Help needed on new development!!

[Rad]

Hi I would like some advice on a predicament i find myself in. I bought a property as a first time developer which is a shop with planning permission for 3 flats on the two floors about the shop. I started the works and upon the advice of my builder at the time, I had installed pushfit plumbing system in all three flats. I asked him why we were not using a copper system which I was more familiar with and he said he had installed this system many times before without any problems. He said it would be cheaper and quicker and I took his advice.

However, since the plumbing was finished and the heating installed I have had endless leaks which have taken time to sort out.

I'm now close to finishing the project and am ready to carpet the floors but I'm having serious doubts as to whether this pushfit system will hold out as another plumber has told me I am going to have endless problems with it. In fact we just discovered another leak in the shower of the top flat which is going to require ripping the tiles and shower out. More time and expense.

I'm unsure what to do as I need to get tenants into the flats asap. I feel like i've made a huge mistake installing a pushfit system and I dont want the constant worry of further leaks happening in the long term I wanted to ask if i should just stick with the system I have or change it to a copper system as I'm looking to keep and rent out the flats long-term. Also I can afford for any more leaks to affect the shop. Would it be easy to change it over to a copper system without too much expense or disruption to the works already done? the kitchens and bathrooms are already finished.

What would your advice be in my situation? I'm really stressed out about what to do.

Rad

 

[tamz]

You have got the plastic in now so you might as well keep it unless you want to start again.
Generally once pressurised and tested if found to be ok it will be?
Don't you know the future is plastics. Not for me but i am in the minority nowadays

 

[so-solar]

Plastic is usually pretty reliable to be honest, what have you used? speedfit? and did you pressure test to the manufactures specification?

 

[Garryaca@yahoo.]

As the guys say if it is fitted correctly as per manufactures instructions useing the appropriate inserts and properly cut pipes, the pressure tested the right way it should be fine

 

[Tong]

if you have lost confidence better to bite the bullet and rip it all out .. put in a copper system .. then you can sleep at night .. a few months rent should cover the cost hey!!

 

[moony]

if its cut straight - inserts used, and no side load on fittings it'll be fine - most new builds and renovations i do for builders is now done in plastic - great for us cos we get all the scrap haha - no problems over the last 3-4 years ive been using it - i do prefer copper and would use it on my own house, but to be competitive i quote with plastic as thats what most others are doing! takes the skill out of the trade but it makes me money - 25 year guarentee - im hopefully emigrating to aus in ten years so will see me out

 

[Rad]

Thanks for your advice.

The fittings are John Guest. I think the issue i have is that the original plumber who originally laid the pipework under the floors didn't come back due to a death in his family and I had another plumber come in and finish the job i.e. connect up the radiators, boiler and bathroom and kitchens from the pipes already laid down. So when leaks have happened the original plumber has blamed thse second one and the second one says its the first plumbers fault. So how am I to know for sure?

When leaks have happened its because either the pipes were not pushed in properly, or the 1st plumber didnt cut the pipes straight, or the joint was under stress. It hasnt been pressure tested but the water has been on for a few months and the only leak that has happened in the last month was on in the shower.

What concerns me is that the second plumber said that even if everythign is fine and pressure tested and there are no leaks for the next 6 months one could easily happen in 12 months or 2 years time because pushfit fittings give way over time due to build up of pressure unlike copper. Is this correct? I think thats what I want to avoid the constant worry.

 

[Henno82]

Rad it's possible that they could give way in 12 months to - 2 years very much like it's possible that i could go outside of my house and get struck by lightening, possible but not very likely, as Moony has sugested if it is preped correctly in the first place you will have no problems for whats it,s worth second plumber is a blagger and is just making excuses in case anything goes wrong : )

 

[Bernie2]

Must admit I don't like plastic, but then I often stand in the local museum as a dinosaur exhibit

The idea of a grab ring star washer holding a soft plastic pipe into a fitting, just don't figure in the way I was shown things.

Must admit I have used plenty myself, on being told to of course, but seldom through choice.

A cautionary tale: I installed some in a flat, and turned on the water, great no leaks. Next day one fitting just blew off, water everywhere. On inspection could not see anything wrong with the fitting or the pipe. Pushed back together and all was okay, but still don't know why it blew off.

Perhaps if I had, had the test gear at the time I could have tested it under test pressure, which may have shown it up, but I never had the gear to do it. So took a chance, which proved to be wrong.

 

[buff]

this down to workmanship, to have that many over a short space of time ?
you will be surprised how many "plumbers" cant fit plastic
stay as you are over come the probs
bob

 

[moony]

i always pressure test - sometimes whack it up to ten bar with just stop ends over plastic rad tails with no inserts - never have problems - its just some people think its bloody ,magic - dont cut straight side load on fittings. It does need to be fitted properly. not as easy as it looks -