Black Alkathene Pipe

[John506]

So I got sent on a job today to sort out a leaking stop tap.

Went in the property, said hi to customer and spoke to him about his problem, he wanted a new stop tap because this one was leaking from the gland. I advised him I could seal it up and it would be fine but it was that old he was adament to have a new one.

The problem was, the service pipe into the building was black alkathene pipe, it was the first time I had seen this type of pipe before and was a bit wary to cut into it.

So I phoned my employer and asked him about it and he said it's hard to find inserts to this pipe, usually can hammer a piece of 15mm pipe inside it as an insert, but don't risk it and go find an insert.

I went to a few places all telling me they stopped making them years ago, so I advised the fella with the leaking valve that it would be best to just put a sausage like piece of ptfe in the gland and tighten it up and it will sort his problem, all went well and the job was done in 2 minutes.

Just wondering, has anyone had bad experiences with this pipe or know a supplier that sells inserts for it?

 

[kirkgas]

not seen or used them for years, but could you not have reused the old ones by either reusing the old nuts and rings or by cutting off the old olives and fitting the new valve

 

[John506]

No the pipe went straight into the old stop tap, and the stop tap I had was 15mm, so needed to reduce it to 15mm copper first.

It was hard, the pipe was connected into the tap inside a piece of wood so it was really awkard to use a 22mm stop tap.

 

[sturmey]

<<The problem was, the service pipe into the building was black alkathene pipe, it was the first time I had seen this type of pipe before and was a bit wary to cut into it. >>

Think the pipe is called Polyorc.

Philmac do transitional couplings to connect onto it- look on their website.

http://www.philmac.co.uk/Products/UTC.asp

 

[gas4you]

I've had this problem as well. I one case I had enough room to fit a new stop cock above the old broken one.

Others I've cut a small bit of the black pipe off and taken to Drain Center, where they have been able to match it for size.

 

[Bahco]

You can get a 17mm to 15 mm adapter in metal if you try old plumbers merchants. Not easy to find when I did it.