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Post by tomplum on Aug 21, 2020 21:03:49 GMT
The bread trick has been going since before I was born, when pipes were lead and could only be joined or fixed by soldereing, were water was your enemy, the bread trick was the only way out, In those times, ball valves were very forgiving and taps could take semi dissolved bread in their stride, With the modern toilet fill valves and taps with 6 mm flexi pipes, It will only cause problems,  |
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Post by woodbine66 on Aug 22, 2020 12:00:35 GMT
How long would it take you to rip out the existing pipes and put in these new ones? How much cash am I saving? (And please don't say half an hour and £50 HAHA  )
10 mins and large drink.  |
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Post by DIYDafty on Aug 22, 2020 12:09:05 GMT
How long would it take you to rip out the existing pipes and put in these new ones? How much cash am I saving? (And please don't say half an hour and £50 HAHA )
10 mins and large drink. Bastard - here I am on day 4 !  And just realised I can't even put the fking washing machine on. Good job we don't get beer through pipes as that would be really serious right now. |
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Post by battle1066 on Aug 22, 2020 18:29:07 GMT
That sure sweat looks good to me. Maybe thats where ultimate handyman got his idea of using bread - not that I'd want bread going round my heating system. Anyway, today I started putting in the new pipes. I've done long runs with a few turns before but never had to many pipes to do in a small space. As you can see its going slowly and only about half of the joints there are soldered up. How long would it take you to rip out the existing pipes and put in these new ones? How much cash am I saving? (And please don't say half an hour and £50 HAHA ) I find I'm never worried about another person being better or quicker than me at any job DD, I just make sure I enjoy every job and that I give each job the time and attention it deserves so that my call back rate isn't for neglect or rushed work!!!! |
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Post by DIYDafty on Aug 22, 2020 22:46:55 GMT
Battle, sounds like you have a good attitude to your work. I definitely enjoy the work more when it is well within my comfort zone. When I take on perhaps too much I start to worry. Like the last few days not understanding the dripping pipe. I ended up draining everything - CW tank, HW cistern, CH tank (obvisouly) everything. It still carried being damp. In the end I ignored my own advice and soldered anyway with some bread pushed in for good measure!
The only thing that went right after 12 hours today was that it didn't leak!! If it had I'd have cried. That's the situation I don't enjoy but boy is there a rush of relief if it holds.
Doing this work today I noticed a drip from the bottom of the shower tray trap. I hadn't touched it and there was staining around which said to me its been going on for a long time. Those cnts that installed it left me with multiple leaks but I didn't know about this one. Its a Mira Flight shower tray and I think the trap came with it. Its failing where the 45 elbow meets the bottom of the trap (right hand side in pic). It was done it way tighter than hand-tight but fortunately I've been able to take it apart. Not sure what to replace it with though? Thinking maybe to wrap the washer with lsx or ptfe ?
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Post by battle1066 on Aug 23, 2020 5:41:04 GMT
Did you see it leaking could it of been condensation from the location - cold space and hot shower water?
If I can buy a new seal then I do.
However, after that it would depend on how hard access was to the leaking is fitting for the choice of product I used to do my repair.
some case I just give items a good clean and a bit silicon grease.
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Post by crowsfoot on Aug 23, 2020 6:23:50 GMT
Those pipes all look a little bit too tidy for a diyer DD - I still reckon one day you'll confess and tell us that your really a master plumber  ! About the shower, it's worth having a good look inside the trap where that 45 degree part came from because often you'll find that the rubber seal is now stuck inside it and it had worked itself off the male part of it. |
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Post by crowsfoot on Aug 23, 2020 6:29:47 GMT
On having a second look it looks like the cone is just on the end of the fitting so I'd just work it back up the fitting and then wrap some ptfe round it.
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Post by dickpuller on Aug 23, 2020 7:28:35 GMT
The Yanks have a good way of stopping a slighltly running pipe long enough to be able to solder. It's a dissolvable plug that you push into pipe, solder up, then heat the area where the plug is to dissolve it.
