olives: brass or copper

Fred

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Sep 29, 2013, 6:24:56 AM9/29/13

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Hi,

Last time I bought a bag of olives they were made from copper. I
notice that screwfix and toolstation now sell brass olives instead. Is
the only reason for this cost? I imagine that brass is cheaper than
copper?

I notice that most fittings come with copper olives. Is there a reason
the manufacturers choose copper over brass?

Is there any advantage to using the one type over the other? I know
copper is softer than brass. Does that make a difference in use?

TIA

Camdor

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Sep 29, 2013, 8:58:34 AM9/29/13

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Copper Olives for Gas, Brass for Water. Thats what I have always followed.

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Regards
Camdor.

Andrew Gabriel

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Sep 29, 2013, 10:01:04 AM9/29/13

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In article <mmvf49p441mm93v4q...@4ax.com>,

You need brass to grip a pipe harder than copper (such as a brass
radiator tail).
I would probably choose brass for chromed pipework too (although I
actually take the chrome off and solder it).
Otherwise, copper will normally do.

If the best man wants a fake wedding ring to drop in the church, then
22mm brass is about right. No one will hear a copper one land on a stone
floor and fall through a heating grate, whereas the brass one makes a
nice ding sound which can be heard throughout most churches.

--
Andrew Gabriel
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Tim Watts

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Sep 29, 2013, 12:45:42 PM9/29/13

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I prefer brass as it bites nicely (slightly deforms the pipe meaning it
cannot ever fall off) and you get a satisfying "creak" when it's done up
right.

More of less obligatory to use brass on chromed pipe.

Copper olives on plain copper work and are a little easier than brass but I
do not like the lack of feedback.
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Tim Watts

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Sep 29, 2013, 12:46:58 PM9/29/13

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There might be some sense there, but I have not heard it before... Can you
elaborate?

Murmansk

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Sep 29, 2013, 1:34:16 PM9/29/13

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If you are using compression fittings to join plastic pipe you need to use copper olives rather than the normal brass ones that come with compression fittings - I think this is because copper is softer (as indeed is plastic pipe!)

Brian Gaff

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Sep 29, 2013, 7:39:54 PM9/29/13

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No neither have I considering that one assumes in this case one is using
copper pipe in any case.
Brian

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John Rumm

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Sep 29, 2013, 9:41:53 PM9/29/13

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On 29/09/2013 13:58, Camdor wrote:
> On 29/09/2013 11:24, Fred wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> Last time I bought a bag of olives they were made from copper. I
>> notice that screwfix and toolstation now sell brass olives instead. Is
>> the only reason for this cost? I imagine that brass is cheaper than
>> copper?
>>
>> I notice that most fittings come with copper olives. Is there a reason
>> the manufacturers choose copper over brass?
>>
>> Is there any advantage to using the one type over the other? I know
>> copper is softer than brass. Does that make a difference in use?

> Copper Olives for Gas, Brass for Water. Thats what I have always followed.

I have never seen any requirement (or for that matter even a suggestion)
that using copper olives for gas work was in any way preferred over brass.

Both Tolly's and BS6891:2005 seem silent on the matter...

--
Cheers,

John.

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polygonum

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Sep 30, 2013, 5:19:41 PM9/30/13

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On 29/09/2013 11:24, Fred wrote:

Would copper be more appropriate in circumstances where
dezincification-resistant brass is required?

But without knowing anything about the composition of the brass in brass
olives, this is pure speculation.

--
Rod

Fred

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Oct 1, 2013, 9:05:44 AM10/1/13

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On Sun, 29 Sep 2013 17:45:42 +0100, Tim Watts <tw+u...@dionic.net>
wrote:

>I prefer brass as it bites nicely (slightly deforms the pipe meaning it
>cannot ever fall off) and you get a satisfying "creak" when it's done up
>right.
>
>More of less obligatory to use brass on chromed pipe.

Thanks for all the replies. I managed to get some copper ones from a
plumbers merchant and the prices were about he same as brass. I am
about to use some chrome plated pipe, so it looks as though I may be
going back for some brass ones too! Do copper olives slide off chrome;
I can't say I have noticed that before but then again, I haven't done
lots of plumbing with chrome plated pipe.

TIA