I came home last night to find a flood in one of the downstairs rooms
and have spent the first half of today opening-up the floor above and
fixing the problem.

When I re-plumbed the house a couple of years ago I used plastic pipe
and Tectite fittings everywhere accessible; but where I couldn't avoid
having joints under the floor I used compression fittings because I
didn't totally trust push-fit. The joint that failed was a compression
elbow on the end of a long straight DHW run - the pipe had completely
pulled-out of the elbow. I presume it was thermal expansion of the long
straight run and an inability of the other "limb" to bend sufficiently.
I've replaced the compression elbow with a tectite elbow and arranged a
longer "limb" on the other side so hopefully there's more flex.

Moral of the story: take expansion seriously and trust push-fit.

Dave

On Tue, 03 Oct 2006 14:29:27 +0100, NoSpam wrote:

I came home last night to find a flood in one of the downstairs rooms
and have spent the first half of today opening-up the floor above and
fixing the problem.

When I re-plumbed the house a couple of years ago I used plastic pipe
and Tectite fittings everywhere accessible; but where I couldn't avoid
having joints under the floor I used compression fittings because I
didn't totally trust push-fit. The joint that failed was a compression
elbow on the end of a long straight DHW run - the pipe had completely
pulled-out of the elbow. I presume it was thermal expansion of the long
straight run and an inability of the other "limb" to bend sufficiently.
I've replaced the compression elbow with a tectite elbow and arranged a
longer "limb" on the other side so hopefully there's more flex.

Moral of the story: take expansion seriously and trust push-fit.

Dave

So you used a pipe support ,then there is the olive crimped on to the pipe ,then
the nut holding both to the body of the fitting .....I'm still trying to figure
how the pipe got pulled out .???


Stuart

Stuart wrote:
On Tue, 03 Oct 2006 14:29:27 +0100, NoSpam wrote:

I came home last night to find a flood in one of the downstairs rooms
and have spent the first half of today opening-up the floor above and
fixing the problem.

When I re-plumbed the house a couple of years ago I used plastic pipe
and Tectite fittings everywhere accessible; but where I couldn't avoid
having joints under the floor I used compression fittings because I
didn't totally trust push-fit. The joint that failed was a compression
elbow on the end of a long straight DHW run - the pipe had completely
pulled-out of the elbow. I presume it was thermal expansion of the long
straight run and an inability of the other "limb" to bend sufficiently.
I've replaced the compression elbow with a tectite elbow and arranged a
longer "limb" on the other side so hopefully there's more flex.

Moral of the story: take expansion seriously and trust push-fit.

Dave

So you used a pipe support ,then there is the olive crimped on to the pipe ,then
the nut holding both to the body of the fitting .....I'm still trying to figure
how the pipe got pulled out .???


Stuart

I recall double-checking the joint tightness before the ceiling went up
(and I hadn't forgotten the sleeve). It's a straight run of about 6m, I
assume that lengthways thermal expansion/contraction has "worked it out"
over the last 2 years.

Dave

NoSpam wrote:
I came home last night to find a flood in one of the downstairs rooms
and have spent the first half of today opening-up the floor above and
fixing the problem.

When I re-plumbed the house a couple of years ago I used plastic pipe
and Tectite fittings everywhere accessible; but where I couldn't avoid
having joints under the floor I used compression fittings because I
didn't totally trust push-fit. The joint that failed was a compression
elbow on the end of a long straight DHW run - the pipe had completely
pulled-out of the elbow. I presume it was thermal expansion of the long
straight run and an inability of the other "limb" to bend sufficiently.
I've replaced the compression elbow with a tectite elbow and arranged a
longer "limb" on the other side so hopefully there's more flex.

Moral of the story: take expansion seriously and trust push-fit.

Dave

I like the yorkshire range of copper push fits, they seem to be made
extremeley well, fitted to plastic pipe with inserts they seem fine.

"NoSpam" wrote in message
...
I came home last night to find a flood in one of the downstairs rooms and
have spent the first half of today opening-up the floor above and fixing
the problem.

