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

[GQuigley67]

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

use this tool handy peace of kit small mirror extends to 610mm ideal for inspecting and a magnet on end of it for catching screws etc

http://www.sc r e w
fix.com/search.do;jsessionid=I3ZUU4VFVDZNYCSTHZOCFFQ?_dyncharset=UTF-8&fh_search=64760

 

[WHPES]

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

Don't make a small cut with a hacksaw if you're not 100% sure the pipe is isolated -use a 3mm drill bit and have a short self tapping screw wound with PTFE handy which you can screw into the hole and stop the water completely if you are wrong!

When using the bread trick make sure it is sufficiently down the pipe that it won't carbonise when soldering or it WILL cause a blockage!!

 

[PlumbBobBob]

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

when i am soldering and i cannot see right round the fitting i use a dentists mirror to see all round to make sure it is properly soldered.

 

[Dannypipe]

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

Don't make a small cut with a hacksaw if you're not 100% sure the pipe is isolated -use a 3mm drill bit and have a short self tapping screw wound with PTFE handy which you can screw into the hole and stop the water completely if you are wrong!

When using the bread trick make sure it is sufficiently down the pipe that it won't carbonise when soldering or it WILL cause a blockage!!

I can go one better than that!!

On the very rare occasions that I'm unsure of isolation in a pipe, I use a self cutting washing machine valve (£4 at screwfix).

It cuts and seals at the same time. You turn the little tap head that is attached to the valve and it opens the valve. If there is a long dead leg, you can drain it off with control, if its still live, you just close the tap and sort it.

Here you go, a link to a self cutting/sealing drain valve, under four quid. Drain valve is even better than a W/M valve as you can attach a hose to drain it down.

Check Valves & Strainers & Drain Cocks

 

[WHPES]

Hints, tips & secrets of plumbing

When you need to fasten a condenser to the motor casing (for oil boilers) you will find that the space where the nut goes you can't get a ring spanner or socket into as it's too small. However what is perfect for the job is a 13mm box spanner of the type used for tightening monoblock taps which most plumbers will have in their toolkit.


This bit. The nut is recessed in the flange casting. Those who do oil will know what I am on about.

 

[WaterTight]

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

When taking WC cistern off pan and faced with undoing the metal nut that connects to the plastic thread of a toilet inlet valve - if there is the opporunity to undo a metal-to-metal or push-fit connection further down the pipe (if it's flexi tap connector or there's a compression coupler or isolation valve) undo that instead. Worse that can happen on reassebly is you need a bit of ptfe round the olive and you eliminate chance of cross-threading inlet on re-attaching nut.

When putting your silicone away give the gun a little squeeze and leave a little bit peeking out the end. That way when you come back and it's dried over you've something to grab on to pull out the dried top bit.

When offering tips and secrets of plumbing start every sentence with when.

 

[noleaksihope]

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

spot on WaterTight , always look for a metal to metal connection that can be disconnected , removing the tap adapter from the plastic thread is the last resort!

keep both foam and rubber doughnuts in the van , and always replace if you ve had the cistern off to replace the syphon/washer. silicone , p's mate or putty is rough rough .


wipe your feet at the custards door, carry non slip over shoe covers for expensive looking carpets .

 

[dontknowitall]

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

I use two dust sheets in wet weather. First one goes on top of customer's doormat and second one where I'm working. Usually this means I don't have to take my feet off, but if I'm working in the snow I take my wellies and work in my socks.

 

[quality]

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

I know what ya mean I carry a small 1/4 drive socket set shallow and deep sockets

 

[crunchy]

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

always have ya aqua vac at hand on old heating systems that have more sludge than water in them sudden releases of air blockages are rather annoying especially when you think you have drained a system down

 

[kay-jay]

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

one i remembered from the previous incarnation of hints and tips is about rodding a blocked crapper. stick a short length of wastepipe down the pan and rod thru this to prevent scratching the pot

 

[kay-jay]

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

ok then one more.

for those of you fitting surrey flanges for a seperate shower feed. don't bother!!

although they offer airfree water supply, the twin outlet design restricts flow which WILL affect the performance of the shower you are fitting! also the extended connection to the cylinder can force the slight rise to the vent pipe into a downwards fall causing trapped air.

a simple and cheap and quicker way of providing a seperate less restricted, air free shower feed is to put an equal 22mm tee into the horizontal section of pipe between the cylinder top and the vent ensuring that the tee points down (obviously the pipe then needs to be bent round to go up into roofspace), alternative position is again a 22mm tee fitted on the vertical section below the open vent tee,

both these positionings ensure airfree supply to the shower based on the fact that air bubbles can not travel downwards!!


regards

KJ


KJ

 

[Davehiscock]

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

keep speedfit caps or iso valves in your tool box, never know when u might slice a pipe full of water

 

[secret squirrel]

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

Don't trust what your being told by the customer or another professional:

I've recently been told that a cylinder I was to replace had been drained down etc.

