Plastic? I've gone off it. Copper is back in fashion.

[theSouth]

I'm not a plumber, my few posts make that obvious.

I've used plastic a lot, mostly because I've needed to get the plumbing up and working quickly in an old house we bought 11 years ago.

Plastic is quick, doesn't leak (yet) and is easy to alter/extend if you don't have years of plumbing knowledge and skill.

But. But....

Over these years I've grown tired of the limitations and, well, ugliness of plastic.

By limitations I mean flow rates. Even with 22mm all the way to bath taps the flow can be poor due to inserts. (I mean with gravity system)

And so, I've gone back to what I used to do 30 years ago when helping my dad fit central heating to our house (which was bloody cold to grow up in before it was fitted!) and to use soldered copper.

This isn't a call for a debate about which is best, just wondered if anyone else has begun to get a bit fed up with plastic and has gone back to copper? There something very pleasing about a soldered joint - though, I'll admit, I do like the satisfying 'click' of a JG joint

 

[footprints]

I agree, I have no doubt said it before plastic is Lego plumbing!

 

[Dean744PiN5]

I do like the satisfying 'click' of a JG joint

there's nothing satisfying about pushfit, infact on the rare occasions i have used it instead of copper i felt dirtier than @Dan_Robinson's browser history

 

[Terry lambert]

There are times when plastic has its uses but I will use copper as a rule

Those that can, use copper, those that can't ...

 

[Dan Robinson]

I do like the satisfying 'click' of a JG joint

there's nothing satisfying about pushfit, infact on the rare occasions i have used it instead of copper i felt dirtier than @Dan_Robinson's browser history

Oi.

 

[JohnHarrison]

There are times when plastic has its uses but I will use copper as a rule

Those that can, use copper, those that can't ...

Plastic out of sight with no joints. Copper on the surface.

 

[St0rmer66]

I can see the point of it on hot and cold pipes to be fair, the idea is to use as few fittings as possible to avoid such restrictions. Inevitably you need an elbow, socket etc here and there though, it's impossible not to. May mean going up to 28mm in some cases where 22mm copper would suffice.

Heating systems I think should be copper only, seen far too many leaks at the sustained higher temperatures that they reach.

 

[transam]

Plastic pipe ?

In keeping with all the plastic used in boilers now

 

[Lusi83]

Not a plumber ...but really don't like plastic. I have some that was fitted in the early 80s in this house by a DIYer, badly done when we went from a system boiler to a combi the increased pressure meant the pipes flew off and unlike copper with nothing to hold them down they flew around spraying water everywhere...like a cartoon hose pipe...
(had most of the visible pipes replaced with copper)
I had a leaking joint and it took lots of research to be able to get the 'right' insert to repair it...
And finally I read somewhere the stuff I have has a 30 year guarantee ....waiting for the major failure any time ....

 

[theSouth]

I'd be surprised if a modern plastic fitting blew off if properly fitted.

My dislike is more appearance and flow limitations.

 

[St0rmer66]

My grandads old house built in 1974 had some kind of solvent weld plastic for mains cold in the loft (only up there thankfully) which I replaced when putting in an unvented cylinder. Mainly because I couldn't be bothered finding the correct adapters. Was only feeding the two header tanks and only the last 2m or so where going back it changed back to copper along with the rest of the house. Wasn't leaking though.

 

[Lusi83]

It was badly fitted- sadly not the worse job done by that particular DIYer....
I can't remember what mine is called -like I said it was a nightmare to get the right new insert ...(I would have replaced it all but it was only the end I could get to - rest of pipe runs under a wall, a fitted kitchen cupboard sized sink unit and impossible to lift floor ...). Trying to find them was when I found out that it seems like it deteriorates from inside
Apparently in the US there is a class action law suit over one kind used in the 70s and 80s - the type I suspect I have (Wiki link)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyb...and_removal_from_building_code_approved_usage
Just had a look at modern plastic piping and it has a 50yr guarantee... which isn't that long really for feed pipes to a bathroom in house that should still be standing after a hundred years - but then I guess you would need a couple of rewires over that time span so that might be a new thing to see on a survey - needs a rewire and repipe!

 

[David937]

Been seeing a lot of C-PVC pipework used on sites recently, it's solvent welded:

http://www.durapipe.co.uk/products/building-services/hta/

I've no idea of the longevity of it but on big sites with lots of large domestics pipework, using copper can get very expensive - along with the associated management of hot works permits etc.

 

[JohnHarrison]

Been seeing a lot of C-PVC pipework used on sites recently, it's solvent welded:

http://www.durapipe.co.uk/products/building-services/hta/

I've no idea of the longevity of it but on big sites with lots of large domestics pipework, using copper can get very expensive - along with the associated management of hot works permits etc.

Min size is 20mm.
https://www.pipestock.com/durapipe/hta/hta-fittings/elbow-90

 

[St0rmer66]

Been seeing a lot of C-PVC pipework used on sites recently, it's solvent welded:

http://www.durapipe.co.uk/products/building-services/hta/

I've no idea of the longevity of it but on big sites with lots of large domestics pipework, using copper can get very expensive - along with the associated management of hot works permits etc.

That looks fvcking awful!