Compression fittings on chrome pipe
oldskoo...@mailinator.com
I am debating the best type of connection for joining tap connectors
to 22mm chrome plated copper pipe.
My plumbing skills are adequate but not exactly neat so I am unsure
whether to use solder ring or compression fittings?
I would have to file off the chrome for soldering and there's a very
good chance the extra solder i put on (copying my plumber mate there)
would surely run down the nice shiny chrome pipe and spoil it.
Compression would be neater but the fittings are bulkier, also i'm not
sure how the olives will grip on the chromed surface.
Any tips or pointers Gents?
Dave Fawthrop
|!Hi All
|!
|!I am debating the best type of connection for joining tap connectors
|!to 22mm chrome plated copper pipe.
|!My plumbing skills are adequate but not exactly neat so I am unsure
|!whether to use solder ring or compression fittings?
|!I would have to file off the chrome for soldering and there's a very
|!good chance the extra solder i put on (copying my plumber mate there)
|!would surely run down the nice shiny chrome pipe and spoil it.
|!Compression would be neater but the fittings are bulkier, also i'm not
|!sure how the olives will grip on the chromed surface.
Are you sure that the pipe is chrome plated copper? scratch it and see!
I have used stainless steel pipe with compression fittings, no problems.
--
Dave Fawthrop <sf hyphenologist.co.uk> 165 *Free* SF ebooks.
165 Sci Fi books on CDROM, from Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page Completely Free to any
address in the UK. Contact me on the *above* email address.
Brian Sharrock
"Dave Fawthrop" <inv...@hyphenologist.co.uk.invalid> wrote in message
news:jda213to6887gvbeg...@4ax.com...
> On 2 Apr 2007 08:59:06 -0700, oldskoo...@mailinator.com wrote:
>
> |!Hi All
> |!
> |!I am debating the best type of connection for joining tap connectors
> |!to 22mm chrome plated copper pipe.
> |!My plumbing skills are adequate but not exactly neat so I am unsure
> |!whether to use solder ring or compression fittings?
> |!I would have to file off the chrome for soldering and there's a very
> |!good chance the extra solder i put on (copying my plumber mate there)
> |!would surely run down the nice shiny chrome pipe and spoil it.
> |!Compression would be neater but the fittings are bulkier, also i'm not
> |!sure how the olives will grip on the chromed surface.
>
> Are you sure that the pipe is chrome plated copper? scratch it and see!
> I have used stainless steel pipe with compression fittings, no problems.
> --
> Dave Fawthrop <sf hyphenologist.co.uk>
I have used 15mm chromed copper pipes with compression fittings - just
sandpaper off the chrome to reveal copper below.
---
Brian
Fred
"Brian Sharrock" <b.sha...@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:EqaQh.908$B54...@newsfe2-win.ntli.net...
Why? Won't the olive cut through the chrome and create a good seal without
removing any chrome?
Brian Sharrock
"Fred" <Fr...@n0spam.c0m> wrote in message
news:46113a75$0$21845$db0f...@news.zen.co.uk...
I tried to make a 'conventional' compression joint onto a chromed pipe - and
fundamentally; it pulled off when pressurised. I twiddled one of the
cylinder pipe cleaners thingy around it - abrading off the shiny chrome -
and reconnected - voila -watertight; no drips.
Without going into the metallurgy - I suspect that chrome is harder than the
brass 'olive.
I've only got two such joints in the house - a chrome downpipe-feed into the
toilet's cistern.
[The toilet cistern's connection cum service valve is chrome and I opined
that a Cu feed pipe would look naff] ... however next time I'll channel the
(rear) wall and not have any supply pipe visible. with the service valve
inside the cistern. It's astonishing how 'tunnel vision' overcomes one
when the 'bog' is out-of-service for even a short time. :)
--
Brian
stevelup
Hi
I can't say whether it is right or wrong but I've used these...
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?id=88014&ts=47080#
... on all my radiators and the taps in the bathroom. They are chrome
plated copper and none of them leaked when using conventional
compression fittings.
Steve
Roger R
> I tried to make a 'conventional' compression joint onto a chromed pipe -
> and fundamentally; it pulled off when pressurised. I twiddled one of the
> cylinder pipe cleaners thingy around it - abrading off the shiny chrome -
> and reconnected - voila -watertight; no drips.
> Without going into the metallurgy - I suspect that chrome is harder than
> the brass 'olive.
Are olives supposed work by cutting into the pipe to a small extent?
The question for me with stainless pipe was brass or copper olives.
I tried brass first but drips could not be stopped. 2nd with copper olives
was ok.
As copper olives are much softer than the stainless, the copper olive must
be deforming to take up any imperfections in the pipe - but is there as
possibility it might blow off later as it can't have cut into the stainless?
Are there any special olives for stainless pipe?
Roger R
John Rumm
> I am debating the best type of connection for joining tap connectors
> to 22mm chrome plated copper pipe.
Not much to debate - compression is the only real option for chromed pipe.
> My plumbing skills are adequate but not exactly neat so I am unsure
> whether to use solder ring or compression fittings?
> I would have to file off the chrome for soldering and there's a very
> good chance the extra solder i put on (copying my plumber mate there)
> would surely run down the nice shiny chrome pipe and spoil it.
