Copper v Qualplex v Unipipe

karlitob

Hi all,

Getting a replumb. There's a mixture of gun barrel, copper (which looks pretty old and rusty) and qualplex.

So, I be obliged to hear your opinion on which is better for a replumb
- all copper
- qualplex with copper for fittings
- Unipipe with copper for fittings

Which of the above is costs more?

Also, we will be removing the rusty copper that's down and a few sinks. Is there an expectation that the plumber takes this or should I hold onto them. The sinks/pedestals are in great nick - solid and old - but they are in are bedrooms and we don't want them there.

Joey the lips

karlitob wrote: »

Hi all,

Getting a replumb. There's a mixture of gun barrel, copper (which looks pretty old and rusty) and qualplex.

So, I be obliged to hear your opinion on which is better for a replumb
- all copper
- qualplex with copper for fittings
- Unipipe with copper for fittings

Which of the above is costs more?

Also, we will be removing the rusty copper that's down and a few sinks. Is there an expectation that the plumber takes this or should I hold onto them. The sinks/pedestals are in great nick - solid and old - but they are in are bedrooms and we don't want them there.

Qualpex imo works out the cheapest. However you need to secure it correctly and use barrier on heating. The reason it works out cheap is the time saving element.

If you have bits of bathroom that have survived and look good your right...No need to change it then.

karlitob

Joey the lips wrote: »

Qualpex imo works out the cheapest. However you need to secure it correctly and use barrier on heating. The reason it works out cheap is the time saving element.

If you have bits of bathroom that have survived and look good your right...No need to change it then.

Thanks Joey. There is some copper pipe laid at the moment but it looks quite old. I was recommended to have it removed and replaced. I was wondering then if I keep that copper considering how expensive it is or is it a given that the plumber takes it. The same goes for our sinks. We have two to remove. The sinks are in the rooms and not the bathrooms. We wont ever use them but they are fine old solid sinks in great condition. Is he expected to take these or should I hold on to them.


Thanks for all your help on the forum.

DoneDL

Use Qualpex or acorn for the heating side with copper tails, use copper on all supplies for drinking water as it is anti-bacterial including up to the cold water storage tank. On the hot water side I would still use copper if you can afford it if not use plastic but keep the cylinder at 65 0c.

Joey the lips

karlitob wrote: »

Thanks Joey. There is some copper pipe laid at the moment but it looks quite old. I was recommended to have it removed and replaced. I was wondering then if I keep that copper considering how expensive it is or is it a given that the plumber takes it. The same goes for our sinks. We have two to remove. The sinks are in the rooms and not the bathrooms. We wont ever use them but they are fine old solid sinks in great condition. Is he expected to take these or should I hold on to them.


Thanks for all your help on the forum.

They say the lifespan of copper is 25 years. However i would remove it if i had the floors up and replace it. For the anount your talking about it wont be worth leaving.

The plumber is not expected to take anything so its up to you

lomb

Copper would seem to be still the safest and best material. I always found a funny taste off the plastic piped places. Id say the number of tradesmen who ould do copper neatly and efficiently is dwindling these days though so could cost in labour. I dont think copper is too dear for the material considering how much one will use up.

Joey the lips

lomb wrote: »

Copper would seem to be still the safest and best material. I always found a funny taste off the plastic piped places. Id say the number of tradesmen who ould do copper neatly and efficiently is dwindling these days though so could cost in labour. I dont think copper is too dear for the material considering how much one will use up.

On taste. Its plastic pipe up to the house so

qualpex and copper is roughly the same price. Its the labour that works out cheaper.

Stove Fan

When I plumbed my renovation the cold and hot water services in the loft I used qualpex with compression fittings. Near the cylinder in copper and as it was a bungalow I used copper drops from the loft for neatness.

As my heating system is a stove with back boiler I used all copper pipes. The copper was quite expensive compared to the qualpex. The 1 inch pipe was very expensive especially when you are buying 20m of it:mad:

If I was piping up a conventional heating system I would use mostly qualpex. But anything for neatness in copper. I was impressed on how quick the qualpex went in but I did spend time fitting lots of pipe clips.

