have lost the knack a bit.) Anything I need to know about speedfit (or similar if other makes should be considered)? I'm thinking it isn't great for tidy and exposed work but good enough in a garage. What tools? What will I do wrong without advice? Why am I nervous? Used a biggish plumbing company for several projects and they only used copper. It looked beautiful but that wasn't their reason. It must have been trust of the joints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted October 6 Share Posted October 6 Make sure you don’t scratch the pipe , keep it in the wrapper as long as possible because scratches on the pipe will allow water to weep at the joins. Buy yourself a cheap pipe cutter. I always use hep20 which is better IMO don’t let pipes hang on joints, support pipes to take the strain. https://www.screwfix.com/p/faithfull-3-28mm-manual-plastic-pipe-cutter/821gc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceverge Posted October 6 Share Posted October 6 +1 for Hep2O. Plastic pipe tidiness is directly proportional to the amount of clips used. 1 hour ago, saveasteading said: Used a biggish plumbing company for several projects and they only used copper. It looked beautiful but that wasn't their reason. It must have been trust of the joints. The fact the fittings are double the price would have a lot to do with it. Building industry is slow to move from what they know too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saveasteading Posted October 6 Author Share Posted October 6 (edited) 37 minutes ago, Iceverge said: fittings are double the price But you don't need so many on long runs, saving on parts and labour. Ugly though. I think it had been a bad experience. One leak can be expensive. If z pipe simply pops in , can it equally pop out? Edited October 6 by saveasteading Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saveasteading Posted October 6 Author Share Posted October 6 Why is hep2O preferred? Does it need a fixing tool? I hate Screwfix all being online. If you don't know what you are looking for, there is no chance of finding it. I have kept catalogues but they will become outdated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnMo Posted October 6 Share Posted October 6 35 minutes ago, saveasteading said: Does it need a fixing tool? No tool to make joint, so just about idiot proof. Just slide pipe in, done, nothing to twist or lock. Also they use thin metal pipe reinforcing at each joint. They do use a tool to allow the joints to be stripped apart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stu w Posted October 6 Share Posted October 6 As said Hep is best and in my opinion a superior fitting to JG speedfit and polyplumb. Keep the pipe clean and scratch free, make sure ALL the pipe is cut using a proper cutter. Use the barrier pipe with the Hep stainless steel insert in every fitting . The majority of all new builds use this system now and if installed currently it is trouble free . One downside I have seen several times now is rodent attack 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceverge Posted October 6 Share Posted October 6 3 hours ago, saveasteading said: But you don't need so many on long runs, saving on parts and labour. Ugly though. I think it had been a bad experience. One leak can be expensive. If z pipe simply pops in , can it equally pop out? There's not much margin for labour for a plumber in it I guess. Nobody likes doing themselves out of a job. It won't pop out, it'll weep a little at the joint. Usually from a scratched pipe. The joints can be disassembled but it's more fiddly than the videos suggest. One thing I noticed about them was there's less water hammer than multilayer barrier pipe and press fittings. Time spent with a a pen and paper before install will be well worth it as they'll look a mess if you don't plan it all out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted October 6 Share Posted October 6 8 hours ago, saveasteading said: Why am I nervous? Used a biggish plumbing company for several projects and they only used copper. It looked beautiful but that wasn't their reason. It must have been trust of the joints. Copper, where it's the plant room or where the pipe is exposed and mechanical damage/aesthetics are important, every damn day of the week. Everywhere else, Hep2O is the weapon of choice. JG Speedfit still remains my go-to for pressure testing/temporary hook-ups, but tbh......a fitting which slowly undoes itself over time is not something that really instills confidence. I go to sites where folk have used this stuff for welfare setups etc, and each and every joint has begun to undo, and none have the 'obligatorily forgotten' circlip fitted which sends a cold shivver down my spine of how many of these are installed in homes and are ticking timebombs....? Put a Hep2O fitting together, do the same with JG, and have a look for yourself as to the difference. Night and day IMHO. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorfun Posted October 7 Share Posted October 7 All you need to know is that if I can do all my plumbing with Hep2o then anyone can! 