Hints, tips & secrets of plumbing - No Banter please!

[REDSAW]

put your hints and tips that may help others in this thread guys,






http://brittgas.weebly.com/ http://brittgas.weebly.com/

 

[kay-jay]

McAlpine make a 20mm plastic compression union, keep a few on the van. These are invaluable for repairs to overflow or condensate pipes as they will take the slightly bigger and slightly smaller variants of pipe.

I've used 22mm speedfit before now

 

[gassman]

Lock your van even if your going straight back in 30 seconds

 

[WHPES]

For IKEA waste pipe fittings.

If the pipe provided is smaller diameter than the UK pipe, soften the end with a blowtorch and push ontor something cylindrical of a large enough diameter which has been greased, to stretch it.

 

[Barry98]

When fitting solvent or push fit pipes make sure any lettering is faced away from the eye

 

[kay-jay]

When fitting solvent or push fit pipes make sure any lettering is faced away from the eye

Good tip. We all know that the lettering distracts custards when painting the pipes

 

[tamz]

When fitting solvent or push fit pipes make sure any lettering is faced away from the eye

Did a customer pull you on that Lee :lol:
We have all done it at some point but it looks bad.

Btw cast iron should always have the stamp facing forward for any numpties that follow to identify it.

Following on from WHPES you can make a socket on any size solvent plastic pipe by gentle use of the blow lamp. Use this method for joining dissimilar overflow and waste or if you are ever short of a union even on 4".
The trick is learning how to get it to look good and even all round :wink:

 

[Barry98]

No tamz I probably have like but I've seen it on 3 repairs this week long runs and it wound me up

 

[dancinplumba]

When fitting solvent or push fit pipes make sure any lettering is faced away from the eye

Wipe it off with cleaner

 

[tamz]

I never used to bother too much until i got pulled up on it years ago and had to change the pipe. Not a big deal for 4ft of pipe and a couple of fittings but it made me aware of it ever since and now it does my nut in too :smile:

 

[tamz]

Wipe it off with cleaner

I would if i had any!

 

[SafeGasInstall]

I never used to bother too much until i got pulled up on it years ago and had to change the pipe. Not a big deal for 4ft of pipe and a couple of fittings but it made me aware of it ever since and now it does my nut in too :smile:

What was the problem ?

 

[neily01]

I'm sure it must of been posted but I'm not reading 761 posts to find out! Here goes, make sure the kettles full before turning the water off!!

 

[SafeGasInstall]

When fitting solvent or push fit pipes make sure any lettering is faced away from the eye

pls explain , I dont get what is the problem with letterin/stamps on show

 

[tamz]

What was the problem ?

Her knickers were biting into her fanny and she just liked to complain. She probably painted it anyway so it made no difference.

 

[Mike Jackson]

pls explain , I dont get what is the problem with letterin/stamps on show

It looks unsightly.

 

[Killy Bing]

Invest in a cheap engraver, for when some little........idiot walks off with your tools and claims its theirs!

 

[Mike Jackson]

As well as engraving stuff, daub your name across it in paint. Makes power tools much less desirable.

 

[Rickster123]

Always wash your hands after cleaning your flux brush, and before going for a wee.

 

[Killy Bing]

Write all over your power tool batterys or wrap them in insulation tape. Stops others on the site swapping their deads with your lovely working ones!

Feins and other multi tools (i have a milwaukee) can save you the headaches of cutting joists with no access or copper that you cant even get a junior hacksaw too!!

invest in a decent multimeter and learn how to use it, its a great help and could potentially save your life!

 

[Killy Bing]

Always wash your hands after cleaning your flux brush, and before going for a wee.

Out of flux and chilli's...id go with chilli's!
Past experience!

oh and laco flux fumes are the equivalent of breathing through a land rover exhaust pipe...

 

[Reza]

When at work, always keep a 15mm and a 22mm push-fit stop end in your pocket, you never know when you might need it.

 

[Howsie]

When at work, always keep a 15mm and a 22mm push-fit stop end in your pocket, you never know when you might need it.

Always keep a pair of each

 

[Mike Jackson]

I always carry a spare gas test point screw in my pocket in case I drop one when testing.

 

[Kyle87]

Always put the toilet seat on before you fit the pan....... DOH!!

 

[kay-jay]

I always carry a spare gas test point screw in my pocket in case I drop one when testing.

That doesn't work if you suffer from short term memory....

Get home find the spare in your pocket and sh.. Yourself

 

[Mike Jackson]

That doesn't work if you suffer from short term memory....

Get home find the spare in your pocket and sh.. Yourself

I did that once. I found a test point screw in the bottom of a meter box. Someone must have dropped one previously. I stuck it in my pocket and forgot all about it. I stuck my hand in my pocket next morning whilst in plumb center and turned white when I felt it. It was a moment or two before I remembered picking it up. i puckered so much they needed a drain rod to remove my undercrackers from my behind.

 

[joni os]

DIY radiator vibrator. Not having a lightweight drill with a rotary stop, I wanted to use hammer action of Hilti TE2 to assist power flush. Solution:- Take piece of hardwood, ( I used beech offcut of old table leg) , Drill 13mm hole 3mm deep and insert small steel washer. Use blunt short stem 12mm masonry bit in drill. Washer centralizes drill bit while at the same time allows rotation and prevents penetration of wood. Of course if you have a rotary stop and a diamond core set, then the 1/2"BSP to SDS adapter can be end capped with a standard fitting, use hole saw to produce suitable size discs from the wife's plastic chopping board, super glue to fitting and for the price of a new chopping board,(optional), you have a solution at a fraction of the price of some well known products.

 

[Kyle87]

Use the top item to make the bottom one and use it to hold the ring clip things open. Like the ones on the radiator hoses in your car engine.

 

[Kyle87]

Keep these from old mixer taps. Come in handy when a customer wants to reuse old taps or the one with a new tap struggles to fit etc

 

[AmritPedersen]

Useful boiler tip. Check gas meter to see if a) is a pre-payment or not & b) if its got credit if it is. Spent ages wondering why a boiler wouldn't fire up only to find credit was finished. Doh!