Plastic

[Scott_D]

Hot, cold and gas.
lucky the copper gas pipe is 3/4 and it didn't hold pressure or I would have never known

 

[Riley]

That is spectacular

 

[plumben]

The worst invention ever was plastic pipe

 

[ShaunCorbs]

was it was leaking????????

 

[woodsy]

The worst invention ever was plastic pipe

Nowt wrong with plastic if used in the right places or use, it's the muppets who install it.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Nowt wrong with plastic if used in the right places or use, it's the muppets who install it.

Yes there is it's too easy and that's why this trade has gone down hill esp with push fit fittings

 

[woodsy]

Yes there is it's too easy and that's why this trade has gone down hill esp with push fit fittings

Agree in that respect but my father said the same when he stopped wiping joints and had to use this new fangled thing called copper !

 

[mfgs]

Plastic has a time and a place. Don't be afraid to embrace new technology. Plastic pipes have made loads of jobs I have done a lot easier and cheaper for my customers.

 

[plumben]

Its not so much because plastic is useful as I've used it plenty but the fact that people just lash it in and anyone thinks they can do a bit of plumbing with plastic is the problem

 

[Best]

I really really hate the stuff!
Don't get me wrong, - plastic underground sewer pipes and their fittings and other waste pipes, superb! But plastic has many problems long term in a lot of examples.
There is no reason to use plastic pipes in many jobs. I don't really use the stuff and have managed to put copper in just about everywhere, including nearly impossible areas.
I admit I have done one or two jobs with copper, but not much more, that were far too difficult and time consuming compared to if I had used plastic and push fit. But they are rare.

 

[tamz]

I've never been a fan of plastic (my tradesman said the same about bartol coppertone) but have used it from time to time for certain things where it isn't seen since acorn came out (funnily enough made by bartol too and has evolved into hep) in the late 70's early 80's.
I'm not enough of a copper snob as not to recognise its uses and advantages.

 

[Best]

On the odd occasion I have used push fit fittings, - the customers watching usually all say the same words, - "Is that it? There is really nothing to it! It is very easy!"
And they are sort of correct, it is easy, fairly unskilled and like using Lego blocks as some say, even a child could do it.
Don't expect the plastic plumbing to be regarded in the future as a proper trade anymore. That part of plumbing work will soon be looked upon as unskilled and worth only cheap labour and below a painters skills.

 

[tamz]

I really really hate the stuff!
Don't get me wrong, - plastic underground sewer pipes and their fittings and other waste pipes, superb! But plastic has many problems long term in a lot of examples.
There is no reason to use plastic pipes in many jobs. I don't really use the stuff and have managed to put copper in just about everywhere, including nearly impossible areas.
I admit I have done one or two jobs with copper, but not much more, that were far too difficult and time consuming compared to if I had used plastic and push fit. But they are rare.

If you do new builds you won't really have the option of using more than a bundle of copper as you need to cable the pipes but that is no excuse for the way it gets lashed in by many who should know better and at least make a half decent job of it.
Btw mlpc is a different type of plastic. is semi rigid and looks much neater but the downside of that is it comes in euro sizes (16, 20 and 25mm)

 

[Best]

To use all copper and with soldered fittings to add on to existing plumbing we are losing a battle I think.
I have to turn the water off and also get rid of all the water out of the pipe before I clean and solder the pipe. Push fit no bother with water, perhaps even do it live. No naked flame, no measuring and bending pipes, much less equipment and tools to carry about the job.
Can't really compete against a plumber using it

 

[Best]

If you do new builds you won't really have the option of using more than a bundle of copper as you need to cable the pipes but that is no excuse for the way it gets lashed in by many who should know better and at least make a half decent job of it.

