What's the maxium pressure can you stop with your thumb?

[WaterTight]

Obviously there will be a little difference depending on the strength in your thumb but ball park. Anyone done this experiment?

Thanks

 

[stevetheplumber]

depends how valuble the items its going to ruin if you dont, i held on to a 2.5bar radvent when the pin fell out thumb was like a mashed prune when i finally let go

 

[Ray Stafford]

I don't know why I have this in my head, but I'm sure someone once told me that 3 bar was just about the max that the human thumb could stand. No idea whether its true.

 

[REDSAW]

one for the summer experiment with the garden hose, me thinks!

 

[rocketmanbkk]

I don't want to have to try in real life!!

 

[Riley]

I did 3 1/2 bar at the farm in a barn conversion when a valve gave way. Apart from the initial water escape did pretty well at keeping the water at bay but I had to hang on with both hands

 

[WaterTight]

Jesus I presumed it wasn't actually possible on mains, you lot must have a grip like Fred West

 

[Chalked]

If I'm testing pressure on a house with no tools. I put my finger over a convenient tap and turn it on.
If I can stop it, I recon it's below 2 bar. If I cant, it's above 2 bar.

 

[jonnyswamp]

Don't know what pressure it was, but I had a perfect circular cut on my thumb after holding with both hands

 

[Phil]

depends how valuble the items its going to ruin if you dont, i held on to a 2.5bar radvent when the pin fell out thumb was like a mashed prune when i finally let go

Ha ha ha yes...and when you can't take the pressure any more put your lips round it and try and drink the amount it takes to depressurise, sod getting the bill for cleaning the carpets.

 

[Riley]

Jesus I presumed it wasn't actually possible on mains, you lot must have a grip like Fred West

My grip is a well honed skill

 

[macackau]

Well I can tell you for certain you can't hold 3 bar pressure with 25++ litre/minute on a 22mm pipe. First job on a Monday morning few years ago and I got soaked through, was on the hot outlet on a twin megaflo system that had been joined so both tanks were discharging through the one pipe. Another plumber hadn't done a fitting right and it blew apart when I touched it!

 

[Phil]

Well I can tell you for certain you can't hold 3 bar pressure with 25++ litre/minute on a 22mm pipe. First job on a Monday morning few years ago and I got soaked through, was on the hot outlet on a twin megaflo system that had been joined so both tanks were discharging through the one pipe. Another plumber hadn't done a fitting right and it blew apart when I touched it!

Oh dear...you always try though...last time I did that my customer had to rush me to A+E with scalded hands, the pain was unbearable, 4 days off work with red raw blistered hands.

 

[macackau]

Oh dear...you always try though...last time I did that my customer had to rush me to A+E with scalded hands, the pain was unbearable, 4 days off work with red raw blistered hands.

Yeah, held it for a few seconds and then turned off cold supply, amazing how much water there was in that short time though. I was drenched. Why on earth I thought I could stop it I don't know. Blind panic I think!

 

[Chalked]

Once went through a cold main under a floor with the circular saw!

No matter how hard I pressed on top of the floorboards. It wouldn't stop. :49:

 

[chris watkins]

I put an angle grinder through a 4'' iron ring main thinking it was a redundant drain line at the Imperial War Museum once.

I didn't even bother to stick my finger any where near it !!



Quick thinking ground workers threw sandbags on it which stopped the jet hitting the ceiling.

 

[Phil]

I put an angle grinder through a 4'' iron ring main thinking it was a redundant drain line at the Imperial War Museum once.

I didn't even bother to stick my finger any where near it !!



Quick thinking ground workers threw sandbags on it which stopped the jet hitting the ceiling.

Thats gonna ruin your day, i bet you didnt know what hit you. I was this a day out or were you working there?

 

[chris watkins]

It would have been a very strange day out if I took along my trusty 9" angle grinder & set about some pipes in every museum I visit Phil.

It was a tad unnerving when it went through, grinder went one way & I went the other. Fire brigade on dedicated stand-by until it was fixed. :blush2:

Not one of my finest but I can now tell the difference between a ductile iron collar & a cast iron one at 20 metres nothing like that for sharpening the mind.

 

[tamz]

Ha ha ha yes...and when you can't take the pressure any more put your lips round it and try and drink the amount it takes to depressurise, sod getting the bill for cleaning the carpets.

Spit or swallow lol

 

[Phil]

Just keep swollowing as your mouth fills with hot black rad water, I'd look pretty stupid if I spat it back on the cream carpet.

 

[cr0ft]

and drinking black radiator water WOULDN'T look stupid?

Thought a 25mdpe pipe was dead once and undid the compression stop end a wee bit too far to check. stop end shot off lol. Turned out to be live and I had to try and hold that on for a good 5 mins or so till the lad i was working with came out. not much fun at all tbh!! got rather wet, luckily it was in a bare garage so nothing to damage!