Adding a valve to a live pipe

Ray Palmer

I am doing up an old house and need to move some of the plumbing around. It is a spider web of pipes as over the years pipes were added and randomly disconnected. So for the copper 15mm pipes I bought an Aladdin kit

https://www.screwfix.ie/p/aladdin-easyfit-isolator-starter-pack-15mm/36008

Worked fine but a bit pricey. However I also need to add valves to 22mm black plastic piping and the kits are really expense (€175) and may have to do this on quite a few pipes. I vaguely recall some other tool or kit for plastic pipes that squeezes the pipe so you can add a valve and then release it and freezing kits too. Any recommendations on what best to use and where to get it

Sleeper12

There is a clamp available for qualpex pipes but you say black plastic. Some older homes, my 1964 home included, had plastic wavin pipes. This type of pipe will snap & break if you try to clamp.

You would probably be far better off draining the attic tank. Once this is done you can cut out any old redundant pipes & I'd definitely replace any wavin pipe. It's will be easier to fit leaver valves if the tank is drained

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118540449#Comment_118540449

It could be wavin pipe as I think it was done in the 80s. I think one of the pipes is is mains and I have to locate the connection to the property. One of the problems is there are multiple tanks in a very small attic space so getting to them is extremely difficult. I genuinely hadn't thought to empty the tanks which just shows I am an amateur but that actually makes much more sense as does replacing the pipes.

One thing I saw that didn't make any sense to me is there appears to be 2 overflow pipes on one tank but one of them is blocked up at the tank

fatmax

Self Cutting Drain Cock, Brass : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

fatmax

22MM ADAPTOR FOR SELF CUTTING VALVES : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118553605#Comment_118553605

That appears to be an add on for a self tapping tap. It is an isolation valve I need to add

cruizer101

Black plastic sounds like mains pipe alright, that is what is in my house for mains 3/4 inch, its not wavin though cause it is flexible think its polythene or LDPE or something.

To drain the tanks you can turn of the mains if you can find main stopcock, usually under the kitchen sink but not always and then open your taps.

You could also tie up the ballcock on the tank.

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118563717#Comment_118563717

Very old house. Turns out the stop cock is in the neigbours basement. When I say there is a spider web of pipes I really am not kidding. THere are 3 separate flats that have all been renovated at different times with little supervision. Pipes half way up a wall then through the wall and half up the other side of the wall. Looks like the mains pipe is going up to the top floor off to a sink and then to the tanks in the attic. Now I can shut off the mains I can figure it out and don't need to go into live pipes now.

Can water an electricity share the same boxing in?

Sleeper12

Yes. Water pipes are electric cable can share trunking

Doolittle51

The black pipe you mention is most likely Hydrodare. You can use compression fittings with it. If it's normal gauge you need to use an insert. No insert needed if it's heavy gauge. The pipe size and gauge are usually printed on it.

Most Hydrodare in houses is labelled as 1/2" but it takes 3/4" compression fittings. I think 1/2" is the internal diameter, but you can see the pipe is the same diameter as 3/4" copper or qualpex. A bit confusing but that just how it is!