rotary hammer drill for chasing concrete wall

[adcworks]

hi guys

well tomorrow is the big day where i attempt to chase concrete wall away to fit a manual concealed shower mixer. the final decision is to wrap denso around the pipes and use some foam to secure pipes.

my plasterer has been kind enough to lend me a powerful rotary hammer drill.

my questions are

- what is the best way to chase - should i chase out each of the cold and hot pipes up the wall (150mm distance between them for the mixer fitting) or should i just knock out a large 150mm x however high rectangle?

- am i going to create a mass of dust in my house with this type of hammer drill? the bathroom has no windows.

- if i use foam after plumbing the pipes in, will this not push the pipework around as it solidifies? how do i ensure the pipes stay put whilst i use foam? should i tack clips around the pipes into the concreate or something? i just don't know how i am supposed to ensure that the pipes come out of the wall at the exact locations they need to, chasing concrete and all this seems an inexact art!

thanks and wish me luck, this is my first DIY ever.

 

[Redhotferrari]

Good luck chap.

Will you create a lot of dust - Hell yes! But its great fun!

Regarding the pipes - Not really sure what you are doing as not seen previous thread, cant you pipe up, pop the valve on a prop up with etc, where it will be, then foam? This should hold the pipes in place whilst it sets.

Just my thoughts, and no doubt a better solution will be forth coming.

 

[and1c]

hi guys

well tomorrow is the big day where i attempt to chase concrete wall away to fit a manual concealed shower mixer. the final decision is to wrap denso around the pipes and use some foam to secure pipes.

my plasterer has been kind enough to lend me a powerful rotary hammer drill.

my questions are

- what is the best way to chase - should i chase out each of the cold and hot pipes up the wall (150mm distance between them for the mixer fitting) or should i just knock out a large 150mm x however high rectangle?

- am i going to create a mass of dust in my house with this type of hammer drill? the bathroom has no windows.

- if i use foam after plumbing the pipes in, will this not push the pipework around as it solidifies? how do i ensure the pipes stay put whilst i use foam? should i tack clips around the pipes into the concreate or something? i just don't know how i am supposed to ensure that the pipes come out of the wall at the exact locations they need to, chasing concrete and all this seems an inexact art!

thanks and wish me luck, this is my first DIY ever.

Its a difficult first DIY job to be sure....

The sort best given to a skilled plumber!!!

How are you planning on joining the pipes etc? compression or soldered fittings? or even copper push fits...?

In essence, what you need to do is draw the shape of the mixer on the wall where it needs to go.

Then mark a line for the track each pipe should follow.

Now, you should aim for at least 2 inches depth in each trench, to allow for the fact they wont be precise and may have high spots meaning the pipes wont sit flat (unless the chase is deep enough)

Use the drill and say a 7mm SDS drill bit.

Drill a series of holes up both side of the first pipes centreline, so you in effect have a couple of tracks running up to the mixer. Every inch or so is fine. Then drill down the centre line so you now have 3 lines of holes.

Then fit a chisel bit to the dril and start to chisel from the outsides inwards. Do this until you have the chase wide and deep enough.
Repeat for the other side.

Then for the mixer area drill deeper holes (as deep as needed) around the perimeter and then do lots inside, repeat with chisel.

Yes, it will be very dusty.

The foam wont move the pipes, provided it is allowed to overspill 'out' of the pipe chases. If it was sealed in as in with a board over the chases it would mess things up.
make sure you have checked and tested the system for leaks before foaming.....

getting the pipes to fit is not something that you can be told on the internet....it takes a lot of practice, an good degree of skill and knowledge

But I would say this, ensure that the pipes are perfectly horizontal where they connect into the mixer.... as in, they must not need distorting or forcing into position.... Otherwise, the shower WILL leak!!!

Good luck

 

[oilman]

my plasterer has been kind enough to lend me a powerful rotary hammer drill..

Some will disagree, but this is the wrong tool for chasing walls. I would use a twin disc cutter first then knock out the bit in the middle. I have done this in rooms with all the furniture in and didn't have much cleaning up afterwards. How? By using a dust extractor. Turns it from an uncaring moron job to a professional exercise.

Then again, I would run the pipes in trunking and not bury them at all. Miles easier, and it looks reasonable afterwards.

 

[adcworks]

oh god ...

was planning on running copper up the chases with an elbow on the top of each one (soldered) then wrap the lot in denso. finish with foam and plaster over.

i like the idea of attaching the mixer somehow at the top before foam to hold pipes in place.

i think i only have normal drill bits and something that looks like a stake - like a pointed piece of metal. not sure i have a chisel bit there.

 

[seco services]

using a drill bit will take ages.

if your going the sds route use a proper sds channelling chisel.
takes half the time and gets a better finish.

whats the foam for deso tape is enough
or conduit.

 

[adcworks]

wow. that was hard work. like keeping a pneumatic drill help up horizontally for an hour pounding at a wall.

but it's done. i went with the suggestion of buying an SDS chisel bit. this worked wonders without any pilot drill holes. perhaps it would have been slightly easier with the pilot holes.

went in about 1.5 inches or so. all plumbed in, soldered and tested last night. will add denso around pipes tonight before plasterer comes saturday.

thanks to everyone who has helped just couldn't find anything on this anywhere on the net. going to write up a short diary with pictures that i took along the way to help others needing to do this.

 

[seco services]

you got there in the end.

 

[RobinClay]

wow. that was hard work....
but it's done.

Well... a year on, and is it OK ?

Did it leak? Has the wall cracked ? Have you tried your hand at anything else ?