Old 'Brown' Rubber Pipe Burst - How To Repair?

[EViS]

We have found one brown coloured pipe made out of rubber which in essence look like a thick rubber hose at circa 15mm (although it is likely to be imperial) carrying hot water to a bathroom on the other side of the house. I would guess the pipe was installed some 20 years+ ago and is possibly a very old version of the modern day barrier pipe (?).

This morning, it burst. No fittings in the vicinity, just the pipe burst at the side.

We have located the burst and cut the pipe in half to see what on earth it is made out of (as above).

What joint fitting can be used to repair this old pipe? (And is it advisable to replace it with barrier pipe sometime down the line?)

Untitled

• EViS
• 8 Aug 2012
• 1

Untitled

• EViS
• 8 Aug 2012
• 1

 

[cozzmic]

You have Acorn pipe which was the mark 1 version of Hep. It is non barrier and Hep push fit fittings will fit it as long as you put the inserts in the pipe ends to support it.
Take a cutting to a merchants and they will sort you out as I cannot tell the size from the pictures.

 

[EViS]

Thanks for the prompt reply .

I have a load of JG Speedfit lying around together with their barrier pipe inserts. Will these be suitable, or do I need HEP fittings themselves?

 

[cozzmic]

JG should be Ok just remember to give the fittings a good tug to make sure is on the pipe properly.

 

[EViS]

JG should be Ok just remember to give the fittings a good tug to make sure is on the pipe properly.

Thanks for the reply, pushift fits perfectly, however is this a permanent solution? Speedfit (grey or white) inserts won't go in, however metal Polyplumb one's do, together with a Speedfit straight connector. Would this be a reliably combination (I can't remember the last time I used Polyplumb metal inserts)?

How likely is this pipe to burst again (i.e. how common is it for these pipes to burst)? There are a number of these in the house and it would be a real bugger to replace.

 

[Charnwood]

If you cut it where it burst part of the wall of the pipe seems extremely thin, as if it's been rubbing for 20 years. Obviously not clipped properly. If this is the case, worst case scenario: expect more bursts.

 

[EViS]

If you cut it where it burst part of the wall of the pipe seems extremely thin, as if it's been rubbing for 20 years. Obviously not clipped properly. If this is the case, worst case scenario: expect more bursts.

This is precisely what I came back to ask, good observations !

The rubbing seems to have taken place at the point where two sheets of plasterboard meet. The gap in-between them was in-filled with some form of drywall joint adhesive which came through into the ceiling void and created a slight ridge above the plasterboard. This lines up with where the pipe has been rubbing!

What causes a pipe to move so much to have rubbed like this? Is it the change of pressure every time a tap is turned on?

 

[SimonH2]

What causes a pipe to move so much to have rubbed like this? Is it the change of pressure every time a tap is turned on?

That's one factor.

Plus, every time you start or stop the water flow (particularly stop as that's usually more abrupt), the water has to start or stop moving, and it's inertia will make pipes move.

And temperature variations will make pipes change length and move.

It all adds up.

 

[Nige F]

20+ years old - I seem to remember it in the 70`s wouldn`t trust it with hot water