Push fit connectors under flooring

[UnusualCapybara]

Just ripped up the old laminate in our porch ready for fitting a new tiled floor and found this channel containing the heating pipes. There's a mix of plastic and copper pipe, mainly joined with push fit connectors.

I had planned to screed over the floor to give myself a level starting point for the tiles but understand you shouldn't bury push-fit connectors. As I see it, I have a couple of options:

1. Whilst the floor is up go through the trouble of switching the lot to soldered copper pipes and connectors.
2. Replace the wooden channel and skip the screed (although being under a tiled floor doesn't exactly make the connectors accessible)

Welcome any opinions on how to tackle this one!

 

[blup]

I'd keep the push fit under the chipboard sub floor and tile over. Consider replacing the fittings if old, to get maximum life out of the new ones as the rubber seals are supposed to deteriorate over time.

 

[UnusualCapybara]

Thanks a lot for the reply. I need to raise and level the floor with a screed, would you screed over the top of the sub floor channel or build up the walls of the channel to match the desired floor level?

 

[Notch7]

If you can solder copper end feed, I would replace it all with copper.

Soldered copper is good for say 50 years and not vulnerable to vermin, no risk of joints pinging off and no risk of rubber o rings degrading.

I’ve just started doing soldered joints and once you get confident doing it, it’s a nice process to do and not much longer than compression joints. I find the trial fitting, taking apart, cleaning the copper ends and pasting with flux takes longer than the actual soldering.

 

[UnusualCapybara]

I think soldered copper is probably the strategy I have the most confidence in - I've never done it but have watched enough YouTube to understand the methods and I'll try most things to learn a new skill.

One question - how do you test the joints after fitting? Just whack the system back on and stare at it carefully?

 

[blup]

I bought a cheap pressure tester then soldered a load of joints on a spaghetti arrangement of pipes. Pump up the pressure to 5 or 10 times the expected pressure in use. It held for 12 hours which gave me confidence to do the pipework in the new bathroom. Sometimes there is only space for a soldered fitting.

 

[Murdochcat]

Seen far too many homes with flooding / water damage from failed push fits to make that a risk I would be happy with

The worse one by far was used on the incoming water main half way up a wall, when the owners were on holiday.

 

[fixitflav]

Welcome any opinions on how to tackle this one!

If you're going to replace with copper (best bet IMO) it depends on what the plastic pipes connect to off to the right on the photo.

 

[Bod ...]

Don't have push fittings under the floor.

If you use copper then use a good quality and pressure test before putting floor down.

Or

Use 10mm poly but run separate feeds to each radiator via a manifold

 

[Bod ...]

Or a system like Buteline

Buteline

Buteline

www.buteline.com

 

[blup]

Thanks a lot for the reply. I need to raise and level the floor with a screed, would you screed over the top of the sub floor channel or build up the walls of the channel to match the desired floor level?

I wouldnt tile over that both copper and push fit in that location, both can fail, but of the two i would use push fit as it is more flexible to changes in temperature and pressure than soldered copper. And raise the surface with ply. I have buried copper pipe in screed wrapped in protective tape and there have been no problems. But that was not on a heavily trafficked area like a front door.

 

[justigator]

One question - how do you test the joints after fitting? Just whack the system back on and stare at it carefully?

I don't do much soldering but when I do, I tend to solder up the pipework in manageable units that can fit into the back of my car (SUV). There, I cap off all but one end with demountable pushfits and use a 12v tyre inflator and pressure gauge to pump up to 3-4 bar, then check for leaks (NB if doing this, always ensure that if a pushfit end flies off under pressure, it won't endanger a human-based life form!). I then install the sub-assemblies in the house, soldering where I can but using pushfit if easier and location is accessible. The advantage of this is that I can solder most joints on the workbench where I can see and work better. Far too longwinded and unnecessary for the pros of course, but when you only do plumbing every couple of years or so, it works for me.

 

[dilalio]

Just ripped up the old laminate in our porch ready for fitting a new tiled floor and found this channel containing the heating pipes. There's a mix of plastic and copper pipe, mainly joined with push fit connectors.

I had planned to screed over the floor to give myself a level starting point for the tiles but understand you shouldn't bury push-fit connectors. As I see it, I have a couple of options:

1. Whilst the floor is up go through the trouble of switching the lot to soldered copper pipes and connectors.
2. Replace the wooden channel and skip the screed (although being under a tiled floor doesn't exactly make the connectors accessible)

Welcome any opinions on how to tackle this one!

View attachment 335178

Well, unless you can replace all of the plastic pipe (that goes off to the right) with copper, then you're going to have push fit under the floor anyhow.

 

[UnusualCapybara]

Thanks everyone for the guidance and opinions on this. Took the opportunity to learn a new skill and rip out all of the plastic pipework and pushfit connectors, replacing it with soldered copper. Invested in a pressure tester pump to satisfy myself that the pipework held under pressure and I'm happy to report it does!

Wrapped all of the copper pipework well in Denso tape, filled the chases with concrete, and a nice self leveling screed over the top now waiting for tiles.

 

[Notch7]

Thanks everyone for the guidance and opinions on this. Took the opportunity to learn a new skill and rip out all of the plastic pipework and pushfit connectors, replacing it with soldered copper. Invested in a pressure tester pump to satisfy myself that the pipework held under pressure and I'm happy to report it does!

Wrapped all of the copper pipework well in Denso tape, filled the chases with concrete, and a nice self leveling screed over the top now waiting for tiles.

excellent

doing soldered joints is quite satisfying once you get confident -as long as you pay attention to cleaning everything and fluxing, the actual solding seems quite forgiving

and once its done it feels rock solid

aint no mice gonna chew it either