brass or copper olives?

[andekoch]

What is the technical difference between a brass and copper olive? As far as I can tell, from my experience, you are more likely to crush a copper olive. That said I have never had a leak from a copper olive but have had the odd one from a brass olive.
I know some guys only want brass olives? Why?

 

[Phil]

I use brass olives for things like chrome pipe, the olive has to bite into the pipe as well as seal against it and some may argue copper is too soft to bite into the chrome.

Copper olives on plastic pipe/electric shower inlets etc.

Brass olives on copper where there is likely to be strain or movement that could pull the pipe out of the fitting and flood the place.

I rarely get leaks now from any compression fitting, I smear I bit of LSX inside the fitting and tighten untill it 'feels' right.

Practice on some old fittings and pipe, see how much force it takes to crack the nut and how little it takes to get a watertight seal and then pull the pipe out of the 'tight' fitting and be glad it didn't happen at a customers house.

 

[Puddle]

yeh,I agree with phil,he's an expert with olives


sorry phil,respect,could not resist

 

[Hugh]

Brass or copper olives with jointing compound will never leak, I use jet white or boss white give the perfect joint every time.

 

[Plouasne]

Is this discussion rather academic ??, I thought that the compression ring was supplied with the fitting, to suit the material it was going to be used for

Instantor fittings had brass rings
Cuterlite the cheap version of Instantor also had brass rings
Prestex had copper rings
Kontite also had copper rings

All the above are for copper tube

 

[andekoch]

Phil, thanks. I use joint compound on most joints for security. On Chrome pipe I sand the chrome off first then make the joint since chrome is very hard and the olive battles to bite. Good tip to use copper on the softer plastic.


Plouasne, I asked since it seems that there is no standard amoungst the suppliers on the same stuff eg some ball-o-fix valves come with brass olives and others come with copper. Even varies across a manufacturers range. Plus often the olives are damaged so I keep a dozen or so with me in case (and all of them are copper).

cheers

 

[Plouasne]

Phil, thanks. I use joint compound on most joints for security. On Chrome pipe I sand the chrome off first then make the joint since chrome is very hard and the olive battles to bite. Good tip to use copper on the softer plastic.


Plouasne, I asked since it seems that there is no standard amoungst the suppliers on the same stuff eg some ball-o-fix valves come with brass olives and others come with copper. Even varies across a manufacturers range. Plus often the olives are damaged so I keep a dozen or so with me in case (and all of them are copper).

cheers

If you use a hand scissor type socket former, you can reround the rings also streats them a bit if the ring is slightly under-size for the tube, and if you can get it still in the UK hydrochloric acid will strip the chrome better than any fileing , sanding etc

 

[HTB]

I'm surprised one of the gas fitters hasn't joined in here on the LPG olive question. Can't remember which way round it is, but on LPG there is a specific olive to be used as the gas is corrosive. Personnally prefer brass olives as you can get more "squeeze" on them, ,,,but,,,, on occasion where its tight to get both hands in I will opt for the copper one as its easier to form and get a seal on.

 

[Plouasne]

I'm surprised one of the gas fitters hasn't joined in here on the LPG olive question. Can't remember which way round it is, but on LPG there is a specific olive to be used as the gas is corrosive. Personnally prefer brass olives as you can get more "squeeze" on them, ,,,but,,,, on occasion where its tight to get both hands in I will opt for the copper one as its easier to form and get a seal on.

I know in France, that LPG and Natural Gas need different flexible hose connections a rubber joint rings for the connections, but I have never heard of the need for specialised compression rings, for gas, does the UK gas regs now ask for either all brass fittings and tube or all copper fittings and tube, which is what you seem to be implying

 

[Avatar]

I dont use jointing compound on any fitting, unless it is defective.

They never leak.

Read the manufacters instructions - jointing compound isnt needed if you do it right . . .

 

[leaky]

i allways use a bit of boss white just as a back up the olive should be enough on its own without but we just develop habbits over the years and cant help it my pet hate is having to go back on a job for a tiny weep and the way i do the joints i dont have to but at the end of the day we all do things slightly different and whatever works for you is the right way i guess

 

[Reg Man]

Brass olives on water but never on gas. Somthing to do with hardness and expansion I think? Welcome ay feed back, but think thats the rule.

 

[Mike Jackson]

Brass olives are fine to use on NG but you must use copper olives with LPG.

 

[Guest123]

Brass olives on copper, especially on hot water systems where their expansion properties are better than copper olives.

Copper olives on plastic as per manfacturers regs. Copper on chrome pipe as they bite into the chrome better.

I personally much prefer soldered fittings as they are much more secure.

 

[ptr080]

i was told always copper on gas,welcome feed back if its wrong

 

[Reg Man]

i was told always copper on gas,welcome feed back if its wrong

BS1254 compression fittings I think? Copper olives on gas.

 

[kozak1968]

Olives supplied with certain boilers are brass

 

[kozak1968]

Olives supplied with certain boilers are brass

 

[buckley plumb]

what about the olives supplied with the magna clean they never worked they were to hard always leaked

 

[Reg Man]

Olives supplied with certain boilers are brass

Have checked this out. Copper not on LPG ok on NG.