What Do Professional Plumbers Think Of Push Fit?

[nashville]

I would be interested in what plumbers think of the long term reliability of push fit pipes and fittings for domestic installations.

Do you get many call outs where it has failed and caused leaks?
How many years would a push fit installation be expected to last?
Would you use it in your own home?
Which is the best brand of push fit?

Many thanks for any information.

 

[scatmanjohn]

Do you get many call outs where it has failed and caused leaks?

No more than leaks on other fittings.

How many years would a push fit installation be expected to last?

Not many if you have vermin

Would you use it in your own home?

Yes..its has its uses.

Which is the best brand of push fit?

I use Speedfit (John Guest)

 

[numpty1]

me i hate the stuff with a passion.yes i will admit it does have advantages.i live in a modern timber framed house plumbed with it and have had no probs,my neighbours on the other hand have had nightmares with it,mainly due to poor installation not product.
when i have to use it polyplumb demountable fittings/pipe is my only choice never had a problem with it yet oh and yes old mickey loves it.

 

[gremlin16]

Quote:
Would you use it in your own home?


never

 

[GasMan1965]

I only use the caps as they are well handy but wont touch the rest of speedfit (john guest) stuff ...... I use hep pipe and fittings as long as it aint visible then copper where it becomes visible !!

And that goes for home as well as work

 

[tonybhoy]

Had the odd one blow off on the cold main at six in the morning on a job I did five miles from where I lived at the time so not a big fan of them as a result but that was years ago and the fitting was on a copper pipe at one end.

Mainly use compression fittings however I am coming round to the pushfit ones simply because they do save you loads of time.

I'm the same as GM 1965 in the sense that anything above ground is copper or chrome and below pushfit however not with chrome pipe though only brass compression fittings .

 

[simond]

Where we use plastic under inaccessible flooring we use a manifold so that there are no joints inaccessible - with the exception of the rad tail.

I prefer copper but there are circumstances where plastic has the edge. It is a 'horses for courses' argument. Plastic is just perfect for UFH and there are no buried joints (unless you are a self builder on Grand Designs).

There is nothing to stop you using ordinary compression fittings with plastic rather than pushfit. We have all seen one go and it is sometimes expensive.

 

[Balenza]

Simond wrote

Plastic is just perfect for UFH and there are no buried joints (unless you are a self builder on Grand Designs).

If he was using the Rehau UF system then a buried joint is fine using the everloc jointing method.


See here.....
http://www.rehau.co.uk/building.sol...inting.techniques/jointing.instructions.shtml

 

[curious_mal]

Sorry for butting in and yes, I am a diy'er who has just replaced leaking microbore (from the manifold), with 15mm. Using guidance from this forum I practiced for a few weeks in the garage soldering end feed and got quite good at it, so much so I was happy to use them for the bulk of the joints.

There was one place though, on very low lying 22mm I could not for the life of me get the drip of water to stop and eventually used a Yorkshire copper push fit. Went together with a comforting snap and feels a very sturdy and well made piece of kit.

Fair assessment, or should I have used a compression fitting?

 

[ChrisR]

Have had too may pushfits leak for no particular reason, or faulty fittings. I use sometimes use them but only where they're accessible.
COmpression joints on plastic pipe can unscrew themselves!

 

[petetheleak]

Have used them with no problems ,Yes they are faster and easier to use , Would i use them in own house No . Think they are designed for the DIY man . They use them on most new builds up our way. Long term outlook will have to wait and see , Sceptical off how long the o seal will last especially on hot systems . Maybe am just an ageing Plumber set in my ways and need to move with the times.

 

[GasMan1965]

They do have the same 25yr guarantee as copper !!

 

[BigBurner]

Generally professionals do not like it and will only use it when pushed in awkward situations. Few will put it in their own homes.

Odd job men and DIY men swear by them. That say it all.

 

[Agile]

There is little skill involved in putting together plastic joints and they are usually used by the less skilled.

I go to more failed plastic joints than copper joints, usually as a result of careless assembly.

In my own house I would only usually use them on open vented systems.

I do not consider them safe for sealed heating systems.

Tony

 

[cowboyplumber]

I Lurve plastic
Yeehah!