CUTTING PLASTIC PIPES

[charles210851]

I need to fit a new bath with centre taps rather than end which means that I need to extend the plumbing. This looks easy enough as it's plastic / pushfit and I've bought all the bits.

I've never cut plastic piping before. Do I need special cutter? I've been told not to use a hacksaw and I know it needs cutting square. I was going to use a standard pipe cutter to get the groove square, continue the cut with a sharp stanley knife to avoid burring.

Will this work or am I asking for trouble?

 

[ollski]

You are asking for a world of trouble. Go and buy the cheap blue speedfit cutters about 15 quid.

 

[Nige F]

Then put it on eBay if you`re not going to use it again

 

[longdogs]

If the plastic pipe has little marks along the lenghth of it ( Speedfit) Cut dead on the marks. Then when you use your push fit fitting you know that the pipe is fully inserted when the next mark lines up with the end of the fitting. If you get my drift?

 

[ChrisR]

If the cut is square and free of ridges, burrs/extra sharp edges it should be ok.
(psst... I often use my Swiss army knife )

 

[Paul Barker]

I have two or three cutters for this pipe but can often not find any of them, a pipeslice (which I am less likely to lose but also do lose) starts the job, then take it off and snap the barrier (I only use barrier but I expect it would work on non barrier).

Actually the pipe slice leeves a better external cut to slip into the o ring more easily, cutters leave a hard square edge which might cause problems by pushing the o ring out in certain situations, like when making the final joint of a t with no leeway. Guaranteed it will be the most impossible situation that is guaranteed to leak.

 

[charles210851]

Thanks for your comments.

It is Speedfit barrier pipe. Do I take it that barrier means that there's two skins to the pipe which is what it looks like?

Also, I have standard pipe inserts not the superseal ones with the extra O-ring on them. Will these be OK or have I made a mistake and need to get the others?