PVC Water pipe

[Anonymous]

Hi

I am just in the process of ripping out the down stairs cloakroom, and need to run hot and cold water through a wall space to the other side of the room. I'd like to use a flexible plastic water pipe (15mm?) but having looked on Screwfix, they only seem to have 25mm pipe called PE80.

Does anyone have any experience of using this flexible plastic pipe, it will save me a fair amount of time and money for what is a very simple job if I can find some narrower than 25mm for sale somewhere.

Failing that I'll get my flux out! So to speak...

I see this stuff used on This Old House etc, all the time.

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Quetech]

The plastic pipe I have used before was grey and suitable for hot and cold.
You get stainless steel inserts that let you use the pipe with conventional
brass compression fittings or you can use the push in oring type of fittings.
I have used it to good effect but I still use copper and yorkshire fittings
for most of my plumbing.
The plastic pipe can be damaged by mice if you ever get them.
I got it from a local diy store

Mike

 

[Scrit]

Does anyone have any experience of using this flexible plastic pipe, it will save me a fair amount of time and money for what is a very simple job if I can find some narrower than 25mm for sale somewhere.

Hey Big Louie -

Have a look around for a system called HEP2O - it's sold by many reputable plumbing centres such as Plumb Centre and is rated for hot and cold use. There is a 10mm and a 15mm version of this available. Another similar product range is manufactured by John Guest and is sold under the name SpeedFit. They also do 10mm and 15mm. One tip about installing it - splash-out and buy a proper PVC/plastic pipe cutter and deburrer, it will make life much easier and quicker when you are installing.

Scrit

 

[Anonymous]

perfect lads, thanks for your help.

will do a search for that now and then get to it tomorrow.

many thanks for the guidance, much appreciated.

 

[RogerS]

One tip about installing it - splash-out and buy a proper PVC/plastic pipe cutter and deburrer, it will make life much easier and quicker when you are installing.

Scrit

Garden secateurs work very well for this as well!

I second Scrit's comments. I've used both but my preference is for Hep2O. My central heating system makes extensive use of it. The connections are smaller and the pipe much much more flexible than the John Guest stuff. Do not be tempted to buy a 25 m reel of the John Guest 22mm as it is incredibly stiff and inflexible and a right PITA to work with.

The Hep comes in two types of couplers. One is very small and neat but not demountable (ie you can't take it apart once the joint is made) and another type which is demountable.

John Guest have very neat flexible hoses with 15mm or 22mm at both ends. My only concern with these is that the bore tends to be too small IMHO and so might restrict flow.

I tend to hybridise all my plumbing and use both plastic and endfeed copper fittings and pipes - whichever is most appropriate.

Bradfords Builders merchants seem to stock the Hep and Travis do the John Guest.

One other point is that if your house is very old then any pipe that you think is 22mm may in fact be 3/4" and so will need adapting to 22mm. Bloody expensive they are too! Nearly £5 for a Yorkshire adapter!! You can also use a compression fitting IF you can manage to find a 3/4" olive (usually with a green ring around it as a differentiator from normal 22mm IIRC)

Lastly if you are fitting fancy new 'modern' taps (such as Grohe, for example) then you might find that their internal pipe work provides too high a resistance and your water flow will be very, very slow and you'll curse ever fitting them DAMHIKT. The solution is a whole house pump or mount your water tanks on top of a very, very tall scaffold tower. :lol:

 

[jasonB]

Screwfix do supply the speedfit pipe & fittings, page 322&323 of cat No 79.

The blue one you were looking at is used for underground mains, etc

Jason

 

[JFC]

As Scrit says hep20 , it seems to be the one used by the trade . If blown down very hard it also make an amusing trombone noise =D>

 

[shirehorseman]

Scrit wrote:

Have a look around for a system called HEP2O - it's sold by many reputable plumbing centres

Roger wrote:

I second Scrit's comments. I've used both but my preference is for Hep2O. My central heating system makes extensive use of it.

Thanks you guys.
I used to work for them (Hepworths I mean) at their Padiham site, in Lancs, where they still make the stuff along with main pressure water mains up to 24" dia. and 12 metre lengths.
Nice to hear creditation for their products.
Regards.
Trev.

 

[RogerS]

Yup..Trev...second that...and their tech support is second to none.