> Compression would be neater but the fittings are bulkier, also i'm not
> sure how the olives will grip on the chromed surface.
If you leave the chrome in place then you will need to tighten the nut
more than you would for an ordinary copper pipe joint. If you used
chromed compression fittings and pipe clips it can all look quite neat.
--
Cheers,
John.
/=================================================================\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\=================================================================/
nightjar
<oldskoo...@mailinator.com> wrote in message
news:1175529546.0...@n59g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
> Hi All
>
> I am debating the best type of connection for joining tap connectors
> to 22mm chrome plated copper pipe.
> My plumbing skills are adequate but not exactly neat so I am unsure
> whether to use solder ring or compression fittings?
> I would have to file off the chrome for soldering and there's a very
> good chance the extra solder i put on (copying my plumber mate there)
> would surely run down the nice shiny chrome pipe and spoil it.
Wipe the excess off with a cloth while it is still hot. Assuming you use a
water approved flux, the excess will not bond to the chrome.
> Compression would be neater but the fittings are bulkier, also i'm not
> sure how the olives will grip on the chromed surface.
>
> Any tips or pointers Gents?
You should take the chrome off for any type of fitting. Heating the end of
the pipe and dipping it in hydrochloric acid is my preferred method, but not
one I would recommend for the inexperienced.
Colin Bignell
The Natural Philosopher
> Hi All
>
> I am debating the best type of connection for joining tap connectors
> to 22mm chrome plated copper pipe.
> My plumbing skills are adequate but not exactly neat so I am unsure
> whether to use solder ring or compression fittings?
Chrome really doesnt solder well at all. Compression ONLY..
> I would have to file off the chrome for soldering and there's a very
> good chance the extra solder i put on (copying my plumber mate there)
> would surely run down the nice shiny chrome pipe and spoil it.
Exactly.
> Compression would be neater but the fittings are bulkier, also i'm not
> sure how the olives will grip on the chromed surface.
Its not so much the chrome, as the steel underneath..the fittings will
tighten up much more abruptly and need more force.
There are a few loctite things that might be worth painting on to seal
any micro leaks.
oldskoo...@mailinator.com
The pipe is copper and I have have successfully soldered the other end
of the pipe that is going under the floorboards without leaks under
mains pressure (by taking the chrome off first)
Think I'll be taking the compression route and taking off the chrome
plating where the olive will be sited. Do I need to be careful not to
overtighten on compressions?
nightjar
<oldskoo...@mailinator.com> wrote in message
news:1175583458....@e65g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
Hand tight plus half a turn is the traditional advice, but I find that
people have different values for hand tight.
Colin Bignell
Andrew Mawson
"nightjar .uk.com>" <nightjar@<insert my surname here> wrote in
message news:vc6dnfuBtbN...@giganews.com...
IIUI there is absolutely no need to remove the chrome plating under
the olive, the olive will crush seal onto the chrome quite
satisfactorily
AWEM
oldskoo...@mailinator.com
Does this fitting exist?:
22mm to 3/4 bent tap connector (compression)
Ringing round I can't find one anywhere??
Andrew Mawson
<oldskoo...@mailinator.com> wrote in message
news:1175598613....@n59g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
Try BES part number 7417
AWEM
John Stumbles
> Any tips or pointers Gents?
Compression with brass olives.
(just my 0.02 euros'orth :-))
Fred
I'm rather surprised. Olives bind onto copper pipe through shrinkage and a
thin layer of chrome shouldn't have any effect. If there's any doubt I
would give the fitting another 1/2 turn to ensure the olive shrinks down and
binds onto the pipe.
Brian Sharrock
"Fred" <Fr...@n0spam.c0m> wrote in message
amount of torque'; turned water ON; both connections spurting water; tried
re-tightening the nuts, water spurting still; dismantled junctions,
sand-papered off chrome; reassembled - new olives (just to be safe),
tightened (normally) reapplied water - no drips. [I learnt from that ...].
BTW; I can't agree that distortion under pressure equates to 'shrinkage'.
--
Brian
nightjar
"Andrew Mawson" <andrew@no_spam_please_mawson.org.uk> wrote in message
news:cdKdnV3ql7V...@bt.com...
...
> IIUI there is absolutely no need to remove the chrome plating under
> the olive, the olive will crush seal onto the chrome quite
> satisfactorily
You need the olive to cut into the copper for a secure seal. Chrome is hard,
which makes it difficult to break through, and brittle, which means it will
crack and break into pieces, rather than deform, potentially making the seal
less secure.
Colin Bignell
Andrew Mawson
But so is stainless steel much harder than copper. I've installed
loads of stainless 15mm in high pressure hydraulic oil systems using
normal 15mm compression fittings in an agressive foundry environment,
and the only leak I've ever had was when a steel billet was dropped on
the pipe! Even then the joint was ok but the pipe fractured !!!
AWEM
fred
<b.sha...@ntlworld.com> writes
>
>BTW; I can't agree that distortion under pressure equates to 'shrinkage'.
Agreed, it's a very misused word, used extensively in retail to describe
staff theft (theft by staff :-).
--
fred
Plusnet - I hope you like vanilla
nightjar
...
> But so is stainless steel much harder than copper.
The important difference is that stainless is ductile, while chromium is
brittle.
Colin Bignell