😉 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorfun Posted October 7 Share Posted October 7 ps. it doesn't need to be ugly. but as @Nickfromwales says, I used copper for the most part as it comes out of the wall to the outlet as copper does look better on show. but copper fits straight in to the push fit fittings and so a couple of lengths of 15mm copper pipe is all you really need and zero soldering skills. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andehh Posted October 7 Share Posted October 7 Insulate any hot run pipes, especially if hot water circulating! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saveasteading Posted October 7 Author Share Posted October 7 51 minutes ago, Thorfun said: zero soldering skills. You are suggesting copper pipes with hep2o connectors? Is that also because the pipes are straight? I'm not so sure about copper looking better long term...lovely when shiny and new. 5 minutes ago, Andehh said: Insulate any hot run pipes Only cold at this stage. It's effectively an open space, so I will fit plenty of stopcocks and establish a protocol for cold weather. At the steading the plumber wasn't going to do what you advise. I think his logic was that indoors it doesn't matter. I've a cold tap here that runs hot for a few seconds, for that reason. It's Shocking how little is understood by some trades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceverge Posted October 7 Share Posted October 7 19 minutes ago, saveasteading said: You are suggesting copper pipes with hep2o connectors? Is that also because the pipes are straight? I'm not so sure about copper looking better long term...lovely when shiny and new. Only cold at this stage. It's effectively an open space, so I will fit plenty of stopcocks and establish a protocol for cold weather. At the steading the plumber wasn't going to do what you advise. I think his logic was that indoors it doesn't matter. I've a cold tap here that runs hot for a few seconds, for that reason. It's Shocking how little is understood by some trades. Copper to Hep20 worked primo for me. Also I put Hep20 straight into compression fittings. Not recommended by @Nickfromwales but I've had zero issues with it. .........so far...... As documented previously I tried to insulate my way out of a hot water issue with a huge dead leg caused by moron plumbers. It didn't work. My philosophy would be to absolutely minimise the amount of water sitting idle in pipes and not bothering with insulation on them. They cool quickly regardless. Then MAXIMISE insulation around the cylinder including any pipes that are permanently hot. My only exception to insulating pipes is outdoors for freeze protection and inside for hot return loops. ( A good house design will make these redundant anyway) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorfun Posted October 7 Share Posted October 7 46 minutes ago, saveasteading said: You are suggesting copper pipes with hep2o connectors? Is that also because the pipes are straight? I'm not so sure about copper looking better long term...lovely when shiny and new. Yes, straight. So as the come out of the wall I convert to copper so it looks nice and need under sinks etc. but each to their own. @Pocster has Hep2o all the way to the outlet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pocster Posted October 7 Share Posted October 7 Hep20 then go home ! Easy peasy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceverge Posted October 7 Share Posted October 7 Hep20 all the way home for me too. Less joints is always better than more joints. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharpener Posted October 8 Share Posted October 8 Am in a minority here but I like the Polyplumb pipe and fittings. We inherited a rainwater system which had PP fittings inside the plant cubicle but JG outside. Useless, I was never confident they were done up properly and one actually sprang off under pressure. OTOH the PP always inspired confidence. The grab ring is inside the seal ring so it doesn't scratch the seal area on the pipe. Can be push-assembled, and unscrewed again with bare hands. Have installed much pipe above ceilings with PP, only problem was where I didn't mark the correct insertion depth on the pipe end, you need to do that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saveasteading Posted October 8 Author Share Posted October 8 13 hours ago, Iceverge said: Less joints is always better than more joints Except copper could have fewer joints at complex manoeuvres.....if the bending skills can be recovered. And smooth the flow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceverge Posted October 8 Share Posted October 8 1 hour ago, saveasteading said: Except copper could have fewer joints at complex manoeuvres.....if the bending skills can be recovered. And smooth the flow. If you have the time why not. We're in a borehole so I try to avoid copper and brass where I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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