Copper pipe mains water pipe

Discussion in 'Plumbers' Talk' started by Mark Purcell, Sep 24, 2022.

  1. Mark Purcell

    Mark Purcell New Member

    Hello!

    I’ve got a house that was built in 1928, I’m currently trying to put a new bathroom in (it’s old style next to kitchen) the mains flow pipe comes up from the floor in the bathroom. I measured its outer diameter and it’s 88.9cm or 3 1/2 inches. Now I thought it would be a 28mm fitting but it’s just a tad too big. Does anyone know what size fitting I could use please? Im trying to find a 90degree elbow, as it’s an old imperial one from back in the day I’m stuck and have no water at the moment! Any help would be much appreciated
     
  2. Hausfix

    Hausfix Screwfix Select

    Outer diameter of a water pipe 88.9cm?? That’s nearly 3 feet wide! Surly that’s not correct?
     
  3. Mark Purcell

    Mark Purcell New Member

    sorry, I meant 88.9mm, excuse my fat fingers!
     
  4. Hausfix

    Hausfix Screwfix Select

  5. qwas123

    qwas123 Screwfix Select

    OP, something weird about a 1928 house having a copper mains and a 31/2" cu mains at that?
    Are you saying that this is a ground floor bathroom with the cu supply pipe from the external stop-tap entering the house/coming up through the bathroom floor?
    Is the floor solid or suspended?
    Where's the internal stop-tap?
    Some photos would help?
     
  6. Mark Purcell

    Mark Purcell New Member

  7. Mark Purcell

    Mark Purcell New Member

    hi,

    that’s right, ground floor bathroom with a copper pipe coming up from the floor from outside mains.
    Using a tape measure wrapped around the outside it’s touching 90mm (looking at charts it’s more like 88.9mm or 3.5 inches)

    let me see if I can sort out some decent photos
     

    Attached Files:

  8. Hausfix

    Hausfix Screwfix Select

    There are many other different options, some depending on your plumbing skills, even a simple 3/4” to 22mm end feed reducing coupler would probably work.
    Screwfix item 74038 for example.
     
  9. rogerk101

    rogerk101 Screwfix Select

    It appears that the OP is confusing diameter and circumference.

    Using circumference = π x diameter, a 90mm circumference is around 28mm diameter. So work with a 28mm to 22mm coupling and then it's 22mm and 15mm from there onwards.
     
  10. Hausfix

    Hausfix Screwfix Select

    I think OP mentioned they tried a 28mm fitting and it was too loose
     
  11. Mark Purcell

    Mark Purcell New Member

    Some more photos
     

    Attached Files:

  12. Mark Purcell

    Mark Purcell New Member

    that’s right, 28mm is just a bit too big
     
  13. Hausfix

    Hausfix Screwfix Select

    If you lay a 2p coin on top of pipe opening, is it the same diameter?
     
  14. Hausfix

    Hausfix Screwfix Select

    Those latest photos look like it’s a steel pipe.. that plastic adaptive coupling I first linked will be the easiest fix
     
  15. Mark Purcell

    Mark Purcell New Member

    thank you for your help sir
     
  16. qwas123

    qwas123 Screwfix Select

    Thanks for the photos.
    Agree with Hausfix that it looks like steel, and simply laying a coin on top & posting a photo would immediately give us a scale.
    No internal shut-off in sight - did you use the external shut off for isolating the house supply?

    You have some other issues in the bathroom if your interested?
     
  17. exbg

    exbg Screwfix Select

  18. Mark Purcell

    Mark Purcell New Member


    I’ll do that tomorrow for you guys as currently away from the property, thank you for all your help
     
    Hausfix likes this.
  19. dcox

    dcox Screwfix Select

    You sure that's not lead? Try taking a nick out of the side with a stanley blade - if you can shave a bit off it's not steel. If it is lead, use a philmac (as mentioned above) or lead-loc to get on to copper.
     
  20. Hausfix

    Hausfix Screwfix Select

    I thought that at first, but if you look at pic 5/6, there appears to pitting and rust that you’d see on an old steel pipe, as well as the orange deposits inside the pipe which are normally light grey with lead pipe.
     

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