gas tracpipe

[buckley plumb]

had a leaflet saying this plastic coated flexi stainless steel pipe can now be used in houses - what are peoples views on this .would this also mean there is no ridgid pipe to the meter if this is used

ant

 

[Puddle]

Been out quite a few years now,great product,price is the down fall for domestic,great if you have a long run to do

As long as meter supported correctly do not think a problem connected straight to meter,due to fittings may require a short section of copper or iron though


[DLMURL]http://www.omegaflex.co.uk/Documents/D&I2005Rev0105.pdf[/DLMURL]

imho

 

[EPH]

Seen it where in flats they've run it all the way to the meter with an iron soldered onto the meter outlet, looked awful but worked.
Can't see many domestic applications that would warrant it due to cost but some people like the easiest way possible regardless.
I take it that it can't be run on an externally?

 

[thereisawizza]

Used it on a boiler move recently, took a quarter of the time to put in a 28mm supply. Main prob is the fittings are about 17 quid!

 

[billybob150811]

have to be really careful with flux makes it leak like a sieve and the cut needs to be good apart from that its a fast job

 

[GrahamM]

I completed the highly intensive:wink_smile: course to become a fully qualified track pipe fitter last year. Got the laminated badge to prove it. With my name on it! Got to play about with it a bit then but not used it since.

would this also mean there is no ridgid pipe to the meter if this is used
ant

If the meter is properly supported by meter bracket the track pipe can run directly from the meter outlet union. Came across quite a few installs with it.

I take it that it can't be run on an externally?

It can be run externally.

The main issues I have noticed is that the union connections have not been protected with the silicone tape provided after tightness test has proved carcass is sound.

I still don't think the time saving and ease of use offsets the price as yet, but if the price was to come down a bit it could become more popular.

 

[kirkgas]

Been out quite a few years now,great product,price is the down fall for domestic,great if you have a long run to do

As long as meter supported correctly do not think a problem connected straight to meter,due to fittings may require a short section of copper or iron though


[DLMURL]http://www.omegaflex.co.uk/Documents/D&I2005Rev0105.pdf[/DLMURL]

imho

BS6400 quotes that you need a minimum of 600mm rigid pipe from the meter outlet before changing to semi rigid

 

[GrahamM]

BS6400 quotes that you need a minimum of 600mm rigid pipe from the meter outlet before changing to semi rigid

With reference to my previous post about rigid connection to meter.
I questioned this during my ACS as I have witness a number of installs as such. The following was highlighted to me:

BS6891
8.2 Connection to the meter installation
Unless the meter is securely restrained (e.g. by a meter bracket), the connection to the meter installation
shall be in securely fixed rigid pipe for at least the first 600 mm.

 

[AWheating]

have fitted quite alot of this stuff in flats recently. the reason for its use was no fittings in floor and less pressure loss, it does cost alot of money tho.

you also have to be careful and make sure no flux gets into it, some of the second fixers had soldered and dropped flux down the inside of the pipe and it pin holed. So its best to solder up out of position and then connect to be 100% sure.

 

[Gary71]

Tracpipe is a nightmare if you get any water in it on a long run, you can't blow it out, as it just spreads out over the ridges and then over time flows back to where it was effecting gas flow.

 

[AWheating]

Tracpipe is a nightmare if you get any water in it on a long run, you can't blow it out, as it just spreads out over the ridges and then over time flows back to where it was effecting gas flow.

dont get water in it then? you should have the ends taped while installing anyway right?

 

[Gary71]

dont get water in it then? you should have the ends taped while installing anyway right?

Didn't fit it, just identified the reason for the intermittent lock out on the boilers they were feeding, then I told the installers they should have taped both ends , took them weeks to clear it.

 

[Gary71]

I have also come across trackpipe under mobile homes where movement has allowed the pipe to pull apart from badly made fittings allowing the gas to blow, so I wouldn't be a fan unless I was making the joints myself.

 

[thereisawizza]

I have also come across trackpipe under mobile homes where movement has allowed the pipe to pull apart from badly made fittings allowing the gas to blow, so I wouldn't be a fan unless I was making the joints myself.

Is it approved for mobile homes? If it's touring caravans I thought you had to use flared connections?

 

[Gary71]

Is it approved for mobile homes? If it's touring caravans I thought you had to use flared connections?

Not covered by Uk regs, site is in Ireland.

 

[billybob150811]

thanks for the input its nice to see what they do else where i wouldnt give it house room but i,ve seen miles of the stuff dragged in through duct in finished buildings by half wits god only knows the actual condition after its installed i cant believe the outer sheath is still continuous but its not for me to say i cant prove anything and untill something goes badly wrong every one is forced to go along with it

 

[AWheating]

its a tried and tested pipe system, but like all good things its only as good as the person who installed it.

 

[billybob150811]

i agree unfortunatly i,m in a situation where i fit 2" steel pipe external to the building and then run it into the building and its fitted by gsr folk the trac pipe is dragged into buildings our company isnt involved in by people who have no concern for the integrity of the pipe its not in a duct under the building as its pipe in pipe and its pulled past obstructions which they have no idea if the pipe is being damaged its then dragged up a tiny riser past more obsticles and the two ends are made off by a gsr fitter i just have a gut feeling something will go wrong somewhere what happened to no gas pipe under buildings (good question for kirkgas or the like) this is 50mm trac pipe being laid by untrained people wish i had raised this before

 

[Gary71]

i agree unfortunatly i,m in a situation where i fit 2" steel pipe external to the building and then run it into the building and its fitted by gsr folk the trac pipe is dragged into buildings our company isnt involved in by people who have no concern for the integrity of the pipe its not in a duct under the building as its pipe in pipe and its pulled past obstructions which they have no idea if the pipe is being damaged its then dragged up a tiny riser past more obsticles and the two ends are made off by a gsr fitter i just have a gut feeling something will go wrong somewhere what happened to no gas pipe under buildings (good question for kirkgas or the like) this is 50mm trac pipe being laid by untrained people wish i had raised this before

The site with the water issues had a 1,000+ apartments so a pretty big development, Tracpipe laid at the start of building by the developers, months later gas fitters connected, tested and fired the boilers, the fitters were held responsible for the lack of working pressure that I found six months later, as they had signed off on it. I think if they had documented that they hadn't fitted the pipework they may have had a better defence.

 

[Reg Man]

Trac pipe? Great material. But unfortunately mostly badly installed in my experience. If done properly it looks good, but due to the proper support, which normaly requires cable track which is very expensive along with the expensive track pipe; it is not often done well.