More like that they lack the skills to pull proper bends and do decent soldered joints.
- Thread starter Henrik
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More like that they lack the skills to pull proper bends and do decent soldered joints.
angellonewolf
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im carp at soldering but clean to an inch of its life flux and heat untill the flux bubbles and tap the solder if it melts and runs round at rare to get a bad joint
Westfield-builder
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Plus; they get to "weigh in" all the old-fashioned non-ferrous pipework they strip out, and the don't miss an inch of it !
hunter27
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I usually use copper pipe but ocasionally plastic has it's moments - if its in a studded wall for a shower or in an inaccessible place but I do hate plastic push fittings and O rings so I tend to use compression joints and inserts on any plastic pipe I use
I have done both my house builds in plastic/pex, the original install is 15 years old now and still trouble free, and this one has been plumbed for 6 years and both use pex laid into the slab for downstairs underfloor heating along with the same throughout for water distribution so its a good job its been no maintenance. I exclusively use compression fittings with inserts. Workshop air system is pex-al-pex too and the ease of adding in more drops near a machine for local air is great.
I can bend pipework and solder/silver solder fine and yeah I'm probably lazy when it comes to house stuff. But a wise proverb says to give your most awkward job to your laziest worker and he will find the quickest and most efficient way to do that job...
I can bend pipework and solder/silver solder fine and yeah I'm probably lazy when it comes to house stuff. But a wise proverb says to give your most awkward job to your laziest worker and he will find the quickest and most efficient way to do that job...
Seadog
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If you look at the history of John Guest it's hard to imagine that a system that potentially causes so many problems would still be in use 45 years on. I maintain that the majority of faults, apart from the obvious rodent induced ones, are down to incorrect installation.
123hotchef
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with the price of copper going up and copper tube becoming thinner it is only a matter of time before it is becomes not worth while using copper for most jobs
angellonewolf
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the cost of the pipe is not that bad i pay about £5 a 3meter lenth and the solder joint are £3 ish for pack of 20 i think
the plastic is cheap but the fittings add to the cost its just the speed most people use it for
my worry is in 20 years and more dont want it to have problems but i suposse i wont be around to see that
the plastic is cheap but the fittings add to the cost its just the speed most people use it for
my worry is in 20 years and more dont want it to have problems but i suposse i wont be around to see that
Nomad
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I've just been through something similar with the hot water in my house (a gravity fed system in a normal semi-detached, expansion tank in the loft).
Pressure at the hot tap in the kitchen was very poor when I started, it's now fine (not as good as mains pressure on a combi system, but fine)
I found :
check your taps are suitable for a low pressure system, some are designed to only work properly with combi-boilers (where hot water is fed at cold-water mains pressure), search "low pressure taps" for info.
use 22mm from the hot water tank to the bath (bath taps are larger than sink taps, so a large feed pipe helps flow), and from the loft tank to the hot water cylinder. 15mm is fine for the feeds to the kitchen and bathroom sink.
relocating the tank in the loft so it as high as possible helped the hot water pressure at the kitchen sink (the higher the tank is above the tap, the more pressure you get out of the tap, "head of water" is the technical term)
look for obstructions in your system ( I found a booster pump in mine, it had been fitted wrongly so would never boost but did restrict the flow)
ideally you want the same pressure from your hot tap as you get from you cold. If you can't get the hot pressure up, use a "pressure reducing valve" to drop the cold pressure at the tap to match the hot.
Pressure at the hot tap in the kitchen was very poor when I started, it's now fine (not as good as mains pressure on a combi system, but fine)
I found :
check your taps are suitable for a low pressure system, some are designed to only work properly with combi-boilers (where hot water is fed at cold-water mains pressure), search "low pressure taps" for info.
use 22mm from the hot water tank to the bath (bath taps are larger than sink taps, so a large feed pipe helps flow), and from the loft tank to the hot water cylinder. 15mm is fine for the feeds to the kitchen and bathroom sink.
relocating the tank in the loft so it as high as possible helped the hot water pressure at the kitchen sink (the higher the tank is above the tap, the more pressure you get out of the tap, "head of water" is the technical term)
look for obstructions in your system ( I found a booster pump in mine, it had been fitted wrongly so would never boost but did restrict the flow)
ideally you want the same pressure from your hot tap as you get from you cold. If you can't get the hot pressure up, use a "pressure reducing valve" to drop the cold pressure at the tap to match the hot.
Just to give an update on this;
I ended up buying the plastic pipe from screwfix and used both speedfit and compression fittings (all with inserts).
Anyway, had to create one 90 degree join, but I have reasonable access there should the fitting leak.
Other than that it was a doddle. I went for 15mm pipe and a shower pump to increase pressure both to the kitchen and bathroom.
I also went for the excellent Energer sds drill for a mere 35 quid. Stonking tool for the money. It drilled a 16mm hole through my double skinned wall as if through butter. Very pleased for the money. Even if it breaks after 2 jobs it's worth it for me, as a hobbyist.
