Some plumbing DIY

[paceyjg]

Hi guys, I plan to do a bit of plumbing on my downstairs shower room. Its all ripped out at the moment and have a couple of questions before I begin:

I want to create a lock in the open vented system so am going to plug the feed and overflow in the expansion tank. Then I want to cut and cap so pipework to remove a small radiator from the system.

1 - will the water stop flowing on a vertical pipe?
2 - what is the best fitting to use, push fit or compression? The pipes will be inside a stud wall so will not be accessible once Ive rebuilt the shower cubicle.

3 - What are the best types of fittings to use in a stud wall - push fit copper/ push fit plastic or compression?

I wont be doing any soldering or pipe bending, are the modern fittings up to the job?

Thanks in advance JG

 

[Agile]

You should certainly not use compression in an inaccessible location.

I would not advise using pushfit either.

I would only use soldered joints!

Tony

 

[Agile]

You should certainly not use compression in an inaccessible location.

I would not advise using pushfit either.

I would only use soldered joints!

Tony

 

[Elkato531]

Any fittings concealed in walls should be soldered and tested before being sealed away. You do it any other way at your own risk.

 

[paceyjg]

But surely the whole point of push fit and plastic is that they can be used anywhere?

 

[Dan Robinson]

As long as the instructions are followed, and you understand the risks (minimal) then it's fine to conceal push fit.


Definitely not compression though.

 

[Rampage77]

you can use pushfit and compression in walls, but what they are saying is that there's more of a risk of leaks in the future than if you used soldered fittings. (although most repairs I do are soldered joints that have failed, normally because they was soldered incorrect) A lot of consealed shower valves have compression fittings and they are sometimes behind tiles. If you do use compression or pushfit just double check your connections before you cover them up.

 

[Rampage77]

just noticed you will be capping off only 2 pipes? I would use what ever you want, but like I said just check and double check

 

[paceyjg]

I will have the pipework revealed and so I can test over the a few weeks before I rebuild the stud walls and will make sure the pipes are secured so any movement will be reduced.

So is it a case of push fit being more reliable over compression joints?

 

[flameport]

I want to create a lock in the open vented system so am going to plug the feed and overflow in the expansion tank. Then I want to cut and cap so pipework to remove a small radiator from the system.

1 - will the water stop flowing on a vertical pipe?

Yes, a certain amount will flow out but the majority of the water should stay contained in the system.

Just ensure that the plugs are securely fitted, and only open ONE end of any pipe or fitting at a time - which for removing a radiator means closing both valves, removing the rad from those valves, them removing one valve at a time.

If you open both, or cut into the middle of a pipe, water will rush out suddenly.

 

[paceyjg]

I did the job, one pipe was fine, the other kept a steady flow of water and it sounded like the upstairs rads were emptying..

Still job done (compression fits in the end, no chance of them moving at all) and I've decided to complete the rest of the shower room in Hep20.

I know some won't recommend it but as far as I'm concerned it wouldn't be on sale if it didn't do the job it was supposed to