Let's see how the quality of copper is after we crash out of the EU
Welcome to the forum. Although you can post in any forum, the USA forum is here in case of local regs or laws
View the thread, titled "Plastic or copper? which is best?" which is posted in UK Plumbers Forums on UK Plumbers Forums.
Copper but starting to use a bit more mlcp these days
Easier to snake around the sparkys
Easier to snake around the sparkys
Any friends of the US is no friend of China at the moment.
A
Aire
Out of curiosity, is that pipe suitable for standard hep/JG push fit fittings? It could be quite easy to mistake it for standard pushfit if you only took a small section of board up and only saw the pipe, not the fittings.
A
Aire
I see. Is it semi rigid pipe? Looking at the pic, your pipe tails don't seem to be curling over as standard PF would. I haven't came across the stuff before.
The easiest way I can discribe it it’s like soft copper can bend by hand etc
A
Aire
How does it compare price wise to copper?
S
Sharp Point
Nope, people realised that, as soon as plastic made its debut.
A
Aire
Does it require require stupidly expensive tools, and is it suitable for gas?
Manual tools arnt that expensive powered tools arnt that bad around 1.2k or 1.4 with both u and m profiles
And not in the uk yet
A
Aire
Not that bad at 1.2k? 😱. You must be one of those rich plumbers I keep hearing about 😀
I need to do that, had a lot of mine for years now.
B
Burger
Copper for me, can't do gas in plastic.
where do fish come into this
DGT plumbing
Gas Engineer
Copper....obvs. 😵
hate barrier pipe {jg/hep/polypipe etc etc} with an absolute passion! , the only pushfit system that i like is pegler yorkshire's tectite, its a MLCP pipe so it can be bent by hand and stays in that position and doesnt expand anywhere near as much in length as plastic does , comes in 15/22 and uses double sealed liners with stainless 316 fittings..
COPPER
Copper here too, not only is it a superior material for this usage, I also find soldering ever so therapeutic (people normally look at me like I'm a freak when I say this). Its ever so satisfying looking at shiny, neatly soldered, tidy new pipework!
Judas
I wasn't sat on a wooden fence lol.
Buteline offer a 25 year warranty on the plastic pipework. It has no O-rings and is press fitted.
Their rep said they will be upping this to 50 years soon.
Gerberit offer a 1 year guarantee on their Mapress copper press fittings.
How long a guarantee do you offer on your hand soldered copper pipes?
If you want to offer a manufacturers backed warranty on your installation, like you do with boilers, the answer seems simple.
Install plastic
[lights fuse and retreats to a safe distance]
Their rep said they will be upping this to 50 years soon.
Gerberit offer a 1 year guarantee on their Mapress copper press fittings.
How long a guarantee do you offer on your hand soldered copper pipes?
If you want to offer a manufacturers backed warranty on your installation, like you do with boilers, the answer seems simple.
Install plastic
[lights fuse and retreats to a safe distance]
25 years geberit offer
I’m DIY of 40 yrs experience. I recently did a re plumb job for daughter. By pass leaking underfloor pipe (2 litres a minute). The job took far more time than myself and brother-in-law estimated. Like 6 times as long. Very awkward access, under bedroom floors and in tiny loft etc. Waving a blow torch in restricted space not easy or quick. Had it been easy to get at we could have done it in a fraction of the time. Plastic would have made it much easier ... long pipe runs, gentle curves over rafters.
My costing for MATERIALS, Screwfix prices. Copper and plastic pipe .. not much in it. Copper and plastic joints ... copper wins Easily. Fitting. Plastic is so quick, less joints. Now I prefer copper but I had to use one plastic bend in an inaccessible place on copper pipe. Amazingly easy. See photo at bottom.
My experience of copper is that is sometimes doesn’t last as long as you anticipate. I had two pin hole leaks in 30 years in copper cold water feed to trad boiler, cast iron boiler , not combi, feed was from expansion tank in loft and flow down pipe must have been virtually non existent ... just water expansion. But might have been bad pipe?
So I would say a proper job with longest life would be copper. fittings look better. I suspect quotes for a plastic system would be cheaper as there must be less labour. In new house builds what do they use? In top end house builds what would be specified, reguardless of cost?
At the end is photo op plastic fitting I added in inaccessible place to join 2 copper pipes. I had to cut away wood to give space to fit it. I haven’t forgot to insert the other pipe! Oh yes. Some plumbers don’t clean flux off copper ... and it corrodes. I believe British Gas had problems with corroding copper pipes and did a lot of research on what fluxes not to use.
Then was a plumber friend who had copper oil line, passing thru wall, corroded through in weeks. He had no idea why.
So Copper can give a Proper job, more expensive, can be longer lasting, rodent proof. Visually less intrusive and you can see some beautiful curves from skilled pipe benders. Polishes up nicely ... I once worked as a loo attendant after leaving school, and during Uni hols. Polished the copper urinal pipes every day.
Plastic job, likely to cost less as less labour intensive and less skill needed.
My costing for MATERIALS, Screwfix prices. Copper and plastic pipe .. not much in it. Copper and plastic joints ... copper wins Easily. Fitting. Plastic is so quick, less joints. Now I prefer copper but I had to use one plastic bend in an inaccessible place on copper pipe. Amazingly easy. See photo at bottom.
My experience of copper is that is sometimes doesn’t last as long as you anticipate. I had two pin hole leaks in 30 years in copper cold water feed to trad boiler, cast iron boiler , not combi, feed was from expansion tank in loft and flow down pipe must have been virtually non existent ... just water expansion. But might have been bad pipe?
So I would say a proper job with longest life would be copper. fittings look better. I suspect quotes for a plastic system would be cheaper as there must be less labour. In new house builds what do they use? In top end house builds what would be specified, reguardless of cost?
At the end is photo op plastic fitting I added in inaccessible place to join 2 copper pipes. I had to cut away wood to give space to fit it. I haven’t forgot to insert the other pipe! Oh yes. Some plumbers don’t clean flux off copper ... and it corrodes. I believe British Gas had problems with corroding copper pipes and did a lot of research on what fluxes not to use.
Then was a plumber friend who had copper oil line, passing thru wall, corroded through in weeks. He had no idea why.
So Copper can give a Proper job, more expensive, can be longer lasting, rodent proof. Visually less intrusive and you can see some beautiful curves from skilled pipe benders. Polishes up nicely ... I once worked as a loo attendant after leaving school, and during Uni hols. Polished the copper urinal pipes every day.
Plastic job, likely to cost less as less labour intensive and less skill needed.
Last edited:
Official Sponsors of Plumbers Talk
Reply to the thread, titled "Plastic or copper? which is best?" which is posted in UK Plumbers Forums on Plumbers Forums.
Similar plumbing topics
We recommend City Plumbing Supplies, BES, and Plumbing Superstore for all plumbing supplies.
