Article by Bob Plum
Push-fit Fittings, Useful?
Types of Plumbing Fittings
Within the UK there are two common ways that plumbing is carried out.
The most established way is with the use of copper pipe and fittings.
The alternative is the Push fit system which is made from plastic.
Copper pipes have been the standard for plumbers until of late, its
decline is because of the increasing complexity and awkward nature of copper pipes, this can be seen in the difficulty of being able to
manipulate copper making it hard to twist and bend in order to satisfy
consumer needs. Plastics however, offer an alternative and with the
simple Push fit system the awkwardness is removed. Push fit offers
a straightforward way of connecting joints which can be broken down
and reorganized.
Pros of Push-fit
Plastic pipe is flexible; it is able to bend in a non-linear fashion. Copper piping has limited flexibility.
Plastic piping will not burst. Copper piping has a tendency to freeze and burst leaving huge amounts of damage making it harder to introduce this into cold areas like cellars. Very much in contrast to plastic pipe.
Due to its flexibility plastic pipe can be pushed thought holes in joists rather than being laid in notches. This is not realistic with copper piping as it is hard to get the holes in line.
Push fit systems can also be used with copper pipe when so desired as it is very adaptable.
Cons of Push-Fit
Unfortunately due to the nature of plastic, contact with
anything of significant heat will cause the pipes to melt
and not work properly. For instance direct contact with
a boiler is out of the question. However, using copper
first then connecting it to the copper piping will not
cause any problems.
Push fit plastic piping cannot be used to carry anything
except water. Therefore carrying gas in the pipes is out
of the question due to plastic pipes inability to deal
with this type of pressure.
Due to the increased flexibility that Push fit plastic
gives the user the piping is unable to support its own
weight. This should not be a problem in most instances’
and will in no way effect the way piping works but it
may be difficult to poke a hole through the floor boards.
Accessibility
All available in 15mm and 22mm piping.
Useful Hints
If you don’t normally use plastic fittings it is certainly worth
keeping some around, especially in the winter. If a pipe bursts you
will be able to fix the problem in a matter of minutes and the effects
will be long lasting.
About the Author
Bob Plum is the owner of BuyPlumbing co uk Ltd. If you
live in Britain then the link http://www.buyplumbing.co.uk
gives you access to a wide range of competitively priced
bathroom goods and plumbing fittings.