When I re-plumbed the house a couple of years ago I used plastic pipe and
Tectite fittings everywhere accessible; but where I couldn't avoid having
joints under the floor I used compression fittings because I didn't
totally trust push-fit. The joint that failed was a compression elbow on
the end of a long straight DHW run - the pipe had completely pulled-out of
the elbow. I presume it was thermal expansion of the long straight run and
an inability of the other "limb" to bend sufficiently. I've replaced the
compression elbow with a tectite elbow and arranged a longer "limb" on the
other side so hopefully there's more flex.

Moral of the story: take expansion seriously and trust push-fit.

Looks like you forgot the plastic pipe support then

The compression fittings on plastic I did in 2000 (with pipe supports) had
to have the olives cut off and replaced they were so firmly wedged, when I
recently rearranged the plumbing. Lot easier with the proper plastic fixings
(Hep2O) just cracked them open, removed pipe, replaced grab ring and O-ring,
pushed in new pipe, job done.

Ian_m wrote:
"NoSpam" wrote in message
...
I came home last night to find a flood in one of the downstairs rooms and
have spent the first half of today opening-up the floor above and fixing
the problem.

When I re-plumbed the house a couple of years ago I used plastic pipe and
Tectite fittings everywhere accessible; but where I couldn't avoid having
joints under the floor I used compression fittings because I didn't
totally trust push-fit. The joint that failed was a compression elbow on
the end of a long straight DHW run - the pipe had completely pulled-out of
the elbow. I presume it was thermal expansion of the long straight run and
an inability of the other "limb" to bend sufficiently. I've replaced the
compression elbow with a tectite elbow and arranged a longer "limb" on the
other side so hopefully there's more flex.

Moral of the story: take expansion seriously and trust push-fit.

Looks like you forgot the plastic pipe support then

The compression fittings on plastic I did in 2000 (with pipe supports) had
to have the olives cut off and replaced they were so firmly wedged, when I
recently rearranged the plumbing. Lot easier with the proper plastic fixings
(Hep2O) just cracked them open, removed pipe, replaced grab ring and O-ring,
pushed in new pipe, job done.


Nope, the stainless support was looking at me when I shone a torch at
the joint, the pipe was pulled back about 5mm.

Dave

On Wed, 04 Oct 2006 18:32:34 +0100, NoSpam wrote:

Ian_m wrote:
"NoSpam" wrote in message
...
I came home last night to find a flood in one of the downstairs rooms and
have spent the first half of today opening-up the floor above and fixing
the problem.

When I re-plumbed the house a couple of years ago I used plastic pipe and
Tectite fittings everywhere accessible; but where I couldn't avoid having
joints under the floor I used compression fittings because I didn't
totally trust push-fit. The joint that failed was a compression elbow on
the end of a long straight DHW run - the pipe had completely pulled-out of
the elbow. I presume it was thermal expansion of the long straight run and
an inability of the other "limb" to bend sufficiently. I've replaced the
compression elbow with a tectite elbow and arranged a longer "limb" on the
other side so hopefully there's more flex.

Moral of the story: take expansion seriously and trust push-fit.

Looks like you forgot the plastic pipe support then

The compression fittings on plastic I did in 2000 (with pipe supports) had
to have the olives cut off and replaced they were so firmly wedged, when I
recently rearranged the plumbing. Lot easier with the proper plastic fixings
(Hep2O) just cracked them open, removed pipe, replaced grab ring and O-ring,
pushed in new pipe, job done.


Nope, the stainless support was looking at me when I shone a torch at
the joint, the pipe was pulled back about 5mm.

Dave

So the pipe must have been pulled back through the olive 5mm ?

"Stuart" wrote in message
...

SNIP

So the pipe must have been pulled back through the olive 5mm ?

You certainly couldn't pull the pipe through the olive (or olive off the
pipe or even get the pipe insert out) in all the compression on plastic I
have taken apart. The olive has shrunk sufficiently to render it "stuck".