Leaderboard

Interesting, Freddy - and by no means boring to those of us born with a silver wrench in our hands. Not so many years ago (maybe 10), there was a well-identified quality issue with a large batch of rogue copper pipe (or 'tube' as some would have it) that had an alarming tendency to pinhole and leak. I doubt that this was unique and may well have also been happening in earlier times, remembering that copper only began to replace lead or galvanised iron in the 1950s and I suspect that (especially in pre-metric days) standards of manufacture were not as strict. But your experience, although fairly uncommon, is certainly a confounded nuisance and I suspect undue electrolytic action, as you imply, worsened by higher temperature. I can only say that I have very rarely experienced a similar pipe defect/failure and I am happy enough re-using old copper unless it is clearly in poor condition - much of the older stuff (sometimes 0.5" imperial) has a thicker wall and will likely last forever. I sometimes wonder whether poor or over-fluxed joints in gas pipe are a worse risk than in a water line. Water leaks do show more obviously and, although damaging, usually less of a major hazard than (undetected) gas leaks. And the scouring action of water will tend to remove flux or other debris that can cause eventual problems in gas lines. Like you, I was very much a copper-only user until a few years ago, when the purchase of a 'totally unfinished-refurb' property with partial first-fix plumbing in plastic encouraged me to use it - after stripping it all out and running it where it ought to go, allowing for my changes in the flat layout etc. I still prefer to use copper in all visible locations, with end-feed fittings (although may use solder-ring or compression when not on show or needs dictate) - the one exception being short radiator upstands which can look neat in white plastic and don't need painting. I am happy enough to use plastic pipe/fittings where it is hidden, especially in awkward locations where the ability to thread and bend is a big bonus, e.g. under a bath or inside a vanity unit. I have used Hep2O, Speedfit and Polypipe without any difficulty; all have their minor quirks and advantages - but I agree that the newer Hep2O (with tapered unions), which is what I think you are using, do look neater if they must be on show. The use of a push-fit (or even compression) fitting on either copper or plastic (or to join both) in a tricky location, where access is limited or the joint may need later manipulation or undoing, is of course another big bonus. But I still avoid unsightly unions if I possibly can, and it is very rare that I cannot make a soldered joint safely without damaging the surroundings - and it may be easier than using a 'fat' plastic fitting in a confined space anyway. Pipe layout and routing can develop into quite an art-form; careful selection of fittings (and, with 15/22mm copper, use of a pipe-bender) can save a lot of aggravation, minimise leak-potential and usually save money too. On the rare occasions I work in 28mm, I use end-feed or compression fittings - bending needs more tackle and strength than I possess or can justify acquiring - and I do have a couple of large wrenches that will fit. I have never needed to use plastic fittings in 28mm - the price is a deterrent anyway (and true of 15 and 22mm also to a degree)! But we can both be grateful that screwed iron is no longer the norm. Pipe dies, vices on big stands, Footprint wrenches and all that. I have a copy of 'Practical Householder' from the '50s showing two blokes attempting DIY central heating in that medium (and with the ugly 'school' radiators that now seem fashionable again - the plumbing equivalent of platform shoes). Somewhere, I do have a pipe to smoke as one of them has, but I draw the line at a fair-isle pullover and baggy trousers with turn-ups.