how many different pipes and fittings are there for taps ?

[MMdesigns]

Hello
I am currently studying Product design at university and have chosen to design a tap wrench for my final year design. After aproaching some friends about the idea i have found out their is an increasing problem with non standard fittings being used in the uk.

Does any one have any idea of how many fittings and pipe sizes are used in the uk ?

thanks
Matt Mannion

 

[Puddle]

Hello
I am currently studying Product design at university and have chosen to design a tap wrench for my final year design. After aproaching some friends about the idea i have found out their is an increasing problem with non standard fittings being used in the uk.

Does any one have any idea of how many fittings and pipe sizes are used in the uk ?

thanks
Matt Mannion

Can not you go and find some electrial friends or maybe a few joiners

 

[NickH]

About 27 and a half, plus a bit, possibly.

 

[Hugh]

its all round pipe

 

[MMdesigns]

thanks for the help

i know the standardised fittings and pipe sizes , its just alot of forigen tradesmen use non standard fittings.

 

[Puddle]

thanks for the help

alot of forigen tradesmen use non standard fittings.

do they??
I now I lead a sheltered life but news to me!!

 

[stevetheplumber]

do they??
I now I lead a sheltered life but news to me!!

yeah didnt you know they bring sackfulls in with them they get a extra bedroom on the council house for every 20 non standard tap con they bring

 

[MMdesigns]

my tutor said its somthing i should look into because he has had it mentioned to him

 

[Jimbob]

ahem, may i give a suggestion. Go into a plumbers merchants and ask for 1 of every tap connector they have. Then you have some physical research. You must know of the adjustable tap wrench that all ready exists, could just copy that...

if you wants to design a product that there is a gap in the market... i have a few ideas...

no1... heated toilet seat (surely what everyone wants,electrically heated or plumbed in, making sure heat loss calc's also allow for the toilets heatloss. probably already exists)

no2... The Pan Cam (c) (aimed at BB, and specific fetish fans)

no3... a device that warns you of dogdy customers, possibly some kind of lie dectector.

if anybody else has any inventions please add

 

[Plouasne]

A Dick wiper, saves you having to shake the drips of the end

 

[TGor]

ahem, may i give a suggestion. Go into a plumbers merchants and ask for 1 of every tap connector they have. Then you have some physical research. You must know of the adjustable tap wrench that all ready exists, could just copy that...

if you wants to design a product that there is a gap in the market... i have a few ideas...

no1... heated toilet seat (surely what everyone wants,electrically heated or plumbed in, making sure heat loss calc's also allow for the toilets heatloss. probably already exists)

no2... The Pan Cam (c) (aimed at BB, and specific fetish fans)

no3... a device that warns you of dogdy customers, possibly some kind of lie dectector.

if anybody else has any inventions please add

no4 .. a diagnostic toilet that analyses your leavings and phones your doctor, Gyneacologist or vet as appropriate!

no5 .. a pipe that reduces or increase in size according to the flow going through it.

no6 .. a proper method of joining lead pipe now that wiped joints are banned.

no7 .. a way to provide drinkable water and sanitation to the millions that don't have it.


tap wrench!!!!! how boring is that????

must be more????

 

[Jimbob]

ooo, i got another one. A waste kit that does not require an additional poly washer and silicone sealant

Also a toilet that eliminates splashback, or atleast heats the water to help with the shock of a splashed bottom.

And chrome pipe that is suitable for pushfit

 

[REDSAW]

how about a toilet that saves on the water rates by weighing the waste so you's pay by the poundage!.

bit like a water meter

or one that stores it dries it out for use as sustainable fuel logs?.
my son could have a good fuel buisness when he's older. lol

 

[TGor]

how about a toilet that saves on the water rates by weighing the waste so you's pay by the poundage!.

bit like a water meter

or one that stores it dries it out for use as sustainable fuel logs?.
my son could have a good fuel buisness when he's older. lol

Pay by the pound ???? that could work out expensive!!!!

 

[johnsco]

bit like a water meter

What would you call it ?
Marketing is everything.
I'm not sure the obvious name would get many sales.

Seriously though ... I've never heard of foreign tradesmen importing non-standard fittings.
What would be the point ?
Sounds like a way of making a simple job difficult.

There are some wierd and wonderful pipe sizes used in Eastern Europe.
I used to work for IMI-Yorkshire (copper and copper-alloy tubes and fittings)
The big copper-tube factory at Kirkby near Liverpool (now owned by KME-Germany) found quite a big market as Eastern Europe opened up after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Much of the plumbing there was in iron pipe and there was quite a demand for copper tube around 20 years ago.
Quite a bit of re-tooling was necessary at the time, as all sorts of wierd and wonderful sizes were required.
Why they couldn't have made a fresh start with the standard metric tube sizes, I don't know.

 

[Plouasne]

In reply to the posting by johnsco, I have know quite a few UK persons who were under the misapprehension, that anything UK was better than anything else, take UK copper tube, fittings an plastic tube and fittings to France, and come unstuck when they wanted spares

In France and I think allmost all of Europe the only thing compatible is iron tube, copper tube is all equal sized and one millimetre wall thickness, the UK and Ireland (which relies on the UK for its standards) missed the boat in a big way when the UK metricated, the plumbing manufacturing industry, stuck its head in the sand, when they should have embraced the new sizes