What a f*cking weekend...

[MarkW]

"Mark, when you put the floorboards back upstairs, don't forget that the central heating pipes run under some of them."

I'll leave the rest to your imagination...

[Guest Richzx6r]

have you got a slight leak now?

[MarkW]

have you got a slight leak now?

 

Not at the moment: I turned the boiler off and drained the system, and I'm going to leave it until tomorrow before turning it back on again to give my 'special' repair time to set.

[Tiggie]

https://giphy.com/gifs/7uWf15xyHwU3S

[Guest Richzx6r]

https://giphy.com/gifs/7uWf15xyHwU3S

 

It's a definite

[Bender]

Set, dosen't sound good, cut it out put a new pipe in.

[MarkW]

The nail hole is in a place where there's no chance of replacing the pipe (it's in the short right-angle piece that goes under the wall to the radiator on the other side) so I made a temporary repair yesterday with a strip of rubber and a jubilee clip, which was fine. Thinking that a more permanent solution was needed I bought some of those pre-soldered repair saddles this morning. Three of the f*cking things I used - the entire combined stock of my local Screwfix and Toolstation - and every one of them leaked. In the end I de-soldered one, slathered the underside with silicone and clamped it in place with two jubilee clips. It's good for high temperature applications, apparently, and as the system only runs at 1-2 bar hopefully the pair of clips will be enough to hold it...

[Six30]

[MarkW]

Of all the pipes I could have holed, I picked the worst one: right up by the skirting board in a short piece the goes under the wall to the bathroom. There's no way to solder in a complete new pipe without either pulling the tiles off the bathroom wall or knocking a hole in the plaster on the other side. When I tried soldering the saddles on I could barely slide the soldering mat between the pipe and the one under it, so there's no chance of using those plastic speed fittings.

I guess the best option would be to cut the pipe off as close to the hole as possible, desolder the other end from the elbow, and solder a new piece in with a sleeve joint. Trouble is, because I was nailing the floorboard back right up by the wall the holed section is in the channel in the joist. Christ knows how I'd cut that out, or solder a sleeve in place without setting the inside of the wall on fire...

[Old-codger]

Is there enough room to put a push fit fitting on like a Hep2o or the brass type if space is tight. I would not trust silicone and a clamp somewhere you cant see it. I know its hassle but in the long run it could save a lot of grief.

[MarkW]

Is there enough room to put a push fit fitting on like a Hep2o or the brass type if space is tight. I would not trust silicone and a clamp somewhere you cant see it. I know its hassle but in the long run it could save a lot of grief.

 

Yeah, I know what you mean...

If I could find a way to cut the pipe in the joist channel I could try one of these:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/tectite-sprint-copper-push-fit-equal-coupler-22mm/2442g#product_additional_details_container

Trouble is I have an irrational fear of 'push-fit' - I've used the plastic ones everywhere in the lab and they're brilliant - but I can't help thinking what would happen if it decoupled itself in the ceiling...

Come on professional,plumbers - put my mind at rest! And any suggestions for cutting the pipe off much appreciated as well!

[Tiggie]

I used to feel same way about push fit but I've slowly come round to accepting them

Saying that I've never used it in any place that's not readily accessible

[dynax]

Never had a pushfit fail and i have used them ever since they were available, used them on domestic hot and cold water and central heating

[Old-codger]

Ive used those tectite fittings in tight places or where unable to use a blow torch to save damaging wallpaper. The decent plastic fittings have locking rings that you twist when fitted and they cannot come apart. Never had one leak yet touch wood I used to be sceptical of them but over the years dont think twice about using them.

[Bender]

Tectite are ok, biggest risk with plastic is something chewing through it.

If you can't get in with angle grinder what about dremel and little cutting disk.

If you cut the pipe will it stay in place, those Tectite need a bit of pressure to push on, the one you linked to is the non demountable type, they are smaller and as long as you mark the pipe so you know when it's fully on you should have no issues.

Fitted correctly it will not come apart, if you have a scratch in the pipe the o ring will not seal.

Either way I wouldn't be relying on clips and silicone, the silicone will degrade it's not the pressure so much as constant heat cycling.

Pic would give a better idea.

[Bender]

Never had a pushfit fail and i have used them ever since they were available, used them on domestic hot and cold water and central heating

 

Hep had them fail that's why they re-designed them, they blamed installation issues with the installers

Before they were Hep they were called acorn, and we're brown, I've used them for a long time

[MarkW]

Tectite are ok, biggest risk with plastic is something chewing through it.

If you can't get in with angle grinder what about dremel and little cutting disk.

If you cut the pipe will it stay in place, those Tectite need a bit of pressure to push on, the one you linked to is the non demountable type, they are smaller and as long as you mark the pipe so you know when it's fully on you should have no issues.