White Bread is the best for a temporary plug. Ram it in & solder quickly. Or simply use a compression fitting, they’re not expensive. |
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Post by DIYDafty on Aug 23, 2020 20:34:12 GMT
White Bread is the best for a temporary plug. Ram it in & solder quickly. Or simply use a compression fitting, they’re not expensive.They are when they're in the ceiling space and get disturbed. That shower put in by those "builders" leaked in many places. When I cut a hole in the new tiles to expose the mixer valve I was careful not to put too much pressure on the pipes. Next thing, was a yet another drip into the kitchen below. Long story short is that there was a compression elbow used at the base of the pipes to the mixer. |
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Post by DIYDafty on Aug 23, 2020 20:44:50 GMT
Finally first fix plumbing done in that corner of the room! Pipes are now less than 42mm from the wall which means they'll run in diykitchens' service void at the back of the cabinet.
Attached a close up pic of the horrible soldering in the ceiling just to prove to tappy that I'm no plumber! If I wasn't a dafty I'd show you close ups of the 15 and 22 mm lower down which looks a bit tidier. Best thing and most important NO LEAKS !!! I did the heating pipes yesterday and boy was I nervous filling up the system. Must have wiped my finger against those big fittings in the ceiling 100 times "....phew just a bit of flux...." etc
Today I did the small pipes and I was much more relaxed - didn't even both to use my mirror behind the pipes as can feel if the solder is flowing behind when applying it. Somehow if you know its no big deal if one was to fail, it makes it easier. If the heating pipes had failed it would have meant another trip to screwfix and another drain down (and another slice of bread).
Anyway, still hope to update every now and then but less frequently as moving to non-plumbing tasks. Next is to patch up the ceiling hole and skim over the ceiling with the help of my speedskim that is if I can find any multifinish anywhere....
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Post by DIYDafty on Aug 23, 2020 20:49:59 GMT
Sorry for 3rd post in a row - won't happen again as said will be updating less often...
Just about the trap. I think I fixed it doing what was suggested. I noticed that there was mortar all over the fitting including on the washer! Cleaned up and sprayed a bit of silicone on, screwed up by hand and seems to be ok. Will need to do a proper test with full shower in next day or two though. How those builders can go around charging people for work I just don't know .....
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Post by crowsfoot on Aug 24, 2020 6:21:23 GMT
I thought I'd post back up an old video that I made hoping to show the moving flame to solder when water is present tip.
However, on that occasion it soldered first time!!
If you're not sure about a solder joint or on a bad run with leaks then an half inch paint brush dipped in flux and applied to the soldered fitting when the solder is still hot and at the running stage to clean the solder drops off will also ensure the solder sticks and makes a good watertight joint.
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Post by battle1066 on Aug 24, 2020 16:48:37 GMT
Sorry for 3rd post in a row - won't happen again as said will be updating less often... Just about the trap. I think I fixed it doing what was suggested. I noticed that there was mortar all over the fitting including on the washer! Cleaned up and sprayed a bit of silicone on, screwed up by hand and seems to be ok. Will need to do a proper test with full shower in next day or two though. How those builders can go around charging people for work I just don't know ..... An option is just cover the top of the trap with a cloth bung then fill the shower tray with a good few buckets of water next pull the bung and check for leaks is a good guide. |
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Post by tomplum on Aug 24, 2020 17:23:44 GMT
DiyDafty Avatar Posts: 807 Helpful Member badge 20 hours ago battle1066 and crowsfoot like thisWMIPSFSQuoteEditlikePost OptionsPost by DiyDafty on 20 hours ago Sorry for 3rd post in a row - won't happen again as said will be updating less often... Dafty, don't apologize for posting, We Want you to post, that is what forums are for, post as much as you like and don't worry about the attachments either, When we reach our attachment limit, I delete some old ones so the cost is kept low,  |
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