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

[JAP&H]

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

Top tip from Darkcloud.

Cut my heat shield from scrapped 9x9 stainless flue terminals. Usually have 3 in the hot bag, different sizes for different apps.

Work just as well protecting walls, skirting and other surfaces. Normally put additional damp cloth behind it if near sparky stuff.

Not tried ally but mild steel 'holes' too easily, and I like a bit of shine.

 

[dontknowitall]

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

When unpacking a bath, keep the plastic packing pieces which hold the legs, then screw these to the floor for the bath panel to save you cutting pieces of wood.

 

[dontknowitall]

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

Measure once, cut twice ...

 

[bobe]

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

when you weight in your scrap copper cut off all joints, copper pipe with fitting on is classed as brazery and you get a low price if u pull out any old lead with those big sweated joint on warm them up and peel them off , lots of tin in those and there worth a small fortune.

 

[Guest123]

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

Cut up an old oven/baking tray into various sizes for a heat shield.

 

[Rodolphe]

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

On my first visit to this forum I spent a few hours reading this thread and learned more in that half-day than in... well, it was useful.

So here's my contribution, for all of you smartphone (iPhone and Android) users:

Honeywell has a really nifty, FREE app called the "Honeywell Wiring Guide" which will give you ALL (as far as I can tell) the wiring plans I can imagine.

Well worth having.

 

[Guest123]

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

Keep the round plastic feet from old bath legs as they are the correct size for using through the holes of basins for large washers and Fischer type bolted basin fixings.

The whole bath leg including the plastic foot can be used as a bolt fixing in its own right, if you thread the steel rod/leg through the plastic foot and use a M8 or M10 nut on each side.

 

[drips.drops]

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

No matter how much the customers ask do not take the head off of a TRV when taking a rad off ......
not unless u fancy a very sore finger/hand whilst trying to put it back on 1 handed

 

[drips.drops]

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

Be very care with B&Q new range of waste pipe 32-40 mm it is not possible to solvent weld do not waste 30 mins waiting for it to set like i did it never does they have changed to compression only as far as im aware

 

[Dannypipe]

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

Agreed! Push fit won't ever melt like solvent weld pipe. Plus the OD is smaller.

 

[RPG 80]

you can use push fit type waste pipe for T1 & T2 runs on unvented systems instead off copper

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[RPG 80]

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

T what?

T1 is your pipework before the tundish and T2 is after, on a unvented hot water system.

 

[chris watkins]

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

It is D not T & you can't use plastic for D1 (T&P to tun dish, max 600mm any way).
D2 can now be installed in plastic but not S/W, only push fit, B&Q special is fine, so long as it is to BS7291 - 2 or 3 2006, class S which is PE-X or PB (please see AD Part G3 2010 for full details & restrictions)

 

[RichardLopez]

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

Get properly trained! An apprenticeship is the best for those starting out who are 16-18 years old - great training plus suppport and a wage. Good luck

 

[Guest123]

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

To remove a cutting of soil pipe that's stuck solid inside a ring seal socket, heat the point of a wood chisel with your blow torch until red hot and use the heated point to scrape/gouge along the inside of the plastic pipe until the hot metal goes through it. Do this on both sides and the once stuck pipe comes out easily in two halves. I do this a lot at the back of toilets when a new longer cutting of soil pipe is needed and an extension is not an option.

Be careful not to melt through too far and damage the ring seal socket.

 

[Guest123]

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

To easily mount a wall hung basin, that doesn't have a pedestal, sit it face down on a piece of stiff card board, draw round the shape and mark the screw holes on the card. Cut out the shape with scissors and drill out the marked screw holes, hold the card up to the wall, level it and mark the screw holes. Simples!

Now you can accurately drill your screw holes/Fischer Fixings without having to hold up the heavy basin with one hand and try to mark the holes with the other. Do the same for Portman brackets and your cut out template can be used for a block of basins too or re-used for next time.

 

[Howsie]

Or measure the distance from the holes to the top and width and mark them on the walls.

Simples.

