Is pipe repair safe and reliable?

TuppenceHapenny

After a (copper) pipe in the loft burst (due to freezing) a plumber repaired it by cutting out a section with the hole and replacing it with a plastic push-fit fitting. The section of pipe removed (which I've got) measures 56mm and the plastic push-fit fitting measures about 72mm so by my calculation, the fitting has about 8mm of pipe pushed into it at each end. Is this a reliable repair or could it give problems in future (and even come off completely causing a flood)?

Is the plastic fitting designed for replacing a section of pipe which has been cut out (as in this case), or is it actually designed just for joining two sections of pipe and (secondly) is there enough of the copper pipe pushed into each end of the fitting - less than 10mm doesn't seem like much?

The pipe concerned runs from main water tank to the central heating F&E tank.

Doozergirl

People use plastic push-fit to plumb entire houses. It isn't really usual to mix and match the two but it is possible. It's a bit unorthodox to repair copper with push fit, but if your plumber isn't trained traditionally with heat and copper, then push-fit is what you get. I'm not sure I'd be over the moon with it, but I'm not the biggest fan of push fit, even though it's accepted.

It's not entirely wrong, but it isn't perfect either, in my view.

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

Yes!


Now ask why did it burst, sorry freeze up in the first place? If it is in the loft, where it is called, then consider ;aging. If the pipework is old, consider replacing!

googler

"consider ;aging"

lagging.

TuppenceHapenny

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth wrote: »

Now ask why did it burst, sorry freeze up in the first place? If it is in the loft, where it is called, then consider ;aging. If the pipework is old, consider replacing!

googler wrote: »

"consider ;aging"

lagging.

Yes, the original pipe burst was a result of the loft becoming too cold and the pipe being only poorly lagged, so I've re-done the lagging for the full length of the pipe (and put a thermometer in the loft to monitor the temperature). But my main concern now is the possibility of the plastic push-fit fitting starting to leak or coming off completely. Is this a realistic risk (given the way the fitting has been used)?

Ganga

TuppenceHapenny wrote: »

Yes, the original pipe burst was a result of the loft becoming too cold and the pipe being only poorly lagged, so I've re-done the lagging for the full length of the pipe (and put a thermometer in the loft to monitor the temperature). But my main concern now is the possibility of the plastic push-fit fitting starting to leak or coming off completely. Is this a realistic risk (given the way the fitting has been used)?

As others have said whole houses are now done in push fit couplings,a good plumber would have used a yorkshire type coupling and soldered it in place,me as not a plumber and no access to a gas torch would have used a compression type coupling but your plumber chose the quickest method of repair,make sure all the pipework is lagged and you will have no problembs

Doozergirl

If it’s been put on correctly, no risk.

If it hasn’t, a risk.

EachPenny

TuppenceHapenny wrote: »

The section of pipe removed (which I've got) measures 56mm and the plastic push-fit fitting measures about 72mm so by my calculation, the fitting has about 8mm of pipe pushed into it at each end. Is this a reliable repair or could it give problems in future (and even come off completely causing a flood)?

Your calculation could be wrong. Pipework often has some 'slack' in it, so the two pipe ends might not be in the precise position they were in before the repair. If the 'slack' has allowed them to be closer in the new fitting then the insert depth could be the maximum possible in the fitting - or they could be barely in.

You wouldn't be able to tell without taking the joint apart, marking the pipes with the correct insert depth, and then remaking the joint. But doing all that would potentially leave you with a greater risk of failure than you currently have.

If you think the plumber was reasonably competent and there is no sign of the pipes being kinked or the sides of the water tanks being distorted then I would just hope for the best.

TuppenceHapenny

Doozergirl wrote: »

If it’s been put on correctly, no risk.

If it hasn’t, a risk.

Its been on for about 12 days now and doesn't appear to be leaking yet - is that evidence it's been fitted correctly or (if poorly attached) can these things come loose slowly over a period of weeks/months/years? Or even suddenly blow off at some unpredictable point?

EachPenny

Ganga wrote: »

As others have said whole houses are now done in push fit couplings,a good plumber would have used a yorkshire type coupling and soldered it in place,me as not a plumber and no access to a gas torch would have used a compression type coupling but your plumber chose the quickest method of repair,make sure all the pipework is lagged and you will have no problembs

A really good plumber would have used end feed fittings, but working with heat in someone's loft? If it were my house and based on the competence of the average 'plumber' then I would probably prefer them to use a plastic push-fit fitting rather than burn my house down.

TuppenceHapenny

EachPenny wrote: »

Your calculation could be wrong. Pipework often has some 'slack' in it, so the two pipe ends might not be in the precise position they were in before the repair. If the 'slack' has allowed them to be closer in the new fitting then the insert depth could be the maximum possible in the fitting - or they could be barely in.

Good point - thanks for raising this.

EachPenny wrote: »

If you think the plumber was reasonably competent.

Not convinced a competent plumber would have done the repair like this - seems to be the quickest and easiest way rather than a necessarily reliable way.

EachPenny wrote: »

then I would just hope for the best.

Yes, not an entirely reassuring suggestion (considering the consequences of the repair failing).