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https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl DIY Forum >> Plumbing Questions >> Plastic or Copper? https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1474058329 Message started by Gammy_leg on Sep 16^th, 2016, 9:38pm

Title: Plastic or Copper?
Post by Gammy_leg on Sep 16^th, 2016, 9:38pm

Hi,

I'll be getting quotes shortly to install a gas boiler, hot water and heating system into my new house ( actually an old house, but new to me ).
I've read about heating systems now being offered with plastic pipework rather than traditional copper.
The prices of plastic seem to be much cheaper than copper so was wondering whether this is something I should consider or should I avoid like the plague?

Thanks

Gammy

Title: Re: Plastic or Copper?
Post by londonman on Sep 17^th, 2016, 7:37am

Mmmm....I was an early adopter of Hep20 when it first came out. I had some very long tricky runs to put into my old house and so the instal was part plastic and part copper. Because we weren't there all the time and/or tight-fisted, a lot of the time some of the radiators in unused rooms were not on. This meant that there was no flow in the pipes.

I'd never heard of haematite. I'd stuck in the corrosion inhibitor but didn't have any of those clever magnet jobbies. Then we came to start using the house more and use some of those radiators that were off. Only they stayed off and on inspection I found the Hep20 pipe totally blocked solid with haematite and yet a copper pipe connected in the same run was clear.

It may be something to do with the early pipe being gas porous or somesuch and that later pipes are better.

I don't know. What I do know is that I'd never put the stuff in again.

Title: Re: Plastic or Copper?
Post by woodsmith on Sep 17^th, 2016, 8:00am

I've had a similar experience with plastic pipe, again Hepworth microbore, last year spent 6 months taking it all out and replacing with copper. However plastic is a lot cheaper and easier and if you don't expect to live there more than 20 years then it would be an option; I would go for Speedfit though rather than Hepworth, and use 15mm rather than microbore.

Title: Re: Plastic or Copper?
Post by thescruff on Sep 17^th, 2016, 8:19am

I would always use copper from choice However, Barrier pipe has it's uses and I have used it in the past with no problems.

Saying that any job is only as good as the tradesman that installed it and the skills level has fallen dramatically over the last 10 years

Title: Re: Plastic or Copper?
Post by Headrush on Sep 19^th, 2016, 2:00pm

I've started using Speedfit in attics and wherever I need long runs without any joints. Maybe I'm paranoid but I don't like the idea of push fit joints in locations where you may not be able to get to them easily in the future, like tiled floor bathrooms for example. Plastic pipe does have good thermal properties compared to copper where a lot of heat is lost under floors without proper lagging..

Title: Re: Plastic or Copper?
Post by CWatters on Sep 22^nd, 2016, 9:43pm

We have a mixture in our house. No problem with either.

If a lot of your pipe will be exposed I would use copper as it looks a lot neater.

If you will have to pull a lot of pipe through floors then plastic is a lot easier to install.

Title: Re: Plastic or Copper?
Post by Lectrician on Sep 28^th, 2016, 7:12pm

Plastic below floor and copper upstabs is now very common, almost the norm.

Title: Re: Plastic or Copper?
Post by thescruff on Sep 29^th, 2016, 7:15am

Don't know if they sorted since I retired but Vermin was proving a problem with some plastic pipe and fittings, Hep²0 especially, underfloors and lofts can be a problem in some areas.

Title: Re: Plastic or Copper?
Post by londonman on Sep 30^th, 2016, 8:06am

Headrush wrote on Sep 19^th, 2016, 2:00pm:

.... Plastic pipe does have good thermal properties compared to copper where a lot of heat is lost under floors without proper lagging..

Does heat loss matter (at least between ground and first floor) ? Just means the heat goes into the room above, surely ?

Plastic is OK as long as the water is circulating. That's what did for us...some rooms the CH was switched off and the black crud came out of solution.

Title: Re: Plastic or Copper?
Post by thescruff on Sep 30^th, 2016, 9:32am

londonman wrote on Sep 30^th, 2016, 8:06am:

Headrush wrote on Sep 19^th, 2016, 2:00pm:

.... Plastic pipe does have good thermal properties compared to copper where a lot of heat is lost under floors without proper lagging..

Yes and no it the pipes are in a heated space, No in an unheated space, yes the heat is wasted but can benefit freeze prevention.

As for crud, the old plastic pipes were not Barrier pipe and air ingress through the walls was common. if any heating system is sound with never any air, sludge and corrosion shouldn't occur with or without inhibitors. I said shouldn't because stray electric currents and dissimilar metals can cause both and very quickly.

Title: Re: Plastic or Copper?
Post by Natedog on Jan 8^th, 2017, 10:54pm

thescruff wrote on Sep 29^th, 2016, 7:15am:

Don't know if they sorted since I retired but Vermin was proving a problem with some plastic pipe and fittings, Hep²0 especially, underfloors and lofts can be a problem in some areas.

About 12 or 13 years ago I was working for wolseley. I asked the hepworth rep about this, and apparently barrier pipe is less attractive to our furry friends than the non barrier. I don't know if this was true or not, or if it was just another way of convincing people to buy the more expensive barrier pipe, as both types were stocked at the time.

I also noticed how all the regular "proper" plumbers all seemed to favour copper pipe, whereas plastics and pushfit were mainly bought by general builders and the t***urday morning diyers