Hints, tips & secrets of plumbing - No Banter please!

[kay-jay]

McAlpine make a 20mm plastic compression union, keep a few on the van. These are invaluable for repairs to overflow or condensate pipes as they will take the slightly bigger and slightly smaller variants of pipe.

I've used 22mm speedfit before now

 

[gassman]

Lock your van even if your going straight back in 30 seconds

 

[WHPES]

For IKEA waste pipe fittings.

If the pipe provided is smaller diameter than the UK pipe, soften the end with a blowtorch and push ontor something cylindrical of a large enough diameter which has been greased, to stretch it.

 

[Barry98]

When fitting solvent or push fit pipes make sure any lettering is faced away from the eye

 

[kay-jay]

When fitting solvent or push fit pipes make sure any lettering is faced away from the eye

Good tip. We all know that the lettering distracts custards when painting the pipes

 

[tamz]

When fitting solvent or push fit pipes make sure any lettering is faced away from the eye

Did a customer pull you on that Lee :lol:
We have all done it at some point but it looks bad.

Btw cast iron should always have the stamp facing forward for any numpties that follow to identify it.

Following on from WHPES you can make a socket on any size solvent plastic pipe by gentle use of the blow lamp. Use this method for joining dissimilar overflow and waste or if you are ever short of a union even on 4".
The trick is learning how to get it to look good and even all round :wink:

 

[Barry98]

No tamz I probably have like but I've seen it on 3 repairs this week long runs and it wound me up

 

[dancinplumba]

When fitting solvent or push fit pipes make sure any lettering is faced away from the eye

Wipe it off with cleaner

 

[tamz]

I never used to bother too much until i got pulled up on it years ago and had to change the pipe. Not a big deal for 4ft of pipe and a couple of fittings but it made me aware of it ever since and now it does my nut in too :smile:

 

[tamz]

Wipe it off with cleaner

I would if i had any!

 

[SafeGasInstall]

I never used to bother too much until i got pulled up on it years ago and had to change the pipe. Not a big deal for 4ft of pipe and a couple of fittings but it made me aware of it ever since and now it does my nut in too :smile:

What was the problem ?

 

[neily01]

I'm sure it must of been posted but I'm not reading 761 posts to find out! Here goes, make sure the kettles full before turning the water off!!

 

[SafeGasInstall]

When fitting solvent or push fit pipes make sure any lettering is faced away from the eye

pls explain , I dont get what is the problem with letterin/stamps on show

 

[tamz]

What was the problem ?

Her knickers were biting into her fanny and she just liked to complain. She probably painted it anyway so it made no difference.

 

[Mike Jackson]

pls explain , I dont get what is the problem with letterin/stamps on show

It looks unsightly.

 

[Killy Bing]

Invest in a cheap engraver, for when some little........idiot walks off with your tools and claims its theirs!

 

[Mike Jackson]

As well as engraving stuff, daub your name across it in paint. Makes power tools much less desirable.

 

[Rickster123]

Always wash your hands after cleaning your flux brush, and before going for a wee.

 

[Killy Bing]

Write all over your power tool batterys or wrap them in insulation tape. Stops others on the site swapping their deads with your lovely working ones!

Feins and other multi tools (i have a milwaukee) can save you the headaches of cutting joists with no access or copper that you cant even get a junior hacksaw too!!

invest in a decent multimeter and learn how to use it, its a great help and could potentially save your life!

 

[Killy Bing]

Always wash your hands after cleaning your flux brush, and before going for a wee.

Out of flux and chilli's...id go with chilli's!
Past experience!

oh and laco flux fumes are the equivalent of breathing through a land rover exhaust pipe...

 

[Reza]

When at work, always keep a 15mm and a 22mm push-fit stop end in your pocket, you never know when you might need it.

 

[Howsie]

When at work, always keep a 15mm and a 22mm push-fit stop end in your pocket, you never know when you might need it.

Always keep a pair of each

 

[Mike Jackson]

I always carry a spare gas test point screw in my pocket in case I drop one when testing.

 

[Kyle87]

Always put the toilet seat on before you fit the pan....... DOH!!

 

[kay-jay]

I always carry a spare gas test point screw in my pocket in case I drop one when testing.

That doesn't work if you suffer from short term memory....

Get home find the spare in your pocket and sh.. Yourself

 

[Mike Jackson]

That doesn't work if you suffer from short term memory....

Get home find the spare in your pocket and sh.. Yourself

I did that once. I found a test point screw in the bottom of a meter box. Someone must have dropped one previously. I stuck it in my pocket and forgot all about it. I stuck my hand in my pocket next morning whilst in plumb center and turned white when I felt it. It was a moment or two before I remembered picking it up. i puckered so much they needed a drain rod to remove my undercrackers from my behind.

