Hello from accross the pond

[Harvest Fields]

I have Hilmor also. But I am still looking for a decent reasonably priced floor standing one.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

I have Hilmor also. But I am still looking for a decent reasonably priced floor standing one.

Old ones are the best

Have a look on ebay

 

[Harvest Fields]

Cheers. Better prices then new.

 

[Trotter31]

Coincidently, I watch the videos of a plumber in Dartmouth, Mass on Youtube, and (no offence to UK plumbers) all I have to say is that his skill levels are way above what an average UK plumber would have. He does general plumbing, wells, gas, oil, heating, air conditioning, threaded iron pipe fitting. All of which he is licenced for, or he can't work in any of these fields.

But the one thing that surprised me is that in his 100+ videos, I have never seen him bend a pipe. All bends are soldered elbows.

Watch this guy's videos (link below). You will be surprised at what he turns his hand to, and he's a bit of a character. Even seasoned hands can learn a lot from him.

steven lavimoniere

Maybe, someone forgot to tell him,
Joints LEAK, Bends DON'T!

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Maybe, someone forgot to tell him,
Joints LEAK, Bends DON'T!

Naa they have a different hardness of copper so impractical to bend and some places don't allow it in there code

 

[Trotter31]

Naa they have a different hardness of copper so impractical to bend and some places don't allow it in there code

Ya learn something new, every day!

 

[plumbandplumber]

There seem to be several types of copper used in pipes in The States going by the videos. Steve Laimoniere who makes the vids mentioned above is always wary when plumbing on a property with type M copper pipes, which seem to be the cheapest and least durable of the different types.

When working on systems with type M, he often has to cut the copper pipe a way back, because type M seems to go thin. He has to cut back until he finds pipework that hasn't thinned. He often says that places with type M throughout will need to be re-piped soon for the same reason. Also some of the places he works on draw their water from wells which also seems to be bad for the copper.

 

[skoronesa]

Thank you all for the suggestions, looks like the benditnow hand bender will be it.

I guess you guys know as little about our plumbing as we do about yours.

That steve guy does seem to be more skilled than most but not really an oddball. Most one man(plus apprentice) operations around here are just like that, do it all types. When you are someones plumber/heating guy they expect you to be able to service it all. The company I work for has a couple guys with the same expansive skill set though we have dedicated roles and rarely perform outside of them.

Bending pipe versus using fitings is a cost comparison, Labor isn't cheap, fittings are faster for most.

Bending copper pipe(water PIPE) is a rare thing here in the states. By some codes it is illegal outright, others require at least a K or L thickness pipe. M is for heating. Some places allow it for potable water but it is almost always frowned upon. Truth be told it's really a matter of water quality, where I live we don't have to worry about sediment erosion or pinholing much at all. The pipes get a good inner coating of lime and at that point you might as well have cement pipes. Leaving flux on or antifreeze that has gone sour is much more of a concern. Galvanic reaction is a common problem.

Copper tubing(for HVAC) is very commonly bent, either by hand or with a ratcheting bender. ACR(Air conditioning & Refrigeration) tubing is K thickness, the thickest.

As for whether you can bend it physically, Nothing thinner than L or K can be bent, even if you anneal it without kinking or creasing. M and baseboard finntube(which is terribly thin) can not be bent. Baseboard finntube can't even be used with press fittings. Most L is Hard temper. Most if not all K is at least semi-soft which is sometimes called bend-quality. If it is a straight stick sold as ACR it can be bent with a bender but not by hand without kinking it. Rolls are always soft copper. Some brands of L sticks(for potable) are bendable, namely Mueller streamline or Wolverine brass. Those two brands have a long history and are favored by older plumbers, many of whom have bent or still bend hard pipe.

Where I live there are at least 3 master plumbers who actively bend copper pipes. This is uncommon in the states, but around here we have a long history of highly skilled tradesmen.

 

[king of pipes]

Dont think you will regret it they form a good ripple free bend and last along time if treated with respect the only other bender i would consider would be a Record bender . Regards kop

 

[helpsy]

Thank you all for the suggestions, looks like the benditnow hand bender will be it.

I guess you guys know as little about our plumbing as we do about yours.

That steve guy does seem to be more skilled than most but not really an oddball. Most one man(plus apprentice) operations around here are just like that, do it all types. When you are someones plumber/heating guy they expect you to be able to service it all. The company I work for has a couple guys with the same expansive skill set though we have dedicated roles and rarely perform outside of them.

Bending pipe versus using fitings is a cost comparison, Labor isn't cheap, fittings are faster for most.

Bending copper pipe(water PIPE) is a rare thing here in the states. By some codes it is illegal outright, others require at least a K or L thickness pipe. M is for heating. Some places allow it for potable water but it is almost always frowned upon. Truth be told it's really a matter of water quality, where I live we don't have to worry about sediment erosion or pinholing much at all. The pipes get a good inner coating of lime and at that point you might as well have cement pipes. Leaving flux on or antifreeze that has gone sour is much more of a concern. Galvanic reaction is a common problem.

Copper tubing(for HVAC) is very commonly bent, either by hand or with a ratcheting bender. ACR(Air conditioning & Refrigeration) tubing is K thickness, the thickest.

As for whether you can bend it physically, Nothing thinner than L or K can be bent, even if you anneal it without kinking or creasing. M and baseboard finntube(which is terribly thin) can not be bent. Baseboard finntube can't even be used with press fittings. Most L is Hard temper. Most if not all K is at least semi-soft which is sometimes called bend-quality. If it is a straight stick sold as ACR it can be bent with a bender but not by hand without kinking it. Rolls are always soft copper. Some brands of L sticks(for potable) are bendable, namely Mueller streamline or Wolverine brass. Those two brands have a long history and are favored by older plumbers, many of whom have bent or still bend hard pipe.

Where I live there are at least 3 master plumbers who actively bend copper pipes. This is uncommon in the states, but around here we have a long history of highly skilled tradesmen.

I'd be more worried about what was in the water if I was in Flint, MI !