Call out - microbore pipe

[rocketmanbkk]

Hello Friends

Got a call out tonight to a chap I've helped a couple of times.

He put a drill through a pipe, charged him £50 call out (8pm in a Friday).

Living room carpet soaked.

Anyway, I cut the wall open and it is microbore grey plastic pipe. I can see the whole so I just need to cut the pipe and fit a coupler.

Never worked on this type of pipe so I assume its straightforward? I think its 10mm but will buy an 8mm coupler too. Push fit? Speedfit? Compression? That's the question.

Cheers all & goodnight!

Rct

 

[EPH]

Don't think you can get 8mm plastic?

Get 4 inserts and a push fit coupling.

 

[Destroyer2813]

If its grey either old style hep or polyplumb so use fittings to match don't put compression in the wall

 

[cr0ft]

8mm pipe is very rare to see on domestic heating, at least round where I live. 10mm microbore is the norm here.

Grey pipe is usually Hep2O I believe. Personally I don't use compression fittings on microbore as unless the pipe is dead straight (which microbore rarely is) they leak from around the olive.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Thanks. So how do I know? What fitting? Speedfit in wall?

 

[Ray Stafford]

I've never seen a grey plastic 8mm. It will probably be Hep20 or poly plumb.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Thanks all, push fit with inserts? I think its 10mm looking at the pic.

 

[EPH]

As above, poly plumb or old hep if its grey.

As long as its a 10mm coupling it'll fit both, not sure if the inserts are the same size though 10mm push fit isn't my expert field : )

 

[cr0ft]

The outer pipe diameters are the same on all the pipes, the only difference really is the inner diameter and thus the pipe inserts you need to use. In theory a speedfit fitting will work on a hep2o pipe and vice versa. Just get a pair of inserts for each type of pipe and one speedfit coupling and one hep2o coupling if you are worried about it then you are good to go.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Lovely, I'll get inserts and coupling for both pipes to be safe.

Cheers

Rct

 

[rocketmanbkk]

I'll get one of these from screwfix? Plus inserts?

Back
60917: FloPlast Flo-Fit Straight Couplers 10mm

 

[rocketmanbkk]

It looks like polyplumb.

As I've never worked with this I'll buy the straight coupler and pipe stiffener as they're called on screwfix site.

Should be ok. If not, leak!!

Carpets ruined anyway so can't make it worse ( I don't think)!!

 

[rocketmanbkk]

I have a pic on my phone but can figure out how to upload it!!

 

[EPH]

Photo bucket account then upload to there, it'll give you a link to post then.

 

[jtsplumbing]

If its tight for space in wall use the copper tektite push fit as most plastic fittings tend to be quite bulky

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Where do you get 8 & 10mm straight coupler though?

 

[plumber0808]

It will be polypipe or hep as others have said. I wouldn't fit a speedfit on them, where as polypipe and hep are very similar.

if you can cut a bit of the wall out, enough to view the pipe it will have markings printed on it saying what it is.

 

[jtsplumbing]

Where do you get 8 & 10mm straight coupler though?

Plumb Centre keep them but use pipe makers inserts

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Well I hope its 10mm as no one around here has any 8mm anything!!

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Looking at the pic I took its grey pipe with HV or HY all along it.

I downloaded photo bucket for Tapatalk but trying to figure out how to upload it as it only lets me do FB or twitter!

 

[AWheating]

The outer dia of most plastic brands is the same bs size. Its the internal dia that differs.
So most fittings work with others pipe. What you need is the right insert or one thats not loose or too tight you have to force it in.

New hep20 inserts are a strange shape and i would only use them with hep fittings.

There are loads of grey pipes about. The most popular in the last 5years is polyplumb. Old hep, osma, was grey and you can get new hep, speedfit, and most other brands in grey but are not used so much.

How old is the house? Can you see any plastic on show anywhere? The fittings would give its make away.

 

[Ermintrude]

Smash a JG insert up it and use compression straight . 99.5% sure it's going to be 10mm.

 

[clarky101]

Get a slimline coupling, that'll fit behind the plasterboard, poly plumb do them I believe, put a little bit of silicone grease on it to make it easier to push home..

 

[rocketmanbkk]

It was a 10mm pipe. Polyplumb. All ok, leak stopped and carpet can dry out. Sorted out the ch & hw timer. All ok. Job done for me. Good day today.