Fire watch (again)

[Gareth Hughes]

Another historic house up in flames:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7836274.stm

 

[plumbers mate]

Too many are going up in flames.

However, following a link from that dismal sight to

Farmhouse from cult film up for sale----

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cumbria/7837894.stm

Go on, you know you want it!

 

[Penners]

I don't suggest this in the case of Raasay House for one moment, but I do wonder how many listed buildings are lost to fire after LBC for major works, or even demolition, has been refused.

I know, I know... I've got a nasty, suspicious mind.

 

[Flyfisher]

. . . . or when LBC has been granted allowing the work to actually begin. Windsor Castle, Cutty Sark etc.

Nefarious deeds or basic incompetence; not much of a choice is it?

An old plumber (80 years old last year and still working) once told me that he only does any work in an attic that requires a blowlamp during the morning. That way, he is around for the rest of the day in case of any smouldering ember problems.

 

[Penners]

A plumber of my acquaintance refuses to use anything but push-fit joints in the attics of thatched houses. Seems good sense.

 

[Feltwell]

A plumber of my acquaintance refuses to use anything but push-fit joints in the attics of thatched houses. Seems good sense.

I went for an interview yesterday with a company that manufactures plumbing fittings, of the soldered, compression and push-fit variety. Apparently a lot of the larger contractors have moved over to push fit due to the health & safety restrictions of using naked flames, despite the fact that they are considerably more expensive than the soldered type. I still have my doubts over how long those fittings will last before the O rings perish though!

On the subject of fire - our roofer advised strongly against using a blowtorch anywhere near the eaves of our house, and judging by the number of old and tinder-dry birds nests we found when the roof came off that was very good advice indeed! Apparently he'd done 2 fire-repair jobs that year caused by decorators using blow torches on fascia boards - the nests can smoulder unseen for hours before finally setting the roof timbers alight.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Hope the interview went well, Feltwell. Glad I'm not in the job market at the moment.

It costs more, but I have moved all my plumpbing to push-fit over the last couple of years. It is just so much more convenient than solder or even compression fittings. Leak testing is almost non-existent with push-fit, which I could neve say about my solder joints! It's also quicker and much easier to run runs that are not straight or right-angled with the flexible pipe.

I am worried about the lifespan of pushfit plastic (especially the rubber o-rings), even more so as I have a number of runs that are conceled semi-permanenetly (unavoidably).

I figured that if the o-rings do last 50 years or more, I didn't really want to wait 50 yrs to find out that others had discovered this, when I could have benefited from the convenience 50 yrs previously (if you get my drift).

Does anyone know how long the o-rings might last?

 

[Feltwell]

Hope the interview went well, Feltwell. Glad I'm not in the job market at the moment.

Thank you! It's a move of choice, not of necessity, so whilst I hope it comes off it's not a huge problem if it doesn't.

Re. O rings - it's probably just me being a luddite that means I don't trust them, I'm sure if I'd been around when copper plumbing became cheap & popular I would have been saying that I don't trust that flimsy copper stuff and I want to stick to lead or threading black iron pipes. :roll:

I guess no one really knows how long the fittings will last as they haven't been around for that long. Totally unscientific comparison I admit, but the O rings in motorbike brake calipers are exposed to far more harsh conditions than plumbing fittings and the ones on mine have lasted 20 years with no problems!

Whilst push fit plumbing is undeniably very easy, I would say to anyone who's not tried soldering copper that it really isn't hard - especially if you use the fittings with the ring of solder built into them. Give it a go if you need to - I'm completely self-taught and none of my joints have failed yet. It looks like a relatively skilled job but it really isn't, so long as you clean the joints properly and flux them then there's little to it. People tend to look at a plumber soldering and think it's as difficult as welding or brazing.

My next leap into the unknown is to trust all those on here who've said that lime plastering is not difficult....

Sorry, wandering off topic as usual!

 

[FamilyWiggs]

I agree that soldering is not difficult, and to be fair very few of my joints have ever leaked - but enough for the inital leak test to make me cross my fingers!

I just think that plastic pushfit is sooo much easier. And whilst the joints are more expensive (cheaper in bulk obviously) the pipework itself is cheaper. I reckon overall the TCO is probably about even or maybe a bit cheaper for pushfit - maybe someone has done the maths?

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Sorry, wandering off topic as usual!

It's not wandering off topic, it's the Geograph website's old friend, Fred Drift (Thread Drift, geddit? - "Off Topic" would be telling us about your budgie). If I have a New Year's Resolution (which I don't) it's to introduce Fred to similar situations on other internet fora.
So - Fred, may I introduce the regulars at PPUK? PPUK, this is Fred, you may have seen him hovering in the corner at our lime-and-cheese evenings.

 

[Penners]

"Off Topic" would be telling us about your budgie

Now, it's funny you should mention that, because my budgie did the craziest thing the other day.....