Polyorc! The pipe that only a few seem to know about! Have you experienced this?

Discussion in 'Plumbers' Talk' started by christhemunch, Aug 10, 2016.

  1. christhemunch

    christhemunch New Member

    Hi
    So i have been doing some work on a care home in Cumbria. We have come across a lovely type of pipe called Polyorc, after getting in touch with my friend "Google" i managed to dig up some information.

    It appears it was used in the 70's when there was a shortage of copper pipe, it was apparently only used by certain local authorities and finding fittings for it has been a living hell!

    Its a thick walled solvent pipe that when it was bonded together had to be left for approx 6 hours to completely bond and then at that point it could be pressurised up.

    We actually came across 3 sizes in the home, inch and a half, 3/4 and 1/2 inch. No standard fittings fit these and these are the internal measurements not the external, the only company we found that supplied and knew about these fittings actually have never come across the pipe sizes we gave them, giving them the benefit of the doubt we ordered their 3/4 size and it was to small.

    We finally after a couple of days trial and error found that the MDPE Fittings from Jewsons or Plumb centre the Philmac brand actually worked and these were the 25 x 3/4 fittings luckily we was able to reduce it from the smaller end because finding something that would fit the inch and half for mains water pressure would have been a nightmare.

    For anyone having similar problems i hope this helps, and for anyone who has experienced this pipe what was it that you used?

    Thanks
     
  2. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

    Polyorc:eek: that's a name from the past,orrible tacky fragile plastic pipe,still being used in the 80's, Lunns still list compression adaptors for it I believe.
     
  3. philthespark

    philthespark Active Member

    Used a lot on static caravans at one point iirc
     
  4. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

    And the problems it caused,especially if it froze.:(

    Philmac were the only adapators recommended for Polyorc,way back in the 80's, if my memory is right.
    In fact today the Philmac Universal transition couplings & 3G Metric/Imperial are the only plastic fittings are I think, able to convert Polyorc to mdpe,copper,etc.
     
    Last edited: Aug 11, 2016
  5. nigel willson

    nigel willson Screwfix Select

    i cam across this stuff once where i used too live in bedford. My local plumbers merchant, a friend of mine stocked a couple of compression fittings for this stuff , it was a 17mm to 15mm coupler.
     
  6. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

    Polyorc was available in black & versions, but I can't remember why,after all these years.:(
    Probably still have one of their catalogue if I were to ferret in the attic.:eek:
     
  7. darren jackson

    darren jackson Active Member

    are we talking about durapipe
    god awful stuff, happy days
     
  8. christhemunch

    christhemunch New Member

    it's amazing how many long standing merchants have never even heard of it, iv sorted the problem now and yes philmac fittings worked perfectly, hopefully I won't come across the awful stuff ever again!
     
  9. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

    It's not the fault of the merchants, but the staff, a lot don't know about the products they sell, & a lot haven't the the long time experience in the trade.
    When I start out in a builder merchant over 30 years ago, I got sent off to slate company in North Wales for a few days to learn about the products:eek:,same with Redland,Velux, & others we had had hands on experience courses with the products, we got various goodies:), had a body warmer, & a darn good coat from Redland:eek:,still using my slate place mats & cup mats from North Wales,& I still have several hundreds trade mugs boxed up in the shed.
     
    Last edited: Aug 12, 2016
  10. philthespark

    philthespark Active Member

    My old fella was a plumber all his working life and I remember him telling me of a right row he'd had with a young lad in one of the wholesalers,he'd gone in for a fitting that he'd used for years and this young lad was trying to tell him they didn't make one,despite the fact that it was the same wholesaler he'd always bought them from.
     
    KIAB likes this.
  11. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

    You still see that today, I've had a few good rows in builder merchants,where customers want something & they are told no such thing, don't exist, & I can't resist poking my nose in, & correcting them.:)

    Lady went builder merchant for two 900mm concrete lintels, & this spotty oik in yard,fell foul of me, he was so persitant trying recommend a Osma 4D131 wall sleeve @ £40 to the lass, when two lintel would do same job.:mad:

    Another thing that bugs me is not knowing part numbers for some common items went in merchant a few months ago, chap had a heap of osma fittings, spotty oik behind counter had to look at each item for the part number, after 5 minutes queing I flipped my lid, grab the bags & emptied them on the counter & rattled off the numbers from memory for each item, you could have heard a pin drop, even the manager didn't say a word, just looked rather shocked.
     
    Last edited: Aug 12, 2016
  12. philthespark

    philthespark Active Member

    I do that in the big orange shed,I love wandering round there on a bank holiday and listening to their experts advising some poor sod who knows very little,I usually wait until they think they're going to sell the poor bloke about 200 quids worth of gear then politely point out that the stuff he really needs will only cost about 50.the wife loves watching me.went in one day and some spotty oik as you call them was trying to sell this old guy a top of the range drill for about 150 quid! The poor old guy was about 80 and only wanted to put up a couple of hanging baskets,in the end I sorted him out with a reasonable one for about 40 quid,and even that would probably outlast him.
     
    KIAB likes this.
  13. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

    Don't getting me going on the sheds...:mad::)

    Some so called experts leave me speechless, but others are retired trade & are honest with their advice.
     
    philthespark likes this.
  14. christhemunch

    christhemunch New Member

    Got to love the experts, it's the same tactics when buying a new laptop or similar, they try and sell you all the extra **** you don't need! there's always an expert still wearing nappys somewhere
     

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