Underground Drainage Brands

[VDubDan]

Need to start chucking in some underground drainage for my extension. Given the underground nature, I'm looking for something that's going to last well until it's in "someone elses problem" territory

Being DIY and mostly weekend working, I also need to consider availability and ease of buying. Ideally, I like to be able to go and look at stuff too.

Selco stock Hunters, who I've never heard of and I've had some iffy purchases from Selco before.

Was looking at FloPlast but heard some naff things about them.

Or, in real life, are they all much of a muchness and I'm worrying about nothing?

(I'm also working on the assumption that I should stick to one make where possible?)

 

[muggles]

I'd say Hunter are better than FloPlast. It's all made to the same British Standards though so there isn't that much in it, and there's no issues with mixing and matching - everything is the same size

 

[Ian H]

I’d go with Osma stuff, I get it from Travis Perkins but they seem to be swapping it out for Wavin branded stuff which doesn’t seem as good to me.

The Osma has a seal that’s glued to a clip on ring where as the Wavin has a loose seal in a ‘swell’ on the fitting. I might be wrong but the Osma just seems a superior product.

 

[VDubDan]

Yeesh, double the price though - that's painful! Or is there a secret to getting reasonable pricing?

 

[Ian H]

How much have you seen a socket for? 4D205? And a gully, 4D900?

 

[VDubDan]

How much have you seen a socket for? 4D205? And a gully, 4D900?

Travis Perkins have them in for £4.95 + VAT, something like 4D561 is £14.13+VAT

 

[Ian H]

On my ticket from today the sockets are £2.93+vat, 3mtr of pipe £8.07+vat and i’d guess the 4D561 bend would be about £8.50+vat.

Where abouts are you?

 

[VDubDan]

On my ticket from today the sockets are £2.93+vat, 3mtr of pipe £8.07+vat and i’d guess the 4D561 bend would be about £8.50+vat.

Where abouts are you?

I'm in the West Midlands - that's a 'trade' account, too (I think - I'll have to double check!)

 

[Ian H]

This one is specifically set up for drainage discount I think. If they quote me on anything else it seems high.

I guess the other brands will be good too, i’ve not used the Hunter stuff but i’ve had their pipe grease and that was right enough. The only things I wouldn’t use are the sockets with the 1” spacer in the middle and any of those adjustable bends.

 

[muggles]

I’d go with Osma stuff, I get it from Travis Perkins but they seem to be swapping it out for Wavin branded stuff which doesn’t seem as good to me.

The Osma has a seal that’s glued to a clip on ring where as the Wavin has a loose seal in a ‘swell’ on the fitting. I might be wrong but the Osma just seems a superior product.

View attachment 164433

View attachment 164434

Osma & Wavin are the same company. Surprised there's any difference

 

[Ian H]

Osma & Wavin are the same company. Surprised there's any difference

Definately different although they probably perform the same.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Looking at the difference though between Osma and Wavin, have to wonder now if Wavin is the budget brand. I think I've used virtually every manufacturers products at some point over the years, it's all pretty much of a muchness to me.

Dan, it's all interchangeable, just purchase from wherever suits you best. If laid and joined properly, there is no reason why you should have any issues, now or for the long term.

As an aside Wavin now also own Hepworth, probably the UK's biggest manufacturer of clay drainage.

 

[Gasguru]

Always used Polypipe in the past for above and below ground...

 

[John D v2.0]

You do have to be a little careful about mix and match, the diameters can vary with some brands, for example I found that toolstation "Aquaflow" 50mm solvent weld is nowhere near the same size as screwfix and (ex) priority plumbing. I did measure with a caliper one time and they were all significantly over the nominal internal and external diameters but aquaflow was worse. Screwfix had floplast and it was significantly straighter pipe.
In terms of 110mm underground I did more mixing and matching with less of an issue, but from memory there were some joints that were tighter than others.

Having said floplast is better, the floplast traps are rubbish compared with mcalpine.

 

[VDubDan]

Cheers all, good knowledge. Managed to get Travis Perkins down a little bit (not as low as the prices shown up there), so I decided to buy Osma gullys, rest bends (As they'll be under concrete) and the adapters for the gully entry).

Everything else I'll get from Selco, I reckon as Hunters seem to be okay and very reasonably priced. The Osma stuff is just too expensive to justify for bends and such.