Cuprofit plumbing

[Moley]

I'm just putting together a Screwfix order, which will include plumbing items. Want to get the order in today, so quick-fire answers please.

 

I'm going to be using flexible hose from the water tank to the pump (approx. 5m) and then going to copper, and I'm comfortable and competent with soldered or compression plumbing.

 

On page 351 of my Screwfix catalogue, what's this Cuprofit stuff? Push fit, but for copper plumbing.

 

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.js...=16433&id=17972

 

Looks a doddle, not expensive, has anyone used it and is it any good?

 

Ta very much,

Ade.

Edited March 23, 2006 by Moley

[mr toad]

Yep! easy to use but you do need to make sure you have a good pipe deburrer and a pipe cutter (some people have in the past used hacksaws for copper pipe - dont do it. makes awful mess of pipe edges). Make sure pipe is deburred then push it on the pipe. I found you push it up first then give it a final push and you feel it just move another few millimetres. I even used them on my old house plumbing - 2 years and there were not any problems and more important no leaks first time.

Edited March 23, 2006 by mr toad

[Richard Bustens]

I used it Moley but you need a tool to remove the joint i prefer the plastic ones, also if you are buying the plastic pipe get it in straight lengths not on the roll as it is a bugger to use. in 22mm

[stuart]

plastic pipe get it in straight lengths not on the roll as it is a bugger to use. in 22mm

 

I agree, unless you get it hot first then its easy!

[Richard Bustens]

Well i left it on the boat roof in the sun and it still has a mind of it's own,

 

Ive forced it into retaining clips and stood back and then it has shot out again. in the end i gave it up as a bad job and bought straight lengths.. 15 mm is not so bad

[stuart]

Well i left it on the boat roof in the sun and it still has a mind of it's own,

 

Ive forced it into retaining clips and stood back and then it has shot out again. in the end i gave it up as a bad job and bought straight lengths.. 15 mm is not so bad

 

Only used 22mm on the rad loop so that gets hot quickly !

[DHutch]

I have to wonder what the point is...

 

But the time your onto push-fit, with rubber seals, Why not just use plastic!

- I dont understand the UK's obsesion with plumbing everything in copper?

 

All of of our boat is Hep20, bar the lenths that go thought the engine room and behind the boiler, for obvous reasons. And the aft sink, which has the last 2m plumbed in red/blue flexable pipe.

 

 

Daniel

[Bones]

I have to wonder what the point is...

 

But the time your onto push-fit, with rubber seals, Why not just use plastic!

- I dont understand the UK's obsesion with plumbing everything in copper?

 

All of of our boat is Hep20, bar the lenths that go thought the engine room and behind the boiler, for obvous reasons. And the aft sink, which has the last 2m plumbed in red/blue flexable pipe.

Daniel

 

 

Because plastic is evil. Its alright when it's cold, but when it heats up it lets off all sorts of nasty things.

[alan_fincher]

Because plastic is evil. Its alright when it's cold, but when it heats up it lets off all sorts of nasty things.

Possibly,

 

But it does seem to be generally considered the case that the plastic is far less likely than copper to suffer if it freezes up with water still inside.

 

Given that I didn't find it that easy to get all the water out of our pipes as winter set in, I feel more comfortable with the plastic that we happen to have, personally.

 

But if I were fitting a new boat, I must admit that the price of Hep20 fittings, (at chandlery prices, at least), looks pretty daunting compared to good old soldered copper.

 

Perhaps cost is one of the things still pushing people down the copper route, Daniel ?

[stuart]

But if I were fitting a new boat, I must admit that the price of Hep20 fittings, (at chandlery prices, at least), looks pretty daunting compared to good old soldered copper.

 

Theres plenty of alternatives to H20 fittings - as a brand they are very expensive compared to the other generic brands out there. I've used the toolstation ones made by QualPlumb and they are pence to buy rather than £.

 

Simple solder joints will be cheapest but not so easy to install or dismantle if you need to.

[dor]

Hep2O at PTS are about half the price of average chandler.

[Puffer]

I have mostly plastic, Hep2 piping on my boat, but it wasn't very tidily installed. It seems extremely difficult to get a really straight and tidy pipe run. I have used a lot of copper (both 15 & 22mm) over the years on various house jobs and feel that it looks an awful lot neater. I have also, where frost could be a problem, used plastic joints on copper pipe, although I have yet to put it to a real frost test to see if it will push the joints apart rather than splitting the copper. I have some re-pluming to do on the boat and will probably use copper except where it is out of sight.

