Does anyone know of anything on the market that enables you to attach Push fit or solvent weld waste pipe onto Lead or copper waste? The only thing I could think of today was to use a compression coupler onto a copper end feed joint, which was just wide enough to give me a good joint. When I took a basin off the wall today I found to my horror that the trap was made of lead! CC
Polypipe push fit will fit onto copper waste pipe of same size, dont know if there are any size differences with other manufacturers. Only other alternative is compression as you say.
I guess I was just lucky that this end feed fitting was around and available for the compression joint. Otherwise I would have been snookered. The thing is, I just need to know if there is a quick solution for 28mm copper or lead pipe in case I am stuck with such a problem again. CC
Copper you might get away with. Source a 28mm*32mm copper reducer and solder to end of existing waste, carry on in 32mm plastic. Lead no chance, either way you'd be better to replace the waste if at all possible. I've never come across a waste smaller than 32mm (1&1/4"), but thats not to say they weren't used.
Thanks Mick. I'm surprised the plumbers merchant didn't suggest the 32 to 28mm reducer. It would have made things much easier. I suspect that although they keep a wide renge of materials that their staff don't fully appreciate what they have, although they were very helpful. For your info the waste that went under the floor was in 28mm copper pipe. There was (and still is) an endfeed joint that I used to do the compression fit onto. This was a shade under 32mm so I cut the pipe from above it and used it as a ready fitted reducer. The other option I may have had, had it been in the right place, would have been to cut into the lead pipe after the trap, but a couple of inches above where it was soldered to the copper, and fit the plastic compression joint onto this. I wanted to do this but the lead pipe was too high to enable me to get the trap and the flexible connector onto and still get them under the basin. Oh well, a few ideas for the next time. Idoubt if it's the last time I come across this problem. I'll just have to look more carefully next time I assess a similar job. You wouldn't believe the problems I had with this job though! After successfully making the new hot and cold connections and checking the waste several times, a slow leak in the cold plumbing behind the lathe and plaster wall got disturbed and leaked faster. I had to make a hole in the wall and replace a section of copper. The leak was due to a pinhole caused by corrosion. I assured the client that there was nothing I could have done to cause this problem. The water was spaying out like a leaky hosepipe! This is all in conjunction with a dodgy stopcock as well. I had to turn it off (ha ha!) and ask the client to run the kitchen tap downstairs to relieve the pressure and allow me to solder the connections - oh boy! Oh yes, and becuase it is a 2nd hand sink of the older variety there were no fittings, so I had to rely on the plumbing to hold it against the wall. I have been about 80% successful here, so some grip fill will make it's way up there later to glue it onto the wall. CC
Glad I was of some help to you, yes, been there with them old stoptaps. Probably the hardest water about, here in Northants, so everything scales up fairly quickly. Lead fitted over copper on a waste, often seen those on baths and basins, common practice I suppose was to use a lead trap then copper pipe. Takes some bending though the big stuff!! Those 28*32 reducers can be difficult to get hold of. The bigger sizes of copper were commonplace with the old gravity central heating systems, 1&1/4 or 1&1/2" pipe with swept tee's into rads, but then the advent of the pump changed that, so there's little demand for them these days. Still see the odd one about, my aunt has just had it all ripped out in her bungalow and new small bore CH installed. (P.S. Am rather envious of your location. Have a friend living in Roche, Nr St Austell, I love your part of the world.)
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