Pipe fittings, water troughs and leaks!!

Silverdream

Fecken bane of my life at the moment, I've several troughs that have a drip coming off them and I just can't seem to seal them. Its the black 1/2 inch Hydradale pipe that is feeding the troughs but I idk is it how the pipes are out of shape or what but they are hard to get joints sealed. I want to sort the problem, no point ringing a plumber as they are up the walls so it would be Christmas 2026 before I'd see them.

Can someone with a bit of knowledge explain the fittings, especially the measurements.

When you say half inch pipe is that the internal measurement?

The hydradale is light gauge but what measurement is that?

Why is it in inches when we are metric?

I want to connect to the ballcock afaik its 15mm but thats the outer measurement :(

Can I use those flexi hose, if I could use one of those it would make life easier but can you connect them from the ballcock to the hydradale pipe?

Siamsa Sessions

More knowledge posters than me on here but whenever anything starts leaking here I bring the various pieces to the local farm supplies merchant and match whatever I need against the piece I bring. You just check sizes and threads there.

eg. I noticed a broken connector going into a water trough yesterday evening (in the rain obviously!). It was joining a half-inch normal gauge water pipe (it says NG in red writing) to the ballcock, so I’ll bring the ballcock to the merchant and match it to the fitting I need.

sandman30

There is light half inch and heavy half inch. Generally they use the same fittings, but you change the inserts inside the fitting. Usually White is heavy, red is light guage.

If the pipe has got scratched on the outside, can be very hard to get them fitted right, often have to cut off the end of the hose.

Also you need to trim the end of a pipe with a proper pipe cutter and not a hacksaw. Some people say to chamfer down the end of the pipe into a cone, but never found the need especially with half inch.

MDPE or HDPE would be superior pipe to the hydrodare.

minerleague

Definitely round off the corners of the cut pipe with the newer philmac fittings as you can catch seal when putting pipe into fitting.

Cavanjack

Cut the pipe with a proper pipe cutters they are not big money. Edges cut with a hacksaw are a nightmare to seal.

Call to a hardware and they will tell you what you need and there are philmac videos online to show you how to make the connections properly.

What you have sounds like 1/2” normal gauge hydro pipe and you want to connect to a 1/2” ballcock.

Even take a picture of what you are doing and show in the hardware. You need the red inserts for the compression fitting not the white. They’ll explain all.

cute geoge

THey sell the philmac fittings without the insert sleeves ,you need these as well but they are sold seperate

Mooooo

Proper pipe cutters as said and if using philmac fittings use the red inserts for the normal gauge pipe.

Plumbing tape when connecting to the ball cock as well

Silverdream

I've been cutting with a hacksaw, yeah its hard to get the cut straight. I'm going to invest in one of these

probably over kill for me but I'll have it for future use. https://www.screwfix.ie/p/faithfull-3-42mm-manual-plastic-pipe-cutter/587gc

Screwfix the only place open tomorrow, fair handy place but the staff are only stock pickers and haven't a clue about most stuff

patsy_mccabe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121298744#Comment_121298744

When using that cutter, make sure the pipe is located straight on the cutter. That helps get a square cut. Make sure that the inserts in the fitting are on the right way around too. I've seen lads put them on back to front. There's also a flat rubber seal in the newer Philmac fitting.

In fact, I've seen 3 different versions of philmac over the years. The screw on side that goes direct on the ballcock thread, needs PTFE (teflon) tape wound on the threads for best seal.

mr.stonewall

All the philmac fittings that fit onto a ballock are a tapered thread. They need plenty tape and tightened well (knowing when to go for that half extra turn or stopping is key.)

Pipe cutters is a must with all plastic piping

endainoz

A regular good quality garden secoturs will also work fine for getting a clean cut on half inch pipe.

mr.stonewall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121299178#Comment_121299178

The amount of half inch being cut on farms is reducing every year. Here its slowly moving to inch and 3/4inch

Sheep breeder

Just being pricing the white philmac insert for half inch water pipe, want to change from light gauge that’s already in the shed for water drinkers to heavy gauge pipe, price from 1.20 to 1.96 per each insert some difference, need 20 of them. Shows the mark up some places have.

