Hep20 fittings.

[dryerman]

Hello.

We did a major re-plumb of our house in 2004 [with a fully skilled and experienced plumber] using predominently Hep20 grey push fit connectors. I am very concerned with the failure rate of these fittings [6 to date] in both the hot and cold circuits and all sizes.

On inspection of failed fittings we find the 'green gripper ring' has disintegrated. We replace the fittings with a different make which has a better style of grip ring.

Made all the usuall enquiries with suppliers but not much help so far.

Has anyone had similar experience and any further advice?

Thanks.

 

[traineedrip]

Is the green ring almost a shaped wedge? then the usual o ring and steel gripper?

If memory serves they no longer use this. The fitting is molded to include the shape rather than require the ring.

I thought the fittings were under garantee?

Ive not heard of them failing before so perhaps you had a bad batch?

 

[dryerman]

Thanks for your reply.

Yes the green ring has a wedge profile with the 'grips' moulded in to it.

We took this up with Hepworth in 2005 they said it was our water treatment causing the problem. That is B******S because it happens in the cold line as well.

 

[dontknowitall]

I've never had a problem with HEP2O. Coincidentally though, the other day I used a customer's old one, push it in, turned the water on and ... Wooosh!!

 

[theanalyst]

have pipes got the correct inserts in>?

 

[dryerman]

Yes they have all had s/steel inserts.

It seems to me that where the 'grip barbs' are moulded into the green plastic ring is the week point, the barbs break away and the green ring shatters into pieces.

Could this be a design flaw which has now been changed?

Thanks for your help.

 

[dryerman]

Hello Again.

Picture of a recently failed 15mm fitting from a cold supply line.

Thanks

 

[TGor]

Hep2O fittings used to have complete stainless steel grab ring with an O ring seal and a plastic protector ring to stop the pipe slicing the O ring.

I don't know how old this current model with the stainless teeth moulded in.. ??

I guess it depends on what type of plastic the ring is made from .. some plastics are affected by chlorine and will disintegrate over time.

You would think that they would learn the lessons of the past .. obviously some bright young thing has told the boss he can save a fortune in stainless steel with his innovative design.

I would push Wavin a bit harder do some googling for polybutylene failures in the US

gulluck

 

[kingkenny]

the picture shows 3rd generation hep fitting,and supposed to have a 10 year life span,and inhibitor should not degrade the fitting as they are designed with inhibtor use in mind,sounds like you have a dodgy batch.

 

[dryerman]

Thanks for your help.

 

[plumbbobshan]

If thats what happens to them in 4/5 years i feel for the people in the houses on the site in Stockton on Tees that i worked on . I must have put 1,000's in the years i was there .

 

[WHPES]

That is the current design. The earlier ones had a pressed all stainless stel gripper like the polyplumb ones. The original Hepworth ones weren't called Hep20 though.

The polyplumb fittings also have the gripper on the inside and the o ring behind it so that the gripper cannot mark the pipe where the o ring seals.

 

[gakmonkey]

If thats what happens to them in 4/5 years i feel for the people in the houses on the site in Stockton on Tees that i worked on . I must have put 1,000's in the years i was there .

this is a little scary to see when I think how many I have put in over the last few years.

 

[Blackcatgas]

this is a little scary to see when I think how many I have put in over the last few years.

+ 1

 

[MaintenanceMan]

Sorry to be a bit late on this but only registered to day
I have the same issue. Re-furbished our house 3 years ago cut off a stop tap and installed complete new plumbing and heating installation using Hep2O.
18 months ago a 22mm elbow failed in heating circuit. I got the usually platitudes from Hepworth about contamination of fitting before installation blah blah blah.
I put it down to bad luck even though It look suspicious to me.
Friday night I came home to no boiler pressure. Eventually traced leak to a failure of a 15 mm elbow again in heating. You would expect the heating to fail first due to the higher temperature.
I have checked several other accessible fittings and all show signs of deterioration to the green grab ring.
I now feel like I'm sitting on a time bomb just waiting for the next failure.
Where you can get at them its no big deal but under my new Oak floors!!
I will be speaking to Hepworth but don't much joy, yet.