Is it okay to plumb whole room with polyplumb?

[BobWillis]

I'm having an en-suite redone, part way through, and I've noticed that the plumber has put in mainly flexible (PB) pipes, with push fit (polyplumb) fittings. I was a bit surprised, since I thought normally most of the pipes would be copper with welded joints. So my questions are:

1. Is it okay to use this stuff for long horizontal lengths (about 1.5m)?
2. Is it okay having concealed (and inaccessible) copper -> plastic joints with push-fit (polyplumb)?
3. Is it okay for central heating?

If it's not okay, I want to get it rectified before it's all plastered and tiled over.

Thanks

Bob

 

[bigman]

Yes it is okay if you were in a new build you would be lucky to have any copper at all

 

[tamz]

Its called modern plumbing. Some love it some hate it. Like many other things in the world, this trade is becoming de skilled. Btw i hate it. Most times it looks like a dog peeing in the snow unless it is properly fixed which it never is, but it can be useful. It does the job.

 

[SimonG]

If you are having the floor tiled then i would prefer copper and soldered joints. But then again it depends what you are paying. You a8nt gonna get rolls royce install for skoda money.

 

[SimonG]

By the way, thought you bowled tremendously for england

 

[SimonG]

No James Anderson, but still pretty good.

 

[Ray Stafford]

My entire bathroom was 100% Polyplumb for the last 15 years. I just had it re-done, and had the lot ripped out and replaced with copper. I can't really say why, except that we were having an expensive wooden floor laid and I am an old fogey.

In fairness to Polyplumb, I guess I was being a bit unfair. 15 years is a long time to go without a problem. We did have a problem back in the early days, but that was installer error - forgetting an insert on a cold main.

 

[WHPES]

Having started in industry, I'm one of those copper fans. There are a lot of what we call disparagingly "plastic plumbers" around these days, many of them are builders who think they can do plumbing. Personally I hate it as it looks untidy and suffers from rodent damage. Long term longevity is unknown but I doubt it will last as long as copper without giving problems.

 

[tamz]

Long term longevity is unknown but I doubt it will last as long as copper without giving problems.

It won't last as long as copper but i still come across the odd bit of acorn that has been in for over 30 years now.

 

[acecharly]

Its good for saving money, easier to install, less fittings, can be fed where copper wont....aslong as its installed correctly I think its ok but there lies the elephant in the room....correctly installed.

 

[Mike Jackson]

It won't last as long as copper but i still come across the odd bit of acorn that has been in for over 30 years now.

Depends on the water quality. I've seen copper fail in a couple of years. I prefer copper but regularly use plastic because it speeds the job up and makes my pricing more competitive.

 

[kozak1968]

Just finished a job in copper. The customer requested it from the start and cost was not an issue to him. Like what's been said before, alot of people won't pay the extra. I have not had any problems with plastic when its hidden.

 

[BobWillis]

Thanks for all the replies. That's reassuring. I was worried no-one did this and it would fail after a couple of years. I don't care about it being ugly because it's behind a wall.

It's great to be able to consult knowledgeable people so quickly when there's a concern...thanks again all!

 

[Killy Bing]

Thanks for all the replies. That's reassuring. I was worried no-one did this and it would fail after a couple of years. I don't care about it being ugly because it's behind a wall.

It's great to be able to consult knowledgeable people so quickly when there's a concern...thanks again all!

whos putting it in??

 

[TBServices]

I never use plastic in bathrooms. Nightmare waiting to happen once it's all tiled.

I had to rip a chip shop half to bits to find a leaking speedfit tee a few weeks ago. If it had been copper, it wouldn't have fallen off

 

[BobWillis]

The plumber.

 

[TOP TAP]

We had a job in st albans about 6 years ago . Mains leak under a tiled kitchen floor . Dug the floor up , found the leak about halve an inch from a soldered joint . All properly done in denso so first thought was they did not wipe off the flux . Replaced the whole floor with new tiles ,job done . Six months later , call back with a leak under new floor. It's a bisson floor so has to reach a saturation point untill it is visable . managed to cut and save the new tiles , dug down and found a new leak on the mains about 10 inch'es from the first one , on a section of untouched pipe , again all rapped in denso so thought it might be red line pipe or similar . Put floor back again job done . A year later leak in the hall way under carpet then one in the loft . Insurance company did'nt want to renew policy so the custards bit the bullet and got us to renew the whole mains , from the stopcock to the ballvalve in plastic . All good ,and after 4 years they are still happy . A year ago there neighbour's had started to have the same leaks so we just replaced the whole mains in plastic . I still dont trust plastic though, but it has its uses .

 

[stevetheplumber]

plastic is best installed in bathrooms with out fittings hidden we tend to form a manifold below the bath and run out in unbroken lengths to each item

 

[stratplus]

Hep should b ok as long as tested. Need a tool to get the fitting off so no worries about fittings blowing off although recently ran copper pipe due to bathrooms being plyed, boarded and tiled.

 

[Koogatubac]

O god....h8 plastic. Im more old school. All i use is copper now. Got a new plumber with me, all gas/hetas tickets but can't bend copper. I think same as tamz, trade is bringing un skilled engineers

 

[AWheating]

the magic words are "if installed correctly". as with most things if installed well it will last well. all ill say is clips, clips and clips.

 

[WHPES]

If I have to use plastic under floors I tend to join it using regular compression fittings.

On the moors where people have private water supplies fed from springs, I do all plastic as the water is very agressive and copper rots away rapidly. Water cyinders have to be stainless.

 

[WaterTight]

How long should something be likely to last before it can be said to last long enough?

 

[gasmanrob]

How long should something be likely to last before it can be said to last long enough?

Until it no longer belongs to you

 

[AWheating]

How long should something be likely to last before it can be said to last long enough?

the pipework should last longer than the thing its piped to.

 

[TBServices]

Both very valid points.

If I'm piping something up, I take the attitude that it should last forever under normal conditions.

 

[woodytheplumber]

when I started on my own was within a year of when my granddad retired and I still have customers on my books where I replaced like for like bathroom ect that he piped 30/40 years ago you may need the od imp to metric converter but I am more confident with his 30/40 year old installs than I am of plastic but that's just me!

 

[Best]

Use whatever material is going to last better & with no risks if possible.
If the water isn't corrosive to copper, then use copper for plumbing & always copper for heating.
There is no real saving in cost for a bathroom to be done in plastic surely, - unless a lot of time was saved?
The plastic pipe will save very little, the plastic fittings will cost more, then you need inserts plus clips. As to plastic needing less fittings - usually I notice every bend done in plastic has to have a 90 degree push fit & instead of an offset (like on copper) guys need two push fit bends!
A good plumber can install copper fairly quick & the soldering will add time - but 10 soldered joints in a bathroom ain't going to take too long?

 

[woodytheplumber]

in a bathroom I 1st fix install all pipework clips then pipe it fluxing all fittings as I go so everything terminates into a full bore iso then solder everything in one go I don't think it takes anylonger as if your using talon clips you need to add spacers for speedfit if the are ran in parallel i and it looks nicer in copper but each to there own I guess

 

[village idiot]

Its called modern plumbing. Some love it some hate it. Like many other things in the world, this trade is becoming de skilled. Btw i hate it. Most times it looks like a dog peeing in the snow unless it is properly fixed which it never is, but it can be useful. It does the job.

I hate the stuff to extreme. The only time I use it is if one of my colleagues (with whom we normally share big project jobs) calls me to help him with a Central Heating Installation and ofcourse, he is fitting with push fit 'rubbish'.