Truwell pipes

[Tomc89]

Replacing the radiator in the bathroom with a narrower towel rail and on repositioning the existing pipes identified they are Truwell. I've had to take up the laminate flooring in the room next door where this radiator connects to the flow and return pipes so dont want to put it back down knowing they are truwell. I am not in a position to do the whole house but any issue changing what I can now to plastic? I have a few other rooms i have access to so would like to replace this as i go rather than all at once.

 

[denso13]

You could use compression fittings with plastic pipe, but Truwell is well past its best now and will probably give you issues when cutting/joining.

 

[vulcancontinental]

If it is Truwell, it was marked, then it's 50 years old, a result of the copper shortage when embargoes were place on Rhodesia, late 60's/early 70's. Much didn't last 2 years due to poor fitting practice.

It's up to you but I've found disturbing it is to be avoided. Any plastic fitting will be 15mm, it will possibly be 1/2" as it was available at the time of the metrication changeover, I can't remember. O ring fittings need a clean smooth surface, if you clean the pipe a little you'll disturb it, if you tighten a compression fitting onto it you'll disturb it.

Personally I'd wait to do the whole house rather than risk water damage up or downstream or worse, a flood but I don't know your situation.

 

[Tomc89]

Thanks both, it is marked Truwell and I was hoping I could replace with plastic from a existing compression fitting where these rooms are going to have laminate/ hardwood flooring so I dont have to get them up again and those rooms can be ticked off. Then work around the rest of the rooms when I can. If the sensible thing is to do the lot in one go i'll have consider this, just didnt plan for it.

 

[ianmcd]

Horrible horrible stuff, unlikely that you can use the existing coupler to PE, I would put a short stub of copper onto the fitting then take that to PE, if indeed it is actually a compression straight, lots of truewell were flared fittings

 

[kidgreen61]

As above, hateful stuff, kills pipeslices in minutes.

 

[Tomc89]

There's currently copper connected via compression to the truwell, going right in the picture to the bathroom next door. The truwell going up is for the rad in this room and then going down in the next bedroom.

 

[ianmcd]

disconnect a fitting and post a pic of the disconnected fitting

 

[Tomc89]

Thank will do that and report back, got the floor up in the next room and there's a compression joint I wanted to change from. The other pipe is much brighter (and non magnetic) than the branded truewell pipe.

 

[ianmcd]

An easy way to identify Truwell is simply feel it if it is Truwell it will have a seam along the length of the pipe, a complete nightmare to work with, get rid of as much as you can and replace it

 

[Tomc89]

It was a compression joint so I've put a short copper spur in from the main bedroom and used speed fit into the 2nd bedroom and bathroom. Will then replace the rest as I go.