Be sure before cutting pipe:

momentary lack of concentration, I froze the hot pipe, pipes crossed over behind the cupboard I was talking to the customer and cut the wrong pipe.......... lucky I had a 15mm stop end in my pocket

 

[WHPES]

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

Keep a few lengths of scrap 22mm copper when changing boilers - they are perfect for making rollers to roll a boiler across a floor.

Save a few lengths of scrap 1/2 and 3/4" lead pipe. They are excellent for making templates for awkward bent copper sections.

 

[REDSAW]

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

good for a heat mat/protection, find an old ironing board and rip of the iron pad.
or if your lucky ask a joiner if he has a piece of fiber-lux (same-thing) and cut your own size 'mat'.
this stuff will out last any expensive heat mats.

if you need one for bends or corners- carry some aluminium sheet that you can bend by hand around the joint.
works just as well.

finally; heat gell stops closely soldered joints near to where you are working from de-soldering by heat transfer.

 

[noleaksihope]

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

when your going to replace a ch pump on an s or y plan , and it has ball type iso valves on the pump (turn with an alen key , no a flatty), chances they ll leak from the gap around the spindle you ve just turned (non serviceable o-ring perished from the heat), you might even get a wee jet hitting you in the eye.

when they re fitted , explain this might happen to customer , have them watch you if they think your just trying to create extra work. find where to drain the heating and have a pair of gate type pump valves to replace the kak ball types if they do leak , please think of the next man and dont replace with the same kak ball types - rant over but a good one for newbs and probably mentioned before.

 

[WaterTight]

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

Put a penny washer on one of the rings on your bunch of keys. Sits there not taking up any room and can be used as a screwdriver to turn off isolation valves. I did it once incase I couldn't find a screwdriver in an emergency. Since then it turns out my keys are often closer to me than a flat-headed screwdriver so I use it all the time.

 

[GQuigley67]

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

my yale key pretty much does the same as your suggesting, I have used it numerous times

 

[WaterTight]

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

when i first started working for a plumber and was nervous and eager to help i tried to lift the cover to the external stop-cock with my car key rather than go back inside for a screwdriver. i bent it in half. was pleased as punch.

 

[GQuigley67]

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

lol well I wouldn't do that, but it is ideal for certain iso valves not all of them mind you some have required a bit more force and that's when i get my screwgie 😛

 

[Barry98]

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

for jobs with lots of rads and espically if your going to be on your own.

get a prv a couple of flexi hoses to fit onto the filling loop connections , saves running back to the boiler to top up every two minutes

 

[lewisplumber]

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

Trade wipes are good at getting black rad sludge out of carpets. As long as it is fresh and the carpets arnt white!!

 

[lewisplumber]

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

Always have a tapered rubber plug in your pocket to bung tanks if you are in the loft on your own!

 

[lewisplumber]

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

spray window cleaner on a fresh bead of mastic before wetting your finger to smooth it off as the window cleaner stops it from sticking to un wanted places as you run your finger along the joint. This keeps the bead thin and tidy.

 

[leelister6]

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

'Never put yer fingers where you wouldn't put yer privates!' Was taught that 25 years ago from an old pipefitter in steelworks as a first year apprentice and I always take a second to remember it.............. I miss old 3 and 1/2!!

 

[Guest123]

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

When cutting out worktops for a sink with a jig saw or any other type of wood that has a finished surface, put masking tape on the surface first where it's to be cut and it won't splinter. Good this on Conti board too.

 

[tamz]

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

Or use a down cutting blade or score it with a knife

 

[carpstu]

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

or cut the work top upside down if your cutting to length with a skill saw

 

[Dannypipe]

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

Or get your chippy to do it, and blame him when it chips, saying you wished you'd done it yourself.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

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

instead of using dear trade wipes for siliconeing use baby wipes as long as they have citric acid they will remove silicone

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

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

making up rads? get a 22mm socket for the plug and vent for the trv tail get a 16mm spanner

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

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

faulting boilers?NEVER TELL THE CUSTARD WHAT THE EXACT FAULT IS unless you have the spares to hand say it could be the aps or venturies i will buy both,you just pay for whichever it is or words along those lines because other wise you risk getting stung

 

[tamz]

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

i'm just too nice.

There is being nice and being stupidly nice which usually costs you. Learn just to be nice but keep your cards to your chest. The world is not the place it was 20 years ago.

 

[tackleburger]

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

Never heard of the old plumbers bread trick? If you can push a small peace of bread ( depending on size of pipe ) into the pipe you want to solder,the bread will hold back the water enough for you to solder. I've have tired this on 15mm & 22mm works fine,not tried 28mm though.when finished turn water back on.The bread is so soft it will just break down when water is back on.



Chrome pipe has a very smooth finish,push will just slid off it.

Tip,you can buy a scoring tool to mark the pipe to let the push fit grab ring hold tight,or you can just file off the chrome enough for the fitting to go on.

Use a cordless dremel tool for this task then you can solder the chrome pipe with chrome removed to copper.