Central Heating Regs.. Can we just embed copper pipes in Walls behind plaster?

Frank_Sebem

Hi all

We have just bought a run down wreck of a House. We have gutted it and plan to have it completely rewired & replastered. We have a Central Heating System (Vokera Linea Boiler) which looks like it is about 15 years old. The Pipes are exposed in every room, either running along the skirting or in Huge trunking running down the door architraves. The visible pipes are VERY ugly. So, we are planning on ordering & fitting new pipes and hiding them in/behind the wall/plaster etc and running the pipes back to the existing boiler. The reason why I ask here is for 2 reasons/

1. I'm sure I read somewhere that plaster/Multifinish/Bonding etc can eat away and corode Copper Pipes.

2. I'd be surprised if there wasn't some regulations we must adhere to.

Thanks all.

tanith

I think you have to protect the pipes with some kind of sleeving before you bury them... someone will come along with more info I'm sure.

Leif

I think there are regulations about where you can put pipes in walls. Yes cement and possibly plaster does eat into copper pipes. That is why you need to protect the pipe, using lagging for example. The copper tail pieces in my house have a coarse woven lagging around them. Or you can use plastic pipes with copper tail pieces (the bit you see) for cosmetic reasons.

Yes you can chase the pipes into the walls, and up into the ceiling. I had a quote from a plumber to do just that. I chose instead to have pipes put into the screed floors (I am in a bungalow) because a) it is less likely that someone will shove a nail into the floor, b) it is easier to make good as floor channels are just filled with cement and do not require a fine finish and c) if a pipe leaks, or needs lifting for some reason, digging up the floor creates much less mess, you just lift the carpet, whereas removing pipe from a wall damages the wall, the coving and the ceiling. Most properties seem to have pipes in the floor but I do see some where the pipes emerge from the wall.

keystone

Yes you can get corrosion but its more prevalent in concrete than plaster. The main thing you need to consider is that in due time the plaster will crack off due to constant heat cycles - expansion and contraction. If you have no alternative but to have a drop downj the wall don't bury them - box em in and decorate same as the room. Otherwise run pipes under floorboards.

Cheers

1984ReturnsForReal_2

Why not plastic?

& I am quite sure if its straight up or straight across you are fine without covering but still best to go beyond nails depth (50mm).

gas4you

I always use 10mm plastic (Hep2O in my case) and drop this down a chase in the wall to behind the radiators.

I always put both pipes inside another single plastic conduit though where possible.

This will prevent the cracking and also enable the pipes to be pulled out should they ever become damaged etc

Leif

gas4you wrote: »

I always use 10mm plastic (Hep2O in my case) and drop this down a chase in the wall to behind the radiators.

I always put both pipes inside another single plastic conduit though where possible.

This will prevent the cracking and also enable the pipes to be pulled out should they ever become damaged etc

That sounds pretty good. What do you do with the tailpieces which I assume are copper, and fixed into the wall?

gas4you

No, the plastic goes straight to the valves, usually with no joins. Use the valves with the 10mm push fit connections for neatness. The plastic pipe is left up behind the rad and is only visible near the valves for about 6".

Or bring the plastic out just below each valve and use a 90 elbow to direct it to the 90 elbow on the rad valve.