Sorry, not strictly "on subject" put linked - well thats my excuse!

[DHutch]

But if I were fitting a new boat, I must admit that the price of Hep20 fittings, (at chandlery prices, at least), looks pretty daunting compared to good old soldered copper.

- Perhaps cost is one of the things still pushing people down the copper route ?

I dont know, the push-fit stuff on screwfix is about 70p a fitting, which is very compreble to the cost of there soiler-ring fittings.

- However the cost of the plastic pipe is a lot less than the equivlent lenght in copper.

 

 

Because plastic is evil. Its alright when it's cold, but when it heats up it lets off all sorts of nasty things.

Do you have any further info on this? Sounds unlikly to me...

[Moley]

Thanks for the comments.

 

I'm using reinforced flexi hose from water tank to pump then out to copper, because I know copper and I'm good with copper. As I'm only looking at 5 tees and 3 elbows I think I will give these fittings a try.

 

I will be including a drain fitting at the lowest point so freezing will not be an issue.

 

Thanks again,

Ade.

[John Orentas]

Thanks for the comments.

 

I'm using reinforced flexi hose from water tank to pump then out to copper, because I know copper and I'm good with copper. As I'm only looking at 5 tees and 3 elbows I think I will give these fittings a try.

 

I will be including a drain fitting at the lowest point so freezing will not be an issue.

 

Thanks again,

Ade.

 

 

Why not use flexi hose all the way through the system, you can get tube connectors to fit every fitting, I have have used this method on both my boats. Never had a leak or had to attend to anything in 25 years and I have never drained the system other than the Paloma.

[Moley]

(Snip) Why not use flexi hose all the way through the system, ... I have have used this method on both my boats. Never had a leak in 25 years.

John, it was all flexi stuff that I removed, and everything that could have leaked had leaked. Granted, that was probably down to poor installation and not using stainless jubilee clips, and it might work for you, but I'm not going that route.

[alan_fincher]

Hep2O at PTS are about half the price of average chandler.

Thanks Dor,

 

That's good information, and, (unusual for places people point me at), looks like I have a branch only about 7 miles away.

 

If I ever move my "Install A Calorifier" task high enough up the priorities list, I'll try them for my plumbing bits.

 

 

I don't suppose there are significantly cheaper places than chandlers to source the calorifier, are there ? Being a boat specific item, maybe not ?

Edited March 23, 2006 by alan_fincher

[David Schweizer]

I am a great fan of Hep20, and have all five types on my boat from the original brown Acorn type to the latest green ring/grey fittings. I have also used the white QualPlumb ones available from Tool Station, and as far as I can tell they are identical to the (now discontinued) second type Hep20 fittings, and are certainly compatible with them, which is very useful if you need to alter the layout and do not want to remove the original lock nuts from the pipework.

[Old Boater]

B&Q are selling their own brand of plastic fittings guaranteed to -20C. I know you'd still have to drain the pump etc but would make draining down pipework a bit pointless!

[CampinGazz]

i've just put in central heating into my motorhome, and have used the speedfit barrier pipe and speed fit connections,

 

very easy to work with, and no way i could have used copper as the pipes snake about all over the place to be hidden in the bottoms of cupboards,

 

plus there's just 2 solid runs of pipe for about 7 meters in length, the only fittings on them are for the radiator take off's, that's what i liked about buying a 25 meter coil of the pipe, no more joins that absolutely nessicary,

 

 

for my fresh water system i use the john guest 12mm semi rigid pipe, this uses the push fit connections that are similar to the speed fit stuff, but i buy them from a hydraulic and air place, £1.50 for a tee piece, 90p for most other fittings, no 90 degree elbows used in my system as the pipe bends around corners, so again no more fittings than absolutely nessisary,

 

everythings push fit, so dismantling or adding to the system later is a 5 second job, and it's great to try ideas out with this stuff, as all the fittings are re-useable,

 

that's why i prefer the speed fit fittings for the central heating pipes rather than the hep20 ones, as the speed fit can be assembled and dissasembled many times, the hep20 can be made once, taken appart then you need to replace the gripper ring to make another connection, i had lots of places where i was cutting the pipe shorter by a few millimeters a time to make it look neat, cut it down, put the fitting on, take it off, cut it down some more, that'd have been a right royal pain to do with the hepworth fittings.

 

i'm never using copper pipes again except for gas pipe runs,