DIY Help

[spandex]

just go to your local diy store they will have one.

 

[mickle]

the tell-tale sign of a quality tradesman - the slagging off of shoddier work by those who have gone before

Aye, its the first thing they teach you.

 

[mickle]

Mickle,

The plastic screw conectors on the water hoses always say do not overtighten, and are obviously meant to be done up by hand. Do plumbers ever get fed up with trying to fit the things so they don't leak and use a fecking great mole grip like I did?

No we never tire of trying to fit things so they dont leak, thats why we command such high rates. Sexpensive, the wear and tear on mole grips alone..

 

[Aperitif]

i had to use a mole wrench to un-plump my mum's dishwasher when she moved house.

...get a slimline model next time... (There's nothing like a wench to help get the weight off!)

 

[trustysteed]

don't forget to put some of that white tape stuff on the threads of the pipes before you screw the new blue and red connectors back on!

 

[Pete]

Regarding the waste pipe connection.

I have a similar set-up. If you're lucky, the plumber may have left a blanking-off cap of the right thread size lying around, which you can screw on the side of the U-bend under the sink. Failing that, find a cork which fits and ram it into the side of the U-bend firmly, then wind around with several turns of gaffer tape. It should hold for the few hours you have the washing machine disconnected, even if you want to use the sink meantime.

If your new machine is single-fill only, this means it takes cold water only and heats the water internally. You should leave the hot-water supply turned off at the valve which should be situated just before the hose started. If the valve leaks, get it replaced.

 

[Peyote]

don't forget to put some of that white tape stuff on the threads of the pipes before you screw the new blue and red connectors back on!

PTFE tape, and make sure it's wrapped the right way round the threads. the amount of times I've wrapped it the wrong way only to see it unravel as I tighten the nut up... ...I gave up in the end and used Boss White Pipe Jointing Compund!

 

[mickle]

PTFE tape, and make sure it's wrapped the right way round the threads. the amount of times I've wrapped it the wrong way only to see it unravel as I tighten the nut up... ...I gave up in the end and used Boss White Pipe Jointing Compund!

Wrong old chum, PTFE tape is not used in this application.

 

[spandex]

Wrong old chum, PTFE tape is not used in this application.

your right thats for gas fittings not water!!!!

 

[Peyote]

Wrong old chum, PTFE tape is not used in this application.

I stand corrected, thanks Mickle (and Spandex).

I'll remember that when I'm refitting the bathroom next year!

Just out of interest why isn't it used for water? I always thought that it was simply a way of lubricating the threads of the joint to enable it to be done up tight enough to avoid leaks. Couldn't you use either PTFE tape or pipe jointing compound for both gas* and water fittings?

* Not that I'd touch gas pipes with a barge pole, water leaks are a bit safer and easier to deal with!

 

[bonj2]

and messing with gas pipes is illegal unless you're corgi registered.

 

[Peyote]

and messing with gas pipes is illegal unless you're corgi registered.

Aye there's that an all! Although having said that, I know a chap who built his own central heating system then got a Corgi Registered Installer to simply commission the boiler and check the system. Saved a lot of money by all accounts. Not something I'd be willing to have a go at.

 

[spandex]

and messing with gas pipes is illegal unless you're corgi registered.

sorry bonj but

c.o.r.g.i is the council for registered gas installers like the guild of master craftsman they just set the standard to work from. Like say cytec is the one for bike mechanics it dose not mean that no one can do work on a bike untill they have payed the £1000 and done the course!!!. But with gas it is best to leave it to some one that is corgi registered if you dont know what your doing.

 

[mickle]

your right thats for gas fittings not water!!!!

Wrong again. There are two types of PTFE, for gas and for water. The gas tape is thicker and costs an arm and a leg.

Its the olive which seals the joint by being crushed by the fitting when its tightened up.

PTFE tape is most commonly used on rad valves where they screw into the rad.

 

[bonj2]

sorry bonj but

c.o.r.g.i is the council for registered gas installers like the guild of master craftsman they just set the standard to work from. Like say cytec is the one for bike mechanics it dose not mean that no one can do work on a bike untill they have payed the £1000 and done the course!!!. But with gas it is best to leave it to some one that is corgi registered if you dont know what your doing.

No, it is actually illegal. My mate's a plumber but only a wet plumber, he isn't corgi registered so he isn't allowed to do gas even on his own house.