Sorting out water mains before installing plasterboard

[Whitling2k]

Now then - I am soon to replace plasterboard on the stud-wall shown in the picture below.

I'd just like to sound out my idea - and see if you think it's worth it and if anyone has done anything similar and could offer any advice or good practice.

Before I do so - I am considering neatening up the pipe work:

1. To allow me to isolate the outside tap - so if it freezes and splits - I am not loosing my entire houses water pressure.
2. Because the plastic push-to-fit pipework - whilst OK (seems debatable) - if it does leak - I'm faced with the unenviable job of removing plasterboard again.
3. due to the configuration of the stop-tap - it's difficult to fix to a solid surface - and it's about 50cm from my main elextricity distribution board. i.e flexing a pipe and joint near mains electrics...

Seem logical?

I have plenty of room in my sub-floor space to have the various connectors and the mains pipe obviously comes in there.

So I plan to:
1. cut back the main inlet copper to just below the floor-boards and fit a copper to plastic push-to-fit joint
2. run a single piece of plastic to the stop-tap
3. from the stop-tap, run say 6" plastic - and use these wall fixers to fix the stop-tap more solidly (relatively speaking)
4. insert the T junction to connect the outside tap - then an in-line isolator in the same area as the stop-tap.
5. connect the new isolatable pipe back to the outside tap pipe - all below the floor-boards
6. cut the 'to the house and boiler pipe' just below the 1st floor floor-boards and fit a copper to plastic push-to-fit joint
7. then run single a piece of plastic to the 1st floor - where I can connect back to the copper pipe (and access the joint by lifting the inspection boards)
8. put foam insulation on all the new plastic cold-water pipes
9. then box it all in with plasterboard, skim, finish then sit back knowing if anything does happen in the future - all my joints are accessible!

Over the top? pust-to-fit or compression? bother insulating the cold-water pipes?

Untitled

• Whitling2k
• 20 Jan 2014
• 1

Cheers

Whitling2k

 

[hazetimesfive]

take of the first push fit elbow, fit stopcock and an inspection hatch in the plasterboard.

that pipework is horrible btw.

 

[Agile]

There are Water Regulations which apply to mains water pipes and to garden taps.

You don't seem to be aware of any of them!

Better to get a qualified plumber to advise!

Tony

 

[Whitling2k]

Cheers for the tips guys... Feels a bit can o' worms time...

@ Agile - Exactly why I posted on here!

I have done a bit of research on building regs for my cold water supply - and the only thing that I can find that seems to apply to what I am doing is to fit a double check valve and isolator on the outside tap, and a draining valve to the rest of the cold supply house.

being a direct supply with no water meter, I think that's it as far as regs go.

Do you think I should be doing more?

Thing is - if I left it - it would be in a much worse state than if I made these alterations! (Not that that means anything wrt building regs)

@ Hazeltimesfive - yes - the pipework is horrible! Thats really why I want to resolve it before fixing the wall back in place. Just because it will be hidden - doesn't mean it's not there!

Thanks

Whitling2k

 

[Agile]

Those are the main things.

But mains water pipe is expected to be accessible.

I don't think that being behind a plasterboard wall is very ideal. You also may get a problem from condensation. Pipe insulation may be a good idea.

Tony

 

[Whitling2k]

Cheers Agile

Thats the card we've been dealt unfortunately. It wasn't until I removed the PB wall that I realised the pipework was behind it - I had an idea but couldn't be sure where it ran (which I guess is your point really!)

Unfortunately there is no way other way to integrate it with the rest of the plumbing owing to extensions carried out by previous owners.

Thats kind of why I was planning on making sure the pipes are clipped well away from the pb face to reduce the risk of future fittings affecting the pipes and there are no inaccessible joints. I have revised the plan slightly - but without re-routing pipes and having to drill through more double skinned walls, excavate solid floors and lift 3 laminate floors; my options are:

1. leave pipe partially behind wall in a revised & improved set-up (detail below)
2. run pipe behind stairs up to the 1st floor (adjacent to and above main circuit board) - zzzap!
3. run pipe on the external face of the internal wall. (not nice to look at)


*perhaps I could run the in-flow pipe through the sub-floor space, up to the stop-tap, then back below the floorboards. then have the draining valve, double check valve, T-junction and isolating spur to the outside tap below the floor boards.

I would then put the pipe going to the 1st floor behind an inspection panel on the plasterboard wall (towards the right of the picture).

There's 4-5 foot of space down there - so less of an access issue than behind a plasterboard wall.

Revised plan

• Whitling2k
• 24 Jan 2014
• 1

What do you think?

Whitling2k