Alternative to pipe bungs?

[MrMonochrome]

Hi

I'm needing to move a radiator at home and can't seem to find anywhere that sells pipe bungs local to me. As an alternative could I drain down the system to just below the feed from the expansion tank and fit a full bore lever valve to the feed and vent pipes?

I can't see why that wouldn't do the same job as a bung set when they're both switched off but I thought I'd better ask before going ahead with it.

 

[SimonJohns]

You could use corks.

You can fit a valve. But once the use has been finished with be sure to remove the head so that it cannot be operated by a person or accidentally

 

[ecowarm]

You can do that but dont leave the valve on the vent when finished, also if it is solid fuel boiler dont leave a valve in the feed pipe.

You could fit temp compression or push fit caps

Btw most plumber merchants and the sheds have bung kits

Welcome to the forum 🙂

 

[PlumbBobBob]

hi welcome along. toolstation sell bungs like this item no. 31768.

 

[JCplumb]

:iagree:

 

[MrMonochrome]

Thanks for the quick replies. Good point on removing the lever from the valve so it can't be shut off accidentally.

 

[ecowarm]

Just add no valve to be left on a vent with or without the handle

 

[leelister6]

You can get bungs at any plumbers merchant or big diy stores

 

[Paulus]

I've used a couple of carrots in the past, worked fine.

 

[Millsy 82]

I have never used bungs before always preferred draining as I dont trust them, I have a colleague who uses them all the time and he says there awesome.

Are they really that good and do they stop all the water or do you still get alot of drips? has anyone had 1 fail before and had water flying everywhere? Would they be good for 3 port changes etc? Surely if you removed a pump or 3 port it would allow air in and water out.

 

[leelister6]

Used em for a few years and would not be without em to be honest. If they are fitted in the feed and vent, only a bit of water will come out before the vacuum holds

 

[mikegas]

I've used washing machine spigots wrapped in ptfe before when I couldnt find my bungs

 

[marinegmillie]

only use them on vertical pipe sections also one valve at a time.

 

[Roger Welton]

I've used a couple of carrots in the past, worked fine.

I've found parsnips better in the past, just don't snap them off in the pipe 🙂

 

[RPG 80]

Hi

I'm needing to move a radiator at home and can't seem to find anywhere that sells pipe bungs local to me. As an alternative could I drain down the system to just below the feed from the expansion tank and fit a full bore lever valve to the feed and vent pipes?

I can't see why that wouldn't do the same job as a bung set when they're both switched off but I thought I'd better ask before going ahead with it.

Try toolstation or screwfix

 

[Resolute]

I've used a piece of 15mm with a push fit stop end on one side and the other wrapped in loads of ptfe tape.

Was a tip I learned from some valuable plumbing forum!!!!

 

[southcoastboile]

Had one pop out years ago after pump was out, realy tight fit as well with water flooding everywere ncouldnt get it back in easily so was a bit of a panic. Luckily the place was a dump so it looked cleaner when I left after cleaning up all the water.

Ive used rubber gloves before now pushed inside each other. Worked fine.
Since the pump incident I prefer to just drain.

 

[kay-jay]

If s for a port valve or pump i would drain cos i can't afford a freeze kit!!!! If its for a rad or rad valves i carry a squeeze off tool in case the pipework is plastic. In these situations its quicker,cleaner to simply squeeze the pipe 'closed' if its copper then i bung......

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[dsteves619]

If you`ve got access to a drain point and have drained all the water from the F & E tank, then why not go ahead and drain the whole system.???????

 

[glenno1]

Ive used mates hands,worked great,had to work quick though he was a bit uncomfortable

 

[kay-jay]

If you`ve got access to a drain point and have drained all the water from the F & E tank, then why not go ahead and drain the whole system.???????

The ever present risk of losing hours chasing airlock on refill means any alternative is better not ti mention quicker,less messy etc such as bunging, freezing and if plastic squeezing pipes shut. Why would you want to risk airlocks if there is an alternative which us tried tested and infinitely better ?

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[BLOD]

I've found parsnips better in the past, just don't snap them off in the pipe 🙂

No chance if they're like the ones we had from from Sainsburys last Xmas -you could tie a bloody knot in them !

 

[Millsy 82]

The ever present risk of losing hours chasing airlock on refill means any alternative is better not ti mention quicker,less messy etc such as bunging, freezing and if plastic squeezing pipes shut. Why would you want to risk airlocks if there is an alternative which us tried tested and infinitely better ?

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

Ive only had 2 airlocks in the past year that have slowed me down

1st was on a microbore system spent 2 hours shifting it.

The 2nd swapped a 3 port filled spent 40 mins trying to shift it said to customer that I had an airlock she said thats why I asked for a price the last person spent all day there trying to get rid of it. I looked at cold feed and vent, The feed was going into the cylinder return and the vent was just before the pump, Told the customer 2 choices, No1 I stay there and try and shift the airlock at an hourly rate or No2 I repiped the cold feed at a cost of £70 which she went for 30 mins later the system running perfectly filled straight away and a very happy customer.

I know look at the cold feed and vent before I give them a price if its microbore then I take my chances but it takes 50 mins for me to drain replace pump/3 port valve fill up test and gone so I think I will stick with that and not take a risk with bungs.

 

[WHPES]

Carrot in the outlet and shove a potato onto the vent pipe.

 

[Mickyplumb]

Jet swets are what you need, they'll bung up a pipe 100% and won't come out until you take them out.