Plastic push fittings on oil boiler?

[JC22024]

Was at a house today and their new oil boiler was installed in a pretty shoddy fashion.

Aka Plastic tiger loop screwed to the boiler casing.

And the main thing was really untidy pipework. Thrown together with a pile of grey plastic push fittings and copper / plastic pipe mix. For example there were 22mm plastic elbows connecting right at the boiler casing.

I suggested this may not have been a great idea and should have been done in copper with proper bends. Also incase the plastic melts.

I was advised "never seen one melt yet". And that was that.

What do you guys think? Personally as a DIYr I still use all copper pipework in my home. It's been used successfully for many decades why stop now. Don't trust plastic fittings generally to give many decades of service without o rings leaking etc. The only plastic in my house was installed under the kitchen floor by someone else. Aka a professional.

 

[SJB060685]

Plastic pipe work is ok but not with 2 metres of the boiler if I remember correctly, possibly 1 metre.
All tiger loops should be of metal construction now and either mounted externally or at least vented to outside. Regs seem to change regarding loops all the time.

 

[exedon2]

As above re tiger loop if inside should be all metal with vent to outside.
Pipework from boiler check manufacturers instructions Grant certainly ask for minimum of I mtr in metal tube. Though there are tectite push fit fittings on boilers.

 

[JC22024]

Thanks for that - yes good to know ref min distances from boiler housing that makes sense. I was basically told I was a Tw£t when I knew it looked all wrong!

It's all well and good until god forbid there was a fire etc then the insurer could rightly say not in compliance with standards and reject claims for improper oil installations etc. Sadly it appears that very few actually understand the change in Tigar Loops - still see new ones bening fitted interally and screwed to boiler housing. And also remote acting fire valves with the wire all coiled up and the valve itself inches from the burner. Not good.

 

[DrippySpout]

If you ask a question on site looking to learn and someone is aggressive in their reply it's normally because they know they shouldn't have done it like that and they're angry someone has noticed. Depends how you ask of course 🙂