How to repair plastic coated copper mains water pipe

[pchase]

When digging a tree out from my front garden I unfortunately found my mains water pipe - using a spade and grubbing axe, so not a good idea !
The upshot is that I have put a significant dent in the pipe, but not actually fractured it.
Looking at the pipe is seems to be blue plastic coated copper - has anybody heard of this before ? It would have been installed early 1970's.
How do I repair such pipe ? I think it is probably 15mm, so can I use ordinary compression joints to replace a section that I have damaged, and do I also need to wrap the copper pipe in something to protect it ( I assume that is what the original plastic coating was for) ?
Any help would be very much appreciated

 

[kevplumb]

any joint that is going to be buried should be dezincification resistant

usually gunmetal look for dz on the fitting

don't think you are supposed to use normal conex underground

manipulative springs to mind

 

[doitall]

The pipe is almost certainly soft copper, in which case you would need swagged fittings.

As Kev said they should be DRZ but a good wrap of Denso on a compression fitting will do the same job.

 

[Agile]

If the flow is not seriously affected then if it was my property I would just rebury it.

Water supply pipes should be 750mm below ground level !

Your tree root must have been very deep!

Tony

 

[pchase]

The pipe is almost certainly soft copper, in which case you would need swagged fittings.

As Kev said they should be DRZ but a good wrap of Denso on a compression fitting will do the same job.

Thanks very much for your help.
What are swagged fittings and can I buy them from a decent plumbers merchants ? I'm pretty sure it is 15mm pipe rather than imperial (pipe is probably early to mid 1970's vintage).
Any thoughts on whether I can use a piece of standard 15 mm copper pipe to repair the damaged section or do I need to source soft copper ?
Also, what is Denso - is it a protective wrap to prevent corrosion of 'standard' grade fittings if they are buried ?
Apologies for all the questions but the help is much appreciated ! Thanks.

P.S The tree root was very deep !!!

 

[kevplumb]

What are swagged fittings and can I buy them from a decent plumbers merchants

yes compression type "b" you will need a flaring tool as well

denso is sticky greasy smelly tape the stuff found round steel gas pipes etc

 

[rojaca]

Copper used underground has to be a softer temper than above ground, which allows for movement etc and the occasional whack with a spade. Unfortunately you may find that its only available in 20 and 25m rolls. Mostly blue MDPE is used for underground mains now and you should be able to get fittings to go from Table Y annealed copper to this and back again if you really feel you need to carry out the repair.
Personally i'd see if I could gently coax the pipe back into shape, backfill with some p gravel, bury the pipe and not worry about it

PS I can't write down how you'll get the mdpe but a junior hacksaw and an abundance of building sites would be handy

 

[doitall]

You may find it cheaper to get a plumber to do it, if you have to buy the tools, although most of them would probably just chuck a conex compression at it and jump on his horse.

 

[Agile]

Now, can you use a compression on soft drawn copper?

And if you do should it have an insert?

 

[doitall]

Now, can you use a compression on soft drawn copper?

And if you do should it have an insert?

Simple Tony.

Just for you, Solder the olive.