Copper or 'Plastic'...??

[JLS]

A friend had his home flooded by a plastic fitting blowing off the plastic pipe. All fitted by an experienced plumber. Manufacturer said it had been fitted correctly and offered no explanation. We were unaware of the need for a high pressure test to set the grab rings, should this be standard practice? Would normal mains pressure not do this?

All pipework should be tested really, for plastic there are two standard tests. I tend to stick with Type A which is fill to 1 bar and wait 45minutes recharging in that time if pressure drops. If no leaks increase pressure to 1.5 max working pressure for 15 minutes then release pressure to 0.5 max working pressure for a further 45 mins. The rationale for the low pressure test is that under pressure, expansion might make a seal hold but with it removed it could open up enough to leak. Always sounded a bit unlikely to me but just to be on the safe side I do it anyway.

 

[Scott_D]

All pipework should be tested really, for plastic there are two standard tests. I tend to stick with Type A which is fill to 1 bar and wait 45minutes recharging in that time if pressure drops. If no leaks increase pressure to 1.5 max working pressure for 15 minutes then release pressure to 0.5 max working pressure for a further 45 mins. The rationale for the low pressure test is that under pressure, expansion might make a seal hold but with it removed it could open up enough to leak. Always sounded a bit unlikely to me but just to be on the safe side I do it anyway.

Which manufacturer of pipe/fitting is this test for?

 

[JLS]

Which manufacturer of pipe/fitting is this test for?

It's from BS6700:2006 +A1 :2009 ....not that I've looked it up in there, it's just what we were taught in college

 

[Dw911]

I still cant belive people use it, new fangled stuff, and dont get me started on that plastic stuff.

Lead is the best material or black iron 😉😀

 

[Mike Pinard]

I'm not a plumber by trade so don't use enough of either to really pass judgement but one observation occurs.
In the past ten years various friends and relatives have built several houses some plastic plumbed and some copper. The only two to have problems are both cases where for no reason a pin ***** hole had developed in copper pipe that must have been faulty manufacture. One cost many thousands of pounds as it flooded a tanked cellar.
I use a lot of various plastic around unheated out buildings and never had a problem and no way could i use copper there.
Also what to use in ufch?

 

[Plumbagain.]

Use plastic for ufch.
15mm and 22mm MLCP is great also for general plumbing.

 

[Best]

Underfloor heating is a different thing entirely, so can’t be compared to plastic pipe on rads or for high pressures etc.
Ufh uses different types of pipe and works on lower heat.

 

[kezz_123]

Copper way better Finnish if done correct.
Couple years back had to run hot pipe from one end of room to other at height and was a good few meters. (was in a butchers) . New when the hot went through the pipe it would look like the readings of a heart monitor . Clipped the pipe more than standard to of course.!

 

[Jim Goodenough]

Some may find this interesting - taken from Polypipes literature