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Discuss Red and brown plugs ..radiator fixing in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

Phil

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Plumber
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This is interesting, when fixing a rad I tend to not use the supplied fixings and just use my own. I use Rawlplug Uno brand as I think you get a really good grip.

Any Rawlplug nerds will find this video interesting.

 
I love the Uno brown plugs and find they grip well due to the way they expand and also they work with narrower screws, like for pipe clips etc.

One thing annoys me about plugs is most of them are very short and it is silly when you want to use a 50mm or longer screw when the plugs are little more than 30mm.
 
I just watched most of the video.
He didn’t need to test the plugs grip. It was obvious that the red plugs have more grip than brown if screw is heavy gauge for the red plug.
We all know this when we try to use a hand screwdriver on heavy screws in red plugs.
I see a lot of plumbers and electricians use mainly red plugs.
 
I just watched most of the video.
He didn’t need to test the plugs grip. It was obvious that the red plugs have more grip than brown if screw is heavy gauge for the red plug.
We all know this when we try to use a hand screwdriver on heavy screws in red plugs.
I see a lot of plumbers and electricians use mainly red plugs.
Why do you think that is?
 
I've a mate (not a tradesman) who's less capable than he thinks and can't drill and plug to save his life, normally this would be grounds for divorce but he's a decent friend. Anyhow, when I've been over to help I've noticed how he does things which include using the cheapest plugs available (plain sheeth type) while also clearing out every drilled hole throughly (therefore removing most of the masonary grit and making the hole larger). I mentioned the flaw in his technique a few times as I was able to pull them out with relative ease but it seemed he took no notice. After moving in to a new home, queue a few months later and he's been to Ikea to pick up a few storage units that can be wall mounted above head height usually above a TV, stereo etc. Yes you guessed it, when fully laden the whole lot came crashing down a few hours before the start of his house warming destroying his £2.5k imac and several grands worth of music system. Tit.
 
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One thing annoys me about plugs is most of them are very short and it is silly when you want to use a 50mm or longer screw when the plugs are little more than 30mm.

I think he's being serious Harvest, what do you want to use a 2"+ plug n screw for? What the cock are you fixing to the wall that requires that sort of anchorage, your Mrs' handcuffs? ;)

Seriously on the odd occasion you need some extra length, double up by cutting the flange and tapping an extra one in.
Yes, yes, snigger, snigger I'm being serious ffs. :)
 
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I was thinking of heavy radiators into solid walls that are perhaps with a 1/2” layer of plaster and also maybe weak wall or drilling into joints.
A 40mm screw into a standard length plug is barely gripping.
I punch some plugs further in past the plaster to give rawlplug chance to grip solid wall.
 
I'm not surprised at his test results as he drilled an 8mm hole for the brown plug, which surely should have been 7mm?
Same as Best, i drill deeper and 'push' the plug in deep by hammering screw into it, then tighten with driver. It never fails.

What was that crashing noise.......
 
5.5mm for red
7mm for brown

8-10s for reds unless hard brick (more likely to snap / crack the brick with a 10 screw)
10-12 for brown

around an inch setting depth for the plug
 
5.5mm for red
7mm for brown

8-10s for reds unless hard brick (more likely to snap / crack the brick with a 10 screw)
10-12 for brown

around an inch setting depth for the plug

Snapped a the odd screw but never cracked a brick
 
Snapped a the odd screw but never cracked a brick

There's some Burnt hard engineering brick that don't like to be core drilled them ones snap with a 10
 
I started in the trade many moons ago and all we used were rawlplugs they never let you down , one thing I do find awkward sometimes is type of screw as in the good ole days they were all tapered ie black Japaned or slotted now all seem parrellel .
 
normally use a brown plug with a 2.5 x 12 screw. stainless if in a bathroom.

on a dabbed wall id use a 4 x 12 or longer.

i use those brown plugs that come in a brown box in 100 x singles.
FN03358-40.jpg


https://cpc.farnell.com/productimages/standard/en_GB/FN03358-40.jpg
 
I have a lot of wattle and dub around here - and they always want 3 or 4 column rads there too. I've had to cut the wall away once to osb behind it so I've tried a lot of fittings on the others. Had one come away, and luckily only an inch. Spring toggles have worked well so far but I'm keen to try the new blade fixings.
 
Best plugs are Fischer’s in my opinion
Yes they are great. Used them on Hollow and Solid walls.
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These a fantastic for heavy items such as Vanity units, TV wall brackets, kitchen units etc. They are called Rigifix. Drill the hole, tap in the plug, use a hex wrench to screw in the main tapped screw then fix your item to the wall using the small dome hex screw. Very very strong.
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These a fantastic for heavy items such as Vanity units, TV wall brackets, kitchen units etc. They are called Rigifix. Drill the hole, tap in the plug, use a hex wrench to screw in the main tapped screw then fix your item to the wall using the small dome hex screw. Very very strong.
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Not a fan of these merged posts. What if I want to keep the discussion separate.
 

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I pre-emptively got a cartridge of rawlplug styrene free wall anchor, before moving a radiator recently. The walIs... stone with rubble in-fill and an inch or so of lime plaster and render.
Several failed holes later, I used the epoxy anchor. Worked really well, but could’ve done with some compatible fixings other a than a bit of stud and nuts that I had to hand. Unsure what would’ve worked and still be de-mountable otherwise. The stuff I bought was the cheapest I could find at about a fiver a pop, I don’t think it keeps too well so it’s a bit of a one shot deal.
With plugs generally, I’ve found going 1/2 mm less for the recommended masonry bit, then using a ‘toffee’ (that’s anything other than a lump hammer) hammer to tap the plug into the wall well below the skim to the point where you need to unscrew the screw. Doesn’t work so well with engineering bricks though, end up shearing your screws, use the right bit same goes in limestone.
 

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