Plastic pipe.

[sparks4]

Hi all.

I'm about to change an old electric shower in my parents house which they had installed about 16 years ago (they think) but when i looked into the loft the pipe from the tank is in plastic which connects onto a chrome 15mm pipe (in the loft) and then to the shower. The plastic pipe is brown in colour.

The questions i would like to ask.

1. Was plastic pipe around approx 16 years ago?

2. If it was would 15mm push on pipe connectors work ok or would the pipe be a different size?

Thanks for any help.

Kev

 

[Agile]

I am not very approving of plastic pipe.

It sounds like that old pipe whose fittings fall apart if you even look at them.

Might have been called acorn!

You will probably just have to try different connectors!

Tony

 

[gas4you]

This plastic pipe is one I have not heard of. Is it rigid or flexible?

 

[sparks4]

Hi Dave.

I would say it very similar to the pipe you buy today but in Brown. I'm concerned if when the pipe is cut I can get a joint / valve on without it leaking.

Thanks

Kev

 

[gas4you]

As I don't know it I can only suggest that if possible cut a sample off and take to plumbers merchant. I would think that a compression joint of some sort would be the best chance of success

At worst could you replace it all back to the tank with modern speedfit or hep20?

 

[corgiman]

its the old Solvent weld stuff that was all the rage down my way about 20 odd years ago (due to copper shortage)

its shyte stuff and I have not been able to get hold of fittings for it for about five years so I would hazard a guess that it is dead and gone now


Horrible stuff it was, had to leave the weld 24- 48 hours to cure and god forgive you if you charge it up before that (ambigious) time

Shiver luckliy I only carcassed two of three places with it.

Find it now and you have little choice than to rip it out sorry matey

No pushfit Poly fittings wont work
neither will a lead lock ( I tried )

 

[gas4you]

Now you've said that corgi I have come across it once before. Someone had an entire ch system carcassed in it

I didn't get the job for a boiler change as I said I would have to re-install the entire system. Don't know who they got to do it in the end

 

[Softus]

I am not very approving of plastic pipe.

You don't agree with the WRAS then. Or the IPHE.

It sounds like that old pipe whose fittings fall apart if you even look at them.

Might have been called acorn!

Do you have a lawyer ready to defend that libel?

 

[Agile]

My City Lawer emailed me today by a coincidence!

I did make some connection onto it when I fitted a boiler for someone but it was on the water supply pipes and not the heating circuit.

I cannot remember exactly what that connection was now though.

Its awful stuff and better to change all of it.

Tony

 

[chrishutt]

Find it now and you have little choice than to rip it out ....pushfit Poly fittings wont work, neither will a lead lock ( I tried )

That old solvent weld pressure pipe has a 16mm OD (in the nominal 3/8" size) so if you can nip over to France and buy a few 16mm compression to ½" connectors you can make repairs or alterations. The old 3/8" LD poly pipe might have the same OD and Yorkshire make a 3/8" poly to 15mm connector which you might find in a plumbers merchant.

 

[chr15]

I have definitely seen the brown Acorn pipe in bathrooms for hot and cold water,it has a more rubbery texture rather than plastic, I have joined to it with Hep fittings without a problem,but if you're not sure or worried about it then take it out and start again.

 

[sparks4]

Thanks Guys for all your help. Have decided to take the lot out and start a fresh from the tank / cold feed. So its off to the DIY store.

Cheers

Kev