Capillary fittings are
• cheap to buy
• unobtrusive when fitted
• useful in confined spaces
• very quick to install – and to unmake during alterations, BUT
• using them requires a blow-torch to melt the solder
• if the joint leaks you have to completely remake it.

SAFETY TIPS
When using a blow-torch always
• wear thick heat-resistant gloves
• put down a lighted blow-torch on a firm flat surface with the flame pointing into space
• clear any flammable material from the area where you are working

Compression fittings are
• easy to assemble – you’ll only need two wrenches or adjustable spanners – BUT
• they’re much more expensive than capillary fittings
• they are much bulkier and obtrusive on exposed pipe runs
• in awkward places you may not be able to get wrenches in to tighten up the joint. Leaks can sometimes be cured by further tightening.

Joining copper pipe is one of the basic plumbing skills. Compression and capillary joints are easy to make and once you’ve mastered the techniques, you’ll be prepared for a whole range of plumbing projects.

Connecting pipes effectively is the basis of all good plumbing as most leaks result from poorly constructed joints. For virtually ail domestic plumbing purposes you will only have to use compression or capillary joints. Compression joints are easy to use but expensive, while capillary joints are cheap but need some care in fitting. If you are making a join into an existing pipe system remember to make sure the water supply has been turned off at the relevant stop-valve either on that section or below the cold water storage cistern, and the pipe has been completely drained.

Preparing the pipes

Before joining pipes together, check that the ends are circular and have not been distorted. If they have been dented, cut back to an undamaged section of the pipe using a hacksaw with a sharp blade or a wheel tube cutter. The ends should also be square. Use a file to make any correction and remove ragged burrs of metal. If you’re using a capillary joint clean up the sides of the pipe with abrasive paper or steel wool.

Compression joints (friction joints)

A compression joint, as its name implies, is made by compressing two brass or copper rings (known as olives or thimbles) round the ends of the pipes to be joined, so forming a watertight seal. There are two main types of compression joint – the non-manipulative fitting and the manipulative fitting. Although not the cheapest means of joining a pipe, a non-manipulative joint is the easiest to use and requires only the minimum of tools. It comprises a central body made of brass or gunmetal with a cap-nut at each end which, when rotated, squeezes the olive tightly between the pipe end and the casing. This is the most commonly used type of compression joint suitable for most internal domestic plumbing purposes.

A manipulative joint is now rarely used in indoor domestic water systems. Because it cannot be pulled apart it is sometimes used for underground pipework, but capillary joints will do equally well in these situations. The joint usually comprises a male and a female union nut. These are slipped over the pipe ends which are then flared (‘manipulated’) using a special steel tool called a drift. Jointing compound is smeared on the inside of the flares and a copper cone is inserted between them. The nuts are then screwed together to complete the seal.

How a compression joint works

The olive (thimble) is the key part of a non-manipulative compression joint. When the cap-nut is rotated clockwise the olive is forced between the casing and the pipe and is considerably deformed in the process.

A watertight seal is dependent upon the pipe ends having been well prepared so they butt up exactly to the pipe stop in the casing. This forms a primary seal and ensures that the pipe is parallel to the movement of the rotating cap-nut. An even pressure is then applied to the olive so that it does not buckle under the strain of tightening.

What size of pipework and fittings?

Pipework is now sold in metric dimensions, but plumbing in your home may be in imperial sizes. The metric sizes are not exactly the same as their imperial equivalents. These differences can cause problems. With capillary joints you have to use adaptors when converting pipe from one system to another. Adaptors are also needed for some compression joints although the 12mm, 15mm, 28mm and 54mm sizes are compatible with their imperial equivalents. This means if you already have imperial compression joints you can connect in new metric pipework, without replacing the joints. Adaptors are made with different combinations of metric and imperial outlets to fit most requirements. A plumbing supplier or a plumber will advise on what replacements to use.

Capillary joints

A capillary joint is simply a copper sleeve with socket outlets into which the pipe ends are soldered. It is neater and smaller than a compression joint and forms a robust connection that will not readily pull apart. Because it is considerably cheaper than a compression joint it is frequently used when a number of joints have to be made and is particularly useful in awkward positions where it is impossible to use wrenches. Some people are put off using capillary fittings because of the need to use a blow-torch. But modern gas-canister torches have put paid to the fears associated with paraffin lamps and are not dangerous.

How a capillary joint works

If two pipes to be joined together were just soldered end to end the join would be very weak because the contact area between solder and copper would be small. A capillary fitting makes a secure join because the sleeve increases this contact area and also acts as a brace to strengthen the connection. Molten solder is sucked into the space between the pipe and fitting by capillary action, and combines with a thin layer of copper at the contact surface thus bonding the pipe to the fitting. To help the solder to take’ the copper needs to be clean and shining, flux is applied to prevent oxides forming which would impair the solder-copper bond.

EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST

For replacing existing taps, you will need the following tools and equipment:

• new taps of the right type and size
• an adjustable spanner
• a basin wrench (‘crowsfoot’)
• an adjustable wrench
• penetrating oil
• plastic washers
• plumber’s putty
• PTFE tape You may also need tap tail adaptors (if the new taps have shorter tails than the old ones) and new tap connectors (if your new taps have metric tails instead of imperial ones).

WHAT ABOUT WASHERS?

With ceramic basins, use a plastic washer above and below the basin surface so you don’t crack the basin as you tighten the back-nut.
You can use plumber’s putty instead of the upper washer. On thin basins, use a special top-hat washer between basin and back-nut.

TIPS TO SAVE TROUBLE

• to undo stubborn back-nuts, add extra leverage to the crowsfoot by hooking a wrench handle into its other end
• if this fails, squirt penetrating oil around the back-nuts. Leave for a while and try again
• in really stubborn cases, remove the basin completely, and turn it upside down on the floor so you have more room to work
• grip the tap body with an adjustable spanner to stop it turning as you use the crowsfoot; otherwise the tap lugs could crack the basin

Changing the old taps on your basin is a bright and practical way of making your bathroom more attractive. It may also be a good idea if they are old and inefficient.

There may be a number of reasons why you wish to replace the taps supplying your sink, basin or bath. They may continually drip or leak, where new taps would give efficient, trouble-free service. Perhaps you want the advantages that mixers have over individual taps or perhaps it is simply that the chromium plating has worn off leaving the taps looking incurably shabby. It is more likely, however, that appearance, rather than malfunction, will be your reason for changing. There are fashions in plumbing fittings as in clothing and furniture. Taps of the 1950s or 60s are instantly recognisable as out-of-date in a bathroom or kitchen of the 1980s. Fortunately, fashions in sinks, basins and baths have changed rather less dramatically over the past three decades. There is probably no more cost-effective way of improving bathroom and kitchen appearance than by the provision of sparkling new taps or mixers.

Choosing taps

When you come to select your new taps you may feel that you are faced with a bewildering choice. Tap size, appearance, the material of which the tap is made, whether to choose individual taps or mixers and – for the bath – whether to provide for an over-bath shower by fitting a bath/shower mixer: all these things need to be considered. Size is easily enough dealt with. Old taps and mixers might be in imperial sizes.

There are, however, most suppliers designate taps by the metric size, not of the taps themselves, but of the copper supply pipes to which they will probably be connected. Such a supplier might refer to bath taps as 22mm and sink and basin taps as 15mm. Most taps are made of chromium-plated brass, though there are also ranges of enamelled and even gold-plated taps and mixers. Although taps and mixers are still manufactured with conventional crutch or capstan handles, most people nowadays prefer to choose taps with ‘shrouded’ heads made of acrylic or other plastic. In effect, these combine the functions of handle and easy-