Plumbing, confused about copper and push fit fittings. Help!

[Bighoose]

I had hoped replacing a mixer basin tap in a semi pedestal sink would be straightforward, but on removal of the pedestal I've found copper pipe instead of the flexible tap connectors I've encountered before and was expecting.. To make matters worse there are no isolation valves and copper looks like it's going into a push fit fitting. I'm thinking the push fit elbow will maybe unscrew to release the copper pipe and allow removal of the tap with the copper pipe attached? Can I replace the copper with a flexible tap connector and somehow connect it to the push fit elbow? Any advice would be appreciated.

This is a picture from the side showing one of the pair of pipes supplying the mixer tap, the other one hiding behind is exactly the same.

[frisbee]

My kitchen tap was similar. Plastic pipe, a joining piece and then copper up to the tap.

They were an older version of Hep2O that you unscrewed to dismantle.

I went straight onto the plastic with compression fit isolation valves. One sealed well, the other leaked slightly and didn't want to seal, I found out about paste afterwards.

A quick trip to screwfix later and it was temporarily replaced with a Hep2O to 15mm fitting, that is still there 6 months later.

You could just cut the copper and fit isolation valves to it. I wouldn't have wanted to reuse the existing plastic fittings on mine.

[RoadToad84]

Just done exactly this in my kitchen. No iso valves, but turned off the stopcocks for cold and hot and let them run dry before proceeding.

Cut off the copper above the push fit. Installed a valve, then new flexi pipes between the valve and tap.

[skeeterm5]

I think that they look like plastic weld fittings rather than push fit so unless you cut the copper above the fitting you will not be able to reuse the plastic elbows.

[Turtle Shed]

skeeterm5 said:

I think that they look like plastic weld fittings rather than push fit so unless you cut the copper above the fitting you will not be able to reuse the plastic elbows.

How would copper seal in plastic weld? (Not being smart arse, genuine question).

[skeeterm5]

Turtle Shed said:

How would copper seal in plastic weld? (Not being smart arse, genuine question).

It is a fair question.

They just don’t look like push fit fittings to me and I say it because the old house we live in had copper connected to plastic using an epoxy resin….. yes I know…..

[frisbee]

The brandname was faintly moulded into the push fit fittings under my sink. I had to get a torch on it to see it.

[a7x88]

That’s white Hep2o and is demountable with a Hepkey.

If you want to use a flexi it will need to either mount to the plastic before the elbow (with an insert) or the copper after the elbow.

If space allows you could get a flexi with an isolator straight onto the plastic (you can get push fit instead of compression ended flexi’s to make it even easier). But I’d rather fit a standalone isolator before the flexis just in case you need to change them again in the future

[Bighoose]

Thanks for all the help guys, really appreciate it. It sounds from the advice here like the best thing to do is cut the plastic pipe just before the elbow and fit push fit isolaters, and I can then take it from there and go with flexible connectors. Does the pipe look like standard size for push fit fittings?

[frisbee]

Bighoose said:

Thanks for all the help guys, really appreciate it. It sounds from the advice here like the best thing to do is cut the plastic pipe just before the elbow and fit push fit isolaters, and I can then take it from there and go with flexible connectors. Does the pipe look like standard size for push fit fittings?

You don't need to cut the pipe, you can remove the fittings with a key.

Personally I would keep the right angled bends, cut the copper before it necks down and fit compression isolators.

And watch lots of plumbing videos on Youtube.

[Bighoose]

Is the hep key flexible, ie can it be fitted round a pipe in situ without access to the end? Or does it need to slide down from an end? Because the issue is that without demounting I can get the taps off and get access to the end.

Edited by Bighoose on Sunday 16th March 23:05

[dmsims]

Bighoose said:

Is the hep key flexible, ie can it be fitted round a pipe in situ without access to the end? Or does it need to slide down from an end? Because the issue is that without demounting I can get the taps off and get access to the end.

Edited by Bighoose on Sunday 16th March 23:05

The Hep key has an open slot allowing you to push onto the pipe

[Bighoose]

dmsims said:

The Hep key has an open slot allowing you to push onto the pipe

Thanks. I'll give that a go first then.

[Belle427]

Go to a plumbers merchants for the flexis and at least get something approved. You need to install them without any kinks or tight bends in so thats something to bear in mind.

[Hereward]

Why would you want to replace copper with flexi?? Backward step, no?

[Mr Pointy]

You may well find that the copper pipe is part of the tap.: There are videos on how to use the release key:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWBzSA0jWS0

[andy43]

Mr Pointy said:

You may well find that the copper pipe is part of the tap.: There are videos on how to use the release key:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWBzSA0jWS0

Yeah, I think the copper is the pair of threaded tails the tap came with.

[Little Lofty]

See what type of flexi or pipe the new tap comes with. If the tap comes with flexi’s you could put an elbow iso valve onto the plastic pipe.
I stopped using Hep when they changed to that daft system, I see they have recently gone back to keyless fittings.

https://www.buildandplumb.co.uk/plumbing-heating-c...

[skeeterm5]

a7x88 said:

That’s white Hep2o and is demountable with a Hepkey.

If you want to use a flexi it will need to either mount to the plastic before the elbow (with an insert) or the copper after the elbow.

If space allows you could get a flexi with an isolator straight onto the plastic (you can get push fit instead of compression ended flexi’s to make it even easier). But I’d rather fit a standalone isolator before the flexis just in case you need to change them again in the future

Every day is a school day,.

I have used JG and Flowplast stuff but never come across that.

[Mr Pointy]

skeeterm5 said:

a7x88 said:

That’s white Hep2o and is demountable with a Hepkey.

If you want to use a flexi it will need to either mount to the plastic before the elbow (with an insert) or the copper after the elbow.

If space allows you could get a flexi with an isolator straight onto the plastic (you can get push fit instead of compression ended flexi’s to make it even easier). But I’d rather fit a standalone isolator before the flexis just in case you need to change them again in the future

Every day is a school day,.

I have used JG and Flowplast stuff but never come across that.

Hep2O is better than either of those two.