893bet

Why the fittings come with standard gauge installed is a mystery. Who the **** is using light gauge now.

Wildsurfer

When you say standard and light gauge do you mean normal gauge? I would say vast majority of piping sold is normal gauge would it not? Aren't the white fittings that usually come with fittings not for heavy gauge?

endainoz

Most farms around here use normal gauge. Always found heavy gauge to be a bit awkward to work with. Don't use philmac fittings though so maybe that's the reason.

K.G.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121623850#Comment_121623850

The difference is 7 euro 60 cent in the job.is it worth pricing that kinda stuff.local hardware store tends to be a bit dear for stuff but I Try and support it as its a local business and its handy to have it there sometimes.

Sheep breeder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121627355#Comment_121627355

Today got a price for 2.65 each from a plumbing merchant, and when counted up need 35 inserts to convert all in two sheds to heavy gauge pipe. The two prices was from two local businesses and the second price was doing me a good deal. Usually shop local if we can but no point getting ripped off also.

Say my name

I presume everyone knows one flaw of heavy gauge piping is if the pipe freezes, it'll crack and burst as there's no give over the lighter gauge.

Cavanjack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121631298#Comment_121631298

Never had this issue and nearly all hg pipe here. It does take longer to thaw though.

DBK1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121631298#Comment_121631298

Nearly all heavy gauge pipe here, 1”, 3/4” and 1/2”, have never had a pipe burst from frost yet, not even when we had minus 14 back in 2010.

Say my name

I'll have to tell my experience so.

I had land rented and the water scheme joined up to the light gauge pipe I had down with heavy gauge when they brought the meters in. The bad frosts of 2010 came. Their heavy gauge half inch split in three places in 200 metres. The light gauge they joined to never split anywhere. All the pipe was above ground at the butt of a ditch.

I heard from others in the coop giving out that heavy gauge was more prone to splitting as no give.

Maybe there was a bad batch sold in the area.

green daries

It was the brand of pipe say same happened round here in spots the newer schemes all split at the time.

green daries

Also who is old enough to remember the cross between light gauge snd heavy gauge pipe... now that stuff was a heart scald

dp639

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121625035#Comment_121625035

You are correct - white fittings inserts are the heavy gauge and red is normal gauge - in my experience the fittings normally come with the white in place and you have to buy the red inserts separately.

dp639

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121623850#Comment_121623850

Just out of interest why do you want to change from normal to heavy gauge in the shed? is it that the pipes are needing replaced anyway?

Sheep breeder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121633210#Comment_121633210

The reason looking at changing the water pipe is an upgrade, the two kids are into fixing things that give problems in the past and a couple of years back the pipes froze in a bad frost for three days and water had to be carried from the house to stock which was pure torture. There is two roles of heavy gauge that come from a sister’s house build in the yard. The two women are into making everything handy and I am slowing done as they tell me.

Mad about baa baas

Could you put insulation on the existing pipes as an alternative upgrade to replacing them with the heavy gauge? In my experience if its cold enough to freeze light gauge the heavy gauge will also freeze..

cjpm

Baa baas is right. If frost is your issue forget about the heavy gauge and buy some pipe insulation instead.

Lagged a few pipes here a fortnight ago and has no issue with frost after 3 nights of -5 and no real thaw during the day.

It comes in 2m lengths and you can split it with your thumb and slide over pipework that’s already installed.

Anywhere in reach of livestock you need to protect it with a section of a larger pipe. A 2” down pipe would suffice if they are only licking it or a short section of 2” galvanised of cattle are rubbing off it.

You won’t regret it.

Sheep breeder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121633925#Comment_121633925

That’s the plan as well as upgrading the pipes, have the heavy gauge and all the fittings and just need to change the inserts. Looked at different types of insulation also.

cjpm

Plastic down pipe where cattle can reach. That’s a 3/4 water pipe