 

[Danstace20]

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

When an air lock occurs bridge the hot and cold washing machine valves with a w/m hose , and turn on , leave for a min and open up all taps. And of course check your surroundings before you say yes to that cup of tea lol

 

[Danstace20]

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

When taking an old fibre washer our from a tap connector they can get stuck , get a small flat head screw driver , push down onto the washer and with the other hand turn the tap connector clockwise , this will force the washer around the thread and it will pop out , I'm not sure if this has been posted but hope it helps

 

[Danstace20]

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

I've had this on a few rare occasions . I have been to properties where the fault seems to be an air lock , I tried forcing it out with the w/m hose trick , checked the cwsc for blockages and yet the problem still occurs , I took the vent pipe off from the cylinder and found a black disk floating , took it out and problem solved . Has any one come across this and do they know where this disk is from ? My only guess is from the sacrificial anode ?

 

[Dannypipe]

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

Black disc. Will probably be the offcut from a hole put in the tank above. For instance a 1/2 hole cut in the tank for the mains feed, I suppose could find it's way down a 22mm feed to the cylinder. More likely a 28mm feed to cylinder. Would be more than rare though, would be down right weird!!

 

[Danstace20]

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

The disk is about 3 inches in diameter , I have been plumber for 6 years and this is the third time I've come across it , there is no possible way it can travel down the 22 or 28mm cold feed to the cylinder . I shown severall plumbers and they have no clue .....

 

[Danstace20]

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

I took the immersion out and had to gently shake the cylinder until the disk was visible from immersion . I do have a photo but am on iPhone is there any way I can upload it ?

 

[tamz]

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

Probably some bored boy in the local merchants sticking stuff in the immersion boss.

I one bought once from B&Q as the merchants didn't have the size in stock and i needed it straight away. Told the boy to dress the new cylinder while i got the old one drained and out. 20 minutes later and i'm ready but no sign of him. Went out to the garden and he was shaking the cyl upside down fishing stuff out from inside. Screwdrivers, grips, fittings, and even a tape measure. Someone planning on using it as a toolbox :smile:
I suppose this belongs in the hints and tips bit but maybe not :lol:

 

[Danstace20]

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

Trying to drain a heating system but some idiot hasn't installed a drain off ? . Select a rad ( downstairs of course ) isolate both ends , disconnect the lockshield or trv from the rad tail . Bung the rad tail with tissue. Turn the valve 90 degrees so it's facing you . Push a bit of 15mm pipe with nut and olive and tighten onto valve . Connect your hose , open valve and away you go

 

[PlumbBobBob]

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

instead of a bit of copper nut and olive, just use a hose tap connector clip your hose on and away you go.

 

[Cumbria Handyma]

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

If your silly or unlucky enough to have to fit a bath with the taps at the back against the wall, please dont use tap conns & fibres, I might get called to fix the leaks 12 months after you've gone. Better to buy taps recessed for a plain nut & olive and a nice bit of copper tube not plastic.

A rair earth magnet, works every time.

 

[Guest123]

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

Agree with the use of copper, but nothing wrong with correctly installed tap adapters with fibre washers, they've been around and lasted in installations for years. On a btw set of taps, you can buy a kit that allows removal of the taps for servicing. I don,t see the advantage of a nut and cone over a dedicated tap adaptor?

 

[Orry Clayton]

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

Don't listen to anything that comes out of the mouth of Tommy Walsh, saw a programme other day with him fitting a DIY outside tap... Biggest cowboy builder ever!!

 

[zzzjim]

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

Tommy Walsh, fitting a DIY outside tap... Biggest cowboy builder ever!!

Probably said due to promoting stuff , times are hard !

Don't believe adverts , ( plenty of programs have become giant ones )

 

[lewisplumber]

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

Always advise your apprentice to rub everflux in to his cuts as it stops them bleeding. Oh that's right it just hurts a lot . That serves him right for breaking 3 back nuts on the bath taps!!

 

[leelister6]

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

Always swap the crappy plastic backnuts for brass ones and find another excuse to batter the tea biatch!

 

[sh7295]

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

when draining a hot water cylinder and want to know how much water is left get the other end of hose pipe start from top and slowly lower down side of cylinder water will rise up hose pipe and come out at same height of water in cylinder

 

[GQuigley67]

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

when draining a hot water cylinder and want to know how much water is left get the other end of hose pipe start from top and slowly lower down side of cylinder water will rise up hose pipe and come out at same height of water in cylinder

or give it a rattle and judge it yourself, if its light enough to carry that's good enough for me use some speed fit caps to cap outlets to prevent spills

 

[Dannypipe]

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

Or stick a hammer through the bottom and drain it into the room below. Works for me, and no complaints (as long as I'm still holding the hammer). 🙂 🙂 🙂 LOL.