Fitted correctly it will not come apart, if you have a scratch in the pipe the o ring will not seal.

Either way I wouldn't be relying on clips and silicone, the silicone will degrade it's not the pressure so much as constant heat cycling.

Pic would give a better idea.

 

Cheers Bender!

I'll try one of the push-fit jobbies first thing in the morning when Toolstation opens: the reason I was dicking about replacing floorboards is that the carpet fitter is coming at lunchtime!

I'm not sure how much play there will be in the radiator end of the pipe once I cut it, but maybe I can rig something to keep it from moving as I push the fitting on. How much space is there between the pipe ends in one of those fittings? Am I going to be able to just cut 1 cm or so out where the nail went in, or will I need two fittings and a length of pipe? It's only two inches to the elbow, so I could have quite a lot left over!

[fastbob]

How about this thing ? https://www.screwfix.com/p/flowflex-clickfix-copper-pipe-repair-patch-15mm/5962V?tc=IA2&ds_kid=92700055281954514&ds_rl=1249404&gclid=Cj0KCQiAwMP9BRCzARIsAPWTJ_EbaDi3Uu_erSOJ2wBRctT5MgBudXy_7glS5Ion-Xel2FVUddqrviwaAmkaEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Bender]

Pair of locking pliers ie mole grips should be enough to clamp it with enough pressure to stop it shoving the pipe.

Abrasive strips to clean the pipe, make sure no solder lurking on the bottom of the pipe, a good clean square end and no burs, a bit extra lube won't go amiss either, silicone spray if you have any. The fittings do have lube in them just not much.

[MarkW]

How about this thing ? https://www.screwfix.com/p/flowflex-clickfix-copper-pipe-repair-patch-15mm/5962V?tc=IA2&ds_kid=92700055281954514&ds_rl=1249404&gclid=Cj0KCQiAwMP9BRCzARIsAPWTJ_EbaDi3Uu_erSOJ2wBRctT5MgBudXy_7glS5Ion-Xel2FVUddqrviwaAmkaEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

Yeah, those are the things I tried. They looked brilliant in the video, but I couldn't get them not to leak from the top.

[Bender]

How about this thing ? https://www.screwfix.com/p/flowflex-clickfix-copper-pipe-repair-patch-15mm/5962V?tc=IA2&ds_kid=92700055281954514&ds_rl=1249404&gclid=Cj0KCQiAwMP9BRCzARIsAPWTJ_EbaDi3Uu_erSOJ2wBRctT5MgBudXy_7glS5Ion-Xel2FVUddqrviwaAmkaEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

I think that's what he tried, soldering pipes with water in is a pain, even a small amount turns to steam, sucks heat out the pipe and steam tries to come out the hole your trying to solder.

[MarkW]

Pair of locking pliers ie mole grips should be enough to clamp it with enough pressure to stop it shoving the pipe.

Abrasive strips to clean the pipe, make sure no solder lurking on the bottom of the pipe, a good clean square end and no burs, a bit extra lube won't go amiss either, silicone spray if you have any. The fittings do have lube in them just not much.

 

No room for mole grips, unfortunately - I think I'm going to have to cut a section of skirting board out to make some room to work, and then try to get it back together before the carpet guys arrive.

[Bender]

Pair of locking pliers ie mole grips should be enough to clamp it with enough pressure to stop it shoving the pipe.

Abrasive strips to clean the pipe, make sure no solder lurking on the bottom of the pipe, a good clean square end and no burs, a bit extra lube won't go amiss either, silicone spray if you have any. The fittings do have lube in them just not much.

 

No room for mole grips, unfortunately - I think I'm going to have to cut a section of skirting board out to make some room to work, and then try to get it back together before the carpet guys arrive.

Come back with pics

A screwdriver wedged against it will do if pipe is clean lubed and a chamfer

[Shepherd]

https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-emt300-qc-300w-electric-multi-tool-220-240v/622FX?kpid=622FX&ds_kid=92700055256569560&ds_rl=1244066&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiZKG1LmF7QIVEPlRCh0QKg9LEAQYASABEgJQ-PD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Can you use something like this to cut as close to hole as possible?

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

If you have no joy with the sensible suggestions here I’ve found milliput the dogs for emergency repairs that I’ve never had to go back to. The fact it’s used for underwater repairs still blows my tiny mind.

The second link pdf has the instructions for plumbing repairs. Amazing stuff. Might be worth sticking some over whatever you do anyway.

Anyone complained they’re cold yet!

https://www.milliput.com/

https://www.mbfgfiles.co.uk/datasheets/milliput_tech.pdf