plastic fittings

[surfing1975]

Hello all!

Just interested in other peoples thoughts on the following:

Have just finished an installation using polypipe push fit and pipe. When i pressure tested the system one of the fittings just completely blew apart. I did pressurized the system far to rapidly; but still a tad worrying.

I am now intending to use hepworth or similar in future as i believe that the metal circular clip will be far more robust and might not suffer this same fate. Not so easy to dis-assemble i know, but a price worth paying for no leaks.

I personally have'nt had any nightmare issues with plastic but every time i use it for large installs i do loose some sleep.


Any thoughts on the above.

 

[wiggikins]

If you are hinting that you don't completely trust plastic pipe and fittings,why not just use copper?

 

[surfing1975]

i hear you, but just think you have to move with the times. Its also very hard to ignore the advantages of plastic when faced with floors already down when you turn up and routing of pipework to be done from below through joists/tech beams/web and other similar senarios.

Try to use copper as much as possible, but after being pushed into using plastic on a few jobs its difficult resist the ease of installation.

 

[ChrisR]

Hepworth blows off too! The metal rings sometimes snap.

 

[namsag]

Ah plastic don`t you just love it and there are some who still say it only fails due to installer error.
Seemingly some people used to swear the earth was flat too

 

[longdogs]

Use JG Speedfit. I've used loads of this and never had a problem.

 

[onefitzy]

Use JG Speedfit. I've used loads of this and never had a problem.

Hi I use speedfit and agree are ok, BUT! I found you must check all the fittings because sometimes they are assembled wrong and can leak, bad news if its on a cealing like mine was?

 

[andytheplumber]

The Earth is flat where i am. The Earth is round, what nonsense.

 

[muggles]

Hep2o all the way if you really must use plastic. Shouldn't blow apart if it's put together properly.

 

[lagunaglen]

Polyplumb ,best of all , and hep second, and both made in doncaster where i live.And as a sad fact i used to be a injection mould toolmaker and made loads of moulds for polyplumb many years ago.
Fact

 

[Softus]

When i pressure tested the system one of the fittings just completely blew apart.

Did you follow the manufacturer's installation instructions to the letter?

I am now intending to use hepworth or similar in future as i believe that the metal circular clip will be far more robust

Eh? The Polypipe grab ring is metal, whereas the Hep2o one is mostly plastic.

Not so easy to dis-assemble i know, but a price worth paying for no leaks.

Eh? I know of no fitting that's as easy to demount as the Hep2o Acorn range.

I personally have'nt had any nightmare issues with plastic

You just had one!

 

[Agile]

None of those posting above have made any well reasoned argument for using plastic tube or fittings.

Copper has all the advantages and none of the disadvantages.

The only people who would choose plastic fittings would be the lazy and those without soldering skills.

Tony

 

[Softus]

None of those posting above have made any well reasoned argument for using plastic tube or fittings.

Nobody was asked to. In any case, the debate has extended over many other topics already.

Copper has all the advantages and none of the disadvantages.

No it doesn't.

It's expensive.

It's noisy.

It loses heat quickly.

It wears out quickly.

The only people who would choose plastic fittings would be the lazy and those without soldering skills.

No (sigh), people use plastic fittings when then provide an advantage over alternative materials.

 

[namsag]

Agile . What do you use as you have stated on here you don`t trust yourself to solder end feed fittings that would suggest to me you have no soldering skills.
Softas . copper wears out quickly where do you get that from .Still to see a copper pipe that has worn out but then again its only been widely used in houses in this country since about the thirties.

 

[Goldspoon]

The only people who would choose plastic fittings would be the lazy and those without soldering skills.

Tony

The time difference when fitting out a new build or large project often suggests using plastic - especially when the house owner wants to save time and money. In this case it might be the house owner who makes the choice.

I just helped a guy completely plumb a new build and the speed with which it all happened was amazing compared to copper (JG Speedfit). The house owner insisted on plastic due to time constraints and cost. When pressure tested there were two leaks - both in a small amount of copper used (28mm to a wood stove). One leak a joint and one a pin hole in new copper!