The best thing about fitting plastic piping is the metal thieves wont want it.

Stove Fan.:)

karlitob

Stove Fan wrote: »

When I plumbed my renovation the cold and hot water services in the loft I used qualpex with compression fittings. Near the cylinder in copper and as it was a bungalow I used copper drops from the loft for neatness.

As my heating system is a stove with back boiler I used all copper pipes. The copper was quite expensive compared to the qualpex. The 1 inch pipe was very expensive especially when you are buying 20m of it:mad:

If I was piping up a conventional heating system I would use mostly qualpex. But anything for neatness in copper. I was impressed on how quick the qualpex went in but I did spend time fitting lots of pipe clips.

The best thing about fitting plastic piping is the metal thieves wont want it.

Stove Fan.:)

Hey stove fan, thanks for that.

Interesting that you found the copper expensive v the qualplex. I have been informed that prices were similar.

As for the qualplex clips, ive read a few threads whereby the plumber didnt put in enough clips - I presume they are a major necessity and there should be many of them. Can I ask what fittings you used to attach the qualplex to the copper?


Also, can I ask what stove you use? We are considering including a stove in the front room in future so I presume adding a back boiler and twin coil into the cylinder now would be a good idea. Do you use wood pellets and if so, how long do they last from a bag and how much is the bag.

Many thanks

karlitob

DoneDL wrote: »

Use Qualpex or acorn for the heating side with copper tails, use copper on all supplies for drinking water as it is anti-bacterial including up to the cold water storage tank. On the hot water side I would still use copper if you can afford it if not use plastic but keep the cylinder at 65 0c.

Thanks Done DL.

What are the advantages of the copper over the qualplex in your opinion? Is any of the hot water 'drinking water' as such? Does the copper retain heat better. Thanks for your post. Sorry about all the questions.

DoneDL

There are no real benefits to using copper other than it is antibacterial so its best for the potable aspects of a plumbing system. It would be used in areas at risk of rodent attack and is a must on solid fuel, gas and oil.

Stove Fan

karlitob wrote: »

Hey stove fan, thanks for that.

Interesting that you found the copper expensive v the qualplex. I have been informed that prices were similar.

As for the qualplex clips, ive read a few threads whereby the plumber didnt put in enough clips - I presume they are a major necessity and there should be many of them. Can I ask what fittings you used to attach the qualplex to the copper?


Also, can I ask what stove you use? We are considering including a stove in the front room in future so I presume adding a back boiler and twin coil into the cylinder now would be a good idea. Do you use wood pellets and if so, how long do they last from a bag and how much is the bag.

Many thanks

I used the standard plastic snap lid pipe clips. I used clips about every 600mm.

To join from copper to qualpex I just used standard compression fittings. Don't forget to buy the qualpex inserts and cutter. The cutter cuts the pipe cleanly and then fit the pex insert on the end of the pipe.

Yes, fit a twin coil cylinder or if having solar a triple coil. We have a twin coil but have left the 2nd coil unused. For use if we sell and the new owner wants to add an oil boiler.

We have no other form of heating and use a villager berkley multifuel boiler stove. It has a 7.6kw back boiler. It heats 5 rads 4 doubles and a towel radiator and the hot water. Last winter we used 50 40kg bags of coal. We have an extended 2 bed detatched 1950's bungalow that has been insulated quite well with kingspan internal insulation, insulated plasterboard. 50mm thickness. We purchased the stove in the UK as it was cheaper. Please before buying a stove get expert advice for suitability as you may need a more powerfull stove. The place was lovely and warm and the coal cost 750 euro. We used it over 7 months burning 13 hours a day. I have no experiance of wood pellet burners/stoves.

We have been very pleased with our stove. Cost £740.00 Unfortunately villager are not going to make the Berkley integral boiler or the large ALI/AHI boiler stoves.

Stove Fan:D

karlitob

Stove Fan wrote: »

I used the standard plastic snap lid pipe clips. I used clips about every 600mm.

To join from copper to qualpex I just used standard compression fittings. Don't forget to buy the qualpex inserts and cutter. The cutter cuts the pipe cleanly and then fit the pex insert on the end of the pipe.

