How to detect polypropylene piping in the wall

gerTheGreat

Hey,
So I recently bought a new build with my wife. As the house is new, all of the piping is polypropylene and won't show up on a stud detector. Does anyone have any idea how I can identify the runs in the wall?

I'm convinced that I'm going to drill through a pipe while hanging towel rails, prints, etc?

Thanks,
Ger

Outkast_IRE

gerTheGreat wrote: »

Hey,
So I recently bought a new build with my wife. As the house is new, all of the piping is polypropylene and won't show up on a stud detector. Does anyone have any idea how I can identify the runs in the wall?

I'm convinced that I'm going to drill through a pipe while hanging towel rails, prints, etc?

Thanks,
Ger

Piping is generally only in walls at showers . Piping mostly comes up to what it's serving from the floor up.

So for example above a rad you are unlikely to find pipes in the walls , but below a rad there may be some run in the floor etc.

If in doubt just drill slowly and stop drilling when through the plasterboard and stick in a long small screwdriver to feel for any pipes .

Electrics are different they may come from above the sockets downstairs and upstairs may come from above or below . Never drill directly above or below sockets

DublinDilbert

Get a small screwdriver, make a small hole in the plasterboard, have a feel around inside the wall. If its a brick wall you should hit brick and be able to feel it. If its a cavity wall you probably won't feel anything, maybe some insulation. Then if call clear you should be safe to drill a larger hole. Pipes shouldn't be too close to the surface in a new build.

jhenno78

Not that it's important, but your pipes aren't polypropylene - except for p-traps or in the very unlikely(assuming you're in Ireland) case that you have push-fit waste pipes.

Bonzo Delaney

A lot of scheme houses pipes for downstairs rads drop down from the ceiling either in line with rad valve or centre of rad .
Or like most houses I've worked in its a game of drill roulette

tradesman

In my experience you could find anything anywhere! NEVER assume a pipe or wire runs where it logically should be. I once found the mains electricity to the house literally 10mm under the tarmac. We used a detector to survey the ground. The cable had followed the rear wall of the house & then about 2m from the meter cabinet decided to swing out into the drive & back into the meter cabinet. luckily the cable only got a minor nick on it when cutting the tarmac with the grinder

shesty

tradesman wrote: »

In my experience you could find anything anywhere! NEVER assume a pipe or wire runs where it logically should be. I once found the mains electricity to the house literally 10mm under the tarmac. We used a detector to survey the ground. The cable had followed the rear wall of the house & then about 2m from the meter cabinet decided to swing out into the drive & back into the meter cabinet. luckily the cable only got a minor nick on it when cutting the tarmac with the grinder

This.
Assume you will hit something and proceed with caution....