Is pipe repair safe and reliable?

TuppenceHapenny

The pipe concerned runs from the F&E tank isolation stopcock into the F&E tank itself, so it's relatively short, has one bend in it and an elbow on the end which goes into the F&E tank. Might it be a good idea for me to take the repaired pipe out and replace it with a completely new length of pipe? I would (presumably) only have to cut a pipe to the correct length, put a 90 degree (swept?) bend into it and attach an elbow to one end. Is this what a good plumber would have done?

Alex1983

I would of used end feed and solder but the company I used to work with stopped us doing hot works, soldering in loft spaces so we had to use push fit or compression fitting. As everyone has said if it’s fitting correctly it will be fine.

EachPenny

TuppenceHapenny wrote: »

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.

It really depends how you define competent. An incompetent plumber can do a job a very complex way and take hours doing it.

Competence is about using the appropriate technique in the circumstances. If they had installed a plastic push-fit fitting on a copper pipe running down your living room wall then that really would raise questions about their competence. But using a WRAS approved fitting in an environment where it is not normally seen and isn't subject to the risk of daily mechanical damage seems appropriate, especially if it means completing the job as quickly as possible and causing minimum disruption and cost to the customer.

A properly made solder joint might be mechanically stronger than a plastic one, but the potential errors that can be made in using a plastic joint can also be made using solder or compression fittings. Making good soldered joints requires patience and considerable skill. Making plastic joints can be done by a 5 year old. Therefore if there is a question about the competence of a plumber I'd rather they were working with plastic than using a technique which would tax their skills rather more.

J_B

It broke
Someone fixed it

It's in the loft so hopefully aesthetics aren't too important.

Keep calm and carry on.

Pdbaggett

It will be fine my entire house is push fit (new build) I also done a lot of work my self using push fit to install shower pumps ect and they are fine.

On the subject of proper plumbers my parents had a shower pulled out and replaced the "plumber" said he didn't like plastic that was already their and proceeded to replace it with soldered copper as its more reliable.... The next day it leaked all over.. Go figure

Grenage

It's down to workmanship at the end of the day.

Would I have used copper? Sure. In your position would I change it? Maybe. Would I ever actually get round to it? Probably not.

TuppenceHapenny

Grenage wrote: »

Would I ever actually get round to it? Probably not.

Fear of a flooded loft (and house) might motivate me to get round to replacing it.

spadoosh

TuppenceHapenny wrote: »

Fear of a flooded loft (and house) might motivate me to get round to replacing it.

Youve been told a few times its not hte most perfect way of doing it but its perfectly acceptable.

I dont think youll be happy until you get it replaced so just get it replaced.

Id just make sure ive got adequate insurance cover and forget about it.

bris

What he would have done or they would have done is irrelevant, the plumber has used a perfectly acceptable fitting to repair a pipe.
To suggest it's a bodge job is nonsense, plastic fittings are used in the vast majority of new installs now.

Make sure it's all lagged properly so it doesn't happen again and stop worrying about it.

TuppenceHapenny

spadoosh wrote: »

Youve been told a few times its not hte most perfect way of doing it but its perfectly acceptable.

I dont think youll be happy until you get it replaced so just get it replaced.

Please don't take offence - my last post was only suggesting that a failure of the repair could have serious consequences (i.e. a flood) so I don't feel I can afford to be complacent.
My original post did not question the use of plastic push-fit fittings per se. It questioned the way the fitting has been used - to replace a section of pipe rather than to join two pipes together (which seems to be the purpose for which designed), with possible implications for stability and secureness of the repair (for example, might it come off under pressure, might it come off if the pipe is knocked or accidentally trodden upon, might it come loose if the pipe is twisted slightly when the adjacent stopcock is turned, etc, etc).

bris wrote: »

What he would have done or they would have done is irrelevant, the plumber has used a perfectly acceptable fitting to repair a pipe.
To suggest it's a bodge job is nonsense, plastic fittings are used in the vast majority of new installs now.

Again, there's really no reason to take offence. My question was never about the use of plastic fittings per se. It was about the way a plastic fitting has been used for my particular repair. I understand the fittings are designed for joining two pipes together. In my case it has been used for replacing a sizeable section of pipe which has been removed. If the fitting may have been used in a way for which it is not designed, it is really not unreasonable to seek advice from others about that particular use of the fitting.