I don't really do any new builds anymore. Last one was about 9 years ago I think, although I have replumbed private houses after that. That new build I did was all in copper and pipes were cabled through the centre of the joists. Can't remember exactly why I opted for the hard way, but I must have thought it was fairly straightforward method and I do recall the builder was a bit odd and didn't use screws, but nailed the ply floors and with long grip nails. I managed to do it using a right angled drill and great care. Some joists went opposite to next rooms, so was easy to feed the copper through, except one room where I drilled temporary holes in block wall from outside to feed the 15mm in for rad. :smile: Mad, I know, but shows it can be done.
I wouldn't be using all copper if I had to do new builds all the time

 

[tamz]

Tbh i've used it more in the past couple of years for exactly that reason.
I've even built a wee bit racking in the van for some plastic fittings. Who would have thunk it lol

 

[tamz]

Last new builds i did in copper must have been about 20 years ago (except for bungalows with a solum where it is still quicker and easier to do it in copper) just after they stopped letting you check the pipes in.
Holes marked out with a set square and string line and drilled out through the kit (80% of new build up here are timber kits) to feed the lengths in. Still had months of misery withcall backs for ticking pipes and that was the straw that broke the camels back. No more copper through joists.

 

[Best]

Tbh i've used it more in the past couple of years for exactly that reason.
I've even built a wee bit racking in the van for some plastic fittings. Who would have thunk it lol

As I tell people, - with plastic pipework install, all I need to carry is a roll of plastic pipe over my shoulder, bag of plastic push fit fittings needed with bag of inserts in one hand and then just plastic cutter tool.
That's basically it, unless you sometimes add clips, hammer and pipe insulation where needed.
Makes you think, one trip from your van and no going back and forth measuring, bending and soldering. No collecting each drip of water from existing pipes and blowing any water back from where you need to join to.
No carrying a tool box, soldering gear, bender and lengths of copper pipe.

 

[Best]

Last new builds i did in copper must have been about 20 years ago (except for bungalows with a solum where it is still quicker and easier to do it in copper) just after they stopped letting you check the pipes in.
Holes marked out with a set square and string line and drilled out through the kit (80% of new build up here are timber kits) to feed the lengths in. Still had months of misery withcall backs for ticking pipes and that was the straw that broke the camels back. No more copper through joists.

Yea, I used a chalk line plus a set square to very accurately mark the centre of the holes in the joists. Hard to beat and a laser, which I now have, wouldn't be any more accurate.
Then I try to keep drill auger bit on the marked centre, as no point in marking accurately, but ramming the drill bit a few mm wrong place.
But I found some joists to be irregular in their heights and therefore off a bit and so I use a bigger drill bit than needed plus I use on the holes a round rasp on any joists that are off level.
Finally I sleeve the pipes with a piece of plastic. Seems to do a good job

 

[tamz]

It has already killed off a lot of work in the trade cos every and his dog can push it together. The only thing that stops a lot of people, whether they be bob the builder or diy joe doing more is exactly where they should be running them but the internet is killing that too.

 

[hammers4spanner]

I have been saying this for a while that plastic ,flexi's and its ilk have killed this trade.

When i first started i use to get offered loads of kitchen sinks and plumbing on bathrooms.

The plastic flexi brigade have killed all that.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

I have been saying this for a while that plastic ,flexi's and its ilk have killed this trade.

When i first started i use to get offered loads of kitchen sinks and plumbing on bathrooms.

The plastic flexi brigade have killed all that.

Unless they pop off and call you saying there's water everywhere

also anyone noticed the stnd of work the customer will except has dropped a lot ?

 

[plumben]

Trouble is this trade will be nothing soon as every one else will be bashing in the plastic whilst doing there Job/trade, I've found already that I hardly ever do gutters anymore and people seem surprised when I tell them I do

 

[tamz]

also anyone noticed the stnd of work the customer will except has dropped a lot ?

Definitely (but not exclusively) more with younger people. They wouldn't know the difference between a good bit of work and a kick up the rse unless its something they can show the neighbours.

 

[tamz]

Trouble is this trade will be nothing soon as every one else will be bashing in the plastic whilst doing there Job/trade, I've found already that I hardly ever do gutters anymore and people seem surprised when I tell them I do

Guttering, like leadwork is becoming more related to a roofers job. They have even dropped leadwork from plumbing college stuff.

All is not lost tho. Anyone can hammer a nail in or saw a piece of wood but joiners are still working