Plastic Plumbing

[UNG]

I recently had a discussion with a plumber regarding mods to copper installations using plastic piping, he didn't seem to think it was his problem that the earthing of the copper was compromised by him inserting pieces of plastic pipe into the existing copper pipe

With regards to future inspection and testing it makes it interesting checking the bonding of metalwork

What are other forum members thoughts on this plastic revolution good or bad, safe or not ?

 

[ian.settle1]

I recently had a discussion with a plumber regarding mods to copper installations using plastic piping, he didn't seem to think it was his problem that the earthing of the copper was compromised by him inserting pieces of plastic pipe into the existing copper pipe

With regards to future inspection and testing it makes it interesting checking the bonding of metalwork

What are other forum members thoughts on this plastic revolution good or bad, safe or not ?

Typical from a trade who has had his brain removed, plastic is an insulator.

 

[boatnik1]

Just thinking back to the time when plumbers and sparks had the same union EEPTU when we tried to work together.
Now the attitude is sod em not my problem.
The plastic pipe revolution just confirms my belief that all bonding should go back to source and not depend on pipe links.

 

[neil2jo]

If you are bonding at the stop cock and gas cock and are using 17th edition regulations i.e all circuits protected by 30ma Rcd blah blah blah, there is no need for any additional bonding.

Thus if the plumber cuts the copper anywhere inside the premises, it does not comprimise 'your' work. If he changes the incoming water to plastic, there is no requirement to bond the water. I had all this with my inspector this year.

As for the safety to the customer, the RCD should do the job.

As for older properties, without RCD's...we'll its about time they got safe Besides we could all do with the extra work these days. If only we could rely on plumbers to tip off the customers...that an electrical upgrade is needed.

 

[UNG]

As for older properties, without RCD's...we'll its about time they got safe

To go off topic a little why have so many properties become unsafe overnight with the introduction of the 17th edition. don't recall it happening before when new regs were introduced

 

[neil2jo]

To go off topic a little why have so many properties become unsafe overnight with the introduction of the 17th edition. don't recall it happening before when new regs were introduced

If the plumber used plastic in the plumbing of a 16th edition property, then they 'potentially' remove the cross bonding (obviously different to each situation/property), which is now not required under 17th edition installations, thus making it unsafe.

I.E if you were doing a periodic report on the 16th site, with noticed breaks in the plumbing or where say, the E shower which had previously been secondary bonded to the copper which fed it, you would now mark the report as needing upgrading, which under the guidlines, if your not ticking satisfied then techinically it is unsafe, to some degree?
Remember in a bathroom under 16th, everything electrical needed the extra earth bonding, pull cord, shower, shaver, rad pipes.

So if you entered the property today, you report on 17th, the first agrument would be (based on the above) the fuseboard is not 17th edition, therefore you then notice that supp bonding is not present/does not meet requiments. Suitable remedy would be 17th edition board?

Im not the best at explanation but hope it makes sense...any thing that shows under a 1, 2, 3 or 4 on a periodic is technically unsafe to some degree...otherwise why are we reporting it?