We're getting a plumber to do the job for us but I just want to make sure what it is I expect him to do

Stove Fan wrote: »

Yes, fit a twin coil cylinder or if having solar a triple coil. We have a twin coil but have left the 2nd coil unused. For use if we sell and the new owner wants to add an oil boiler.

We have no other form of heating and use a villager berkley multifuel boiler stove. It has a 7.6kw back boiler. It heats 5 rads 4 doubles and a towel radiator and the hot water.

Sorry this is where I get confused? If you have a twin coil but the 2nd is blocked. How is your back boiler heating the rads. Ah, hold on.... you're not using gas/oil as a primary source of heating???

Stove Fan wrote: »

Last winter we used 50 40kg bags of coal. We have an extended 2 bed detatched 1950's bungalow that has been insulated quite well with kingspan internal insulation, insulated plasterboard. 50mm thickness. We purchased the stove in the UK as it was cheaper. Please before buying a stove get expert advice for suitability as you may need a more powerfull stove. The place was lovely and warm and the coal cost 750 euro. We used it over 7 months burning 13 hours a day. I have no experiance of wood pellet burners/stoves.

We have been very pleased with our stove. Cost £740.00 Unfortunately villager are not going to make the Berkley integral boiler or the large ALI/AHI boiler stoves.

Thanks for that advice.


We're going to install a gas boiler. But we would also like to have a fire (wood burning stove) in one of the downstairs rooms. We wouldnt burn anywhere near 13 hours a day. Maybe once a week in the winter. Should we just get a stove without backboiler or do you think it would be economical to get a stove, back boiler and twin coil as well as our gas boiler and for the times the fire is on it could heat the house for us.


What cylinder did you go for? Make, size etc.

Thanks for your advice

JohnnieK

A length of 1/2 inch copper is around €28 the equivilant pex pipe is around €8 and 3/4 inch copper per lenght is around €38 and 3/4 pex is around €12. I try to keep all exposed pipework in copper because it's neater than pex and looks better. I have been in a good few hotpress's perticularly in newer houses and everything bar the cylinder is qualpex and it looks like a dog's dinner. I come from an industrial back ground and if I left a job looking like some I have seen I would have been shown the door with a steel toe boot stuck in my a r s e.

Marcanthony

lomb wrote: »

Copper would seem to be still the safest and best material. I always found a funny taste off the plastic piped places. Id say the number of tradesmen who ould do copper neatly and efficiently is dwindling these days though so could cost in labour. I dont think copper is too dear for the material considering how much one will use up.

Excellent point. I Served my time as a plumber with a plumber that was a perfectioist before I went on to study engineering.
The quality and workmanship of copper work these days that I have seen leaves a lot to be desired. I think during the boom the apprentices thought the apprentices.
The lad I served my time with would give the apprentice a good ear bashing or sometimes a slap for what now some of the qualifed lads are leaving as a finish.

Stove Fan

karlitob wrote: »

We're getting a plumber to do the job for us but I just want to make sure what it is I expect him to do.
Sorry this is where I get confused? If you have a twin coil but the 2nd is blocked. How is your back boiler heating the rads. Ah, hold on.... you're not using gas/oil as a primary source of heating??? Yep just using the stove.


We're going to install a gas boiler. But we would also like to have a fire (wood burning stove) in one of the downstairs rooms. We wouldnt burn anywhere near 13 hours a day. Maybe once a week in the winter. Should we just get a stove without backboiler or do you think it would be economical to get a stove, back boiler and twin coil as well as our gas boiler and for the times the fire is on it could heat the house for us.
What cylinder did you go for? Make, size etc.

Thanks for your advice

As you are only going to use the stove once a week a boiler stove would not be worthwhile cost wise. Dearer to buy and install. As you say a non boiler stove would be more usefull and cheaper for you. Cheaper to run as less fuel needed as not running the rads.

Our twin coil cylinder was a cheap make 36" by 18" factory Insulated in green insulation. From memory about 180 euro. There is three of us in the house and only have a showeroom with power shower.

Stove Fan.:)