 

[joni os]

DIY radiator vibrator. Not having a lightweight drill with a rotary stop, I wanted to use hammer action of Hilti TE2 to assist power flush. Solution:- Take piece of hardwood, ( I used beech offcut of old table leg) , Drill 13mm hole 3mm deep and insert small steel washer. Use blunt short stem 12mm masonry bit in drill. Washer centralizes drill bit while at the same time allows rotation and prevents penetration of wood. Of course if you have a rotary stop and a diamond core set, then the 1/2"BSP to SDS adapter can be end capped with a standard fitting, use hole saw to produce suitable size discs from the wife's plastic chopping board, super glue to fitting and for the price of a new chopping board,(optional), you have a solution at a fraction of the price of some well known products.

 

[Kyle87]

Use the top item to make the bottom one and use it to hold the ring clip things open. Like the ones on the radiator hoses in your car engine.

 

[Kyle87]

Keep these from old mixer taps. Come in handy when a customer wants to reuse old taps or the one with a new tap struggles to fit etc

 

[AmritPedersen]

Useful boiler tip. Check gas meter to see if a) is a pre-payment or not & b) if its got credit if it is. Spent ages wondering why a boiler wouldn't fire up only to find credit was finished. Doh!

 

[Destroyer2813]

Just found staples do their own 400ml air duster for 2.50

 

[mountainman]

Out of flux and chilli's...id go with chilli's!
Past experience!

I'm not sure I'd like an 'Everflux Con Carné'

 

[Bunker]

Pick up the red elastic bands that the Posties love discarding all over the streets, and pop a few in your cordless drill case. When your drill battery dies if you can't put it straight on charge, put a band round it to show its a deadun. Next time you open the case you'll know which needs to go straight on the charger.

 

[Nm3330]

File the chrome back to copper

 

[SafeGasInstall]

All my battery's has a charge level indicator

 

[Destroyer2813]

Thats cos your posh with your Hilti tools Stan

 

[jam1979]

funny that danny lol

 

[Kyle87]

File the chrome back to copper

That's like having a cheese burger without the cheese!!

 

[s&s gas]

Regarding staples air duster, be carefull as its flammable.

 

[TomLane]

Regarding staples air duster, be carefull as its flammable.

Oh dear, is that speaking from experience?

 

[s&s gas]

One of my mates bought a similar one that are designed for keyboards and similar applications, and he found out the hard way, luckily no serious damage was done. They are usually cheaper than the air dusters for gas applications. Moral of the story cheapest is not always the best.

 

[Kyle87]

This may seem obvious to some but it took me a couple of installs to work it out.

Drill the tap holes in a bath and do the pipe work but don't fit taps until the end when you've done your silicone. Looks way better than the feeble attempt of sealing behind the taps with little room.

Can't always be don't this way but when it can its worth doing!!

 

[Whyme]

File the chrome back to copper

good call i always do that when chrome coming out of walls and then solder rather than compression crap..

 

[woodytheplumber]

never leave a full bundle of 22 in a un ocupied house over night! no matter if they have an alarm or not! i never leave tools and dont usualy leave any materials that arnt fixed but i was allready soaked wet through and couldnt be botherd making another trip!! another lesson learned get wetter and save money!

 

[Kyle87]

never leave a full bundle of 22 in a un ocupied house over night! no matter if they have an alarm or not! i never leave tools and dont usualy leave any materials that arnt fixed but i was allready soaked wet through and couldnt be botherd making another trip!! another lesson learned get wetter and save money!

Good job you didn't leave your kit aswel then mate.

 

[woodytheplumber]

i once had all my gear taken down to the old knackerd tools you put in the spare bag "just incase" so now i never leave anything first time i have left anything since the last time and its gon again! worst thing is it will most likely become scrap!! not even used propperly!

 

[MattWeth]

A dermel and their little slitting discs have saved the day for me when trying to remove seized pump nuts with tight access. Slice a little slit in the nut and use a chisel to spread it.

 

[Kyle87]

i once had all my gear taken down to the old knackerd tools you put in the spare bag "just incase" so now i never leave anything first time i have left anything since the last time and its gon again! worst thing is it will most likely become scrap!! not even used propperly!

I keep my 3 babies (18v makita drill, 240v makita angle grinder , 240v jigsaw) in a spanner bag. They don't stay in the van, ever. Also nobody sees the big branded box. It's easier to carry them. And even the people on my street don't know what's in the bag. It works for me

 

[CXR100]

dont know if its been mentioned before but, when drilling with a long drill bit from inside of property to outside , mark the bit with insulating tape so you know when to turn hammer action off sds when your abou 1/2" from the outside , this prevents exploding the plaster off external wall!!!! belive me it does work!!!

 

[Avatar]

Get one of these!



Best buys I have made in a long time!

It eats up joists, plastic pipe, battens and the like. Put a demolition blade in and off you go all day long . . . .

You can even use it like a jigsaw - the fun never ends!!!

When I was installing some Hardybacker board this beauty was one of the only tools up to the task!

Still I would upgrade to the bigger batteries soon as it really does cain the small (1.3ah) ones.