Actually the black mdpe is readily available from the larger merchants try BSS or Pipeline.
You will have the ID markings on the pipe blue writing for class D or green writing for class C.
For what it's worth black is suitable for above ground use, blue isn't.
While you're about it, why not go under the stream with it?
Mini diggers aren't that dear to hire, good fun, and you'll be able to forget about the pipe entirely.
Fair point I've done this on dartmoor though, often quite a lot of soft before the hard.
If you can't get a five foot iron bar at least some of the way in by hand, it's going to be a lot more trouble than it's worth.
I'll tell you a secret (the older plumbers will be down on me like a ton of bricks)
If a compression joint leaks, it is because the olive is not making a perfect seal against both the pipe and the olive-fitting recess in the fitting.
If you wrap a few turns of PTFE tape round the olive, overlapping onto the pipe, it has enough elasticity to squeeze against the pipe and the olive and the recess, and make a good seal. You need the olive to be seated against the pipe first, if it slides about the wrap will get disturbed.
Gas tape is thicker than plumbers tape so will take up a bigger looseness.
If you keep the wrap inside the fitting, no-one will see it. If you let the wrap go round the pipe so it is visible once the nut has been tightened, elderly plumbers in cloth caps and blue overalls will pursue you, waving their paraffin blowlamps and blocks of tallow, shouting about traditional workmanship. However you may think that curing the leak is more important.
You need a block of tallow as a suppository saying things like that There is nothing wrong with a few strands of Dry hemp in front of the olive - No paste, it eats plasticI'll tell you a secret (the older plumbers will be down on me like a ton of bricks)
If you keep the wrap inside the fitting, no-one will see it. If you let the wrap go round the pipe so it is visible once the nut has been tightened, elderly plumbers in cloth caps and blue overalls will pursue you, waving their paraffin blowlamps and blocks of tallow, shouting about traditional workmanship. However you may think that curing the leak is more important.
Actually the black mdpe is readily available from the larger merchants try BSS or Pipeline.
You will have the ID markings on the pipe blue writing for class D or green writing for class C.
For what it's worth black is suitable for above ground use, blue isn't.
Blue was class C.
Green class D.
OD was the same D had thicker walls and different insert.
One final question - we could do with a larger key than the one we've got for the stop valve. Longer shaft (5-6 foot) and wider T bar. The man from Scottish Water had the perfect thing - he said they get them made specially ! But a colleague of his mentioned the name of a supplier to my neighbour, the same company who make the metal detectors they use. My neighbour can't remember the name. Any ideas ?
John
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