All in all a great success, so thanks everyone
I ended up buying the plastic pipe from screwfix and used both speedfit and compression fittings (all with inserts).
Anyway, had to create one 90 degree join, but I have reasonable access there should the fitting leak.
Other than that it was a doddle. I went for 15mm pipe and a shower pump to increase pressure both to the kitchen and bathroom.
I also went for the excellent Energer sds drill for a mere 35 quid. Stonking tool for the money. It drilled a 16mm hole through my double skinned wall as if through butter. Very pleased for the money. Even if it breaks after 2 jobs it's worth it for me, as a hobbyist.
All in all a great success, so thanks everyone
Just to give an update on this;
I ended up buying the plastic pipe from screwfix and used both speedfit and compression fittings (all with inserts).
Anyway, had to create one 90 degree join, but I have reasonable access there should the fitting leak.
Other than that it was a doddle. I went for 15mm pipe and a shower pump to increase pressure both to the kitchen and bathroom.
I also went for the excellent Energer sds drill for a mere 35 quid. Stonking tool for the money. It drilled a 16mm hole through my double skinned wall as if through butter. Very pleased for the money. Even if it breaks after 2 jobs it's worth it for me, as a hobbyist.
All in all a great success, so thanks everyone
Don't expect an Energer tool to outlast it's warranty...
123hotchef
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never heard of them
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I thought the same with a BnQ own (Performance) brand circular saw, £39 with a spare blade, I hoped it would last long enough to cut some boards for the loft flooring, that was 12 years ago, since then it's had a lot of DIY use and I still haven't used the spare blade
I had some performance tools as well for a while (drill and jigsaw). The drill was good, but eventually it died a death whilst hole sawing a 52mm hole in 316 steel. The jigsaw was never "right", though... the cut would wander around like a drunken sailor, and I thought I was just rubbish at jig sawing until I tried my brother in laws makita jigsaw. Turns out it was the saw after all.
I really wanted to get a makita jig saw as well, but I was skint when I needed to cut up some laminate flooring, so I got another "energer" deal from screwfix, namely this one http://www.screwfix.com/p/energer-enb454jsw-550w-jigsaw-220-240v/55357 It was only 11-12 quid at the time (about 2 years ago), and it feels dead rough to use compared to e.g. the makita, but in all honesty I've done a lot of tricky cuts laminate cuts with it, cut in every skirting corner in the house, built custom wardrobes, including sawing down doors that were too big (so straightness was/is important).
I don't expect it to outlast me (at least I *hope* I outlast it) but so far it has not let me down.
Titan is another one of screwfix's brands that has been great for me. I've got a circular saw (was 60 quid 6 years ago), and it's absolutely fine, and another good one is the Titan reciprocating saw (http://www.screwfix.com/p/titan-ttb533rsp-750w-reciprocating-saw-240v/17639) It seems to come on deals for 40 quid every so often. Used it to break apart many a pallet and even chopped up some trees.
Tools for hobbyists have really come a long way since I was a youngster. For someone who's actual job is something office based, I just cannot justify the extra cost of expensive tools, except when I "want" a particular tool. I don't need anywhere near the same level of reliability as people who use them to work and put food on the table.
I have one tool I regret not spending more on, namely an evolution rage mitre saw. The 0 position is slightly off, which means that when you add an angle vertically as well, the bits don't line up as well as they could do. I've used it loads, but that particular issue with the saw annoys me every time I look at it Wish I had the makita battery powered one, but that's definitely one of those "wants" rather than "needs".
I really wanted to get a makita jig saw as well, but I was skint when I needed to cut up some laminate flooring, so I got another "energer" deal from screwfix, namely this one http://www.screwfix.com/p/energer-enb454jsw-550w-jigsaw-220-240v/55357 It was only 11-12 quid at the time (about 2 years ago), and it feels dead rough to use compared to e.g. the makita, but in all honesty I've done a lot of tricky cuts laminate cuts with it, cut in every skirting corner in the house, built custom wardrobes, including sawing down doors that were too big (so straightness was/is important).
I don't expect it to outlast me (at least I *hope* I outlast it
) but so far it has not let me down. Titan is another one of screwfix's brands that has been great for me. I've got a circular saw (was 60 quid 6 years ago), and it's absolutely fine, and another good one is the Titan reciprocating saw (http://www.screwfix.com/p/titan-ttb533rsp-750w-reciprocating-saw-240v/17639) It seems to come on deals for 40 quid every so often. Used it to break apart many a pallet and even chopped up some trees.
Tools for hobbyists have really come a long way since I was a youngster. For someone who's actual job is something office based, I just cannot justify the extra cost of expensive tools, except when I "want" a particular tool. I don't need anywhere near the same level of reliability as people who use them to work and put food on the table.
I have one tool I regret not spending more on, namely an evolution rage mitre saw. The 0 position is slightly off, which means that when you add an angle vertically as well, the bits don't line up as well as they could do. I've used it loads, but that particular issue with the saw annoys me every time I look at it
Wish I had the makita battery powered one, but that's definitely one of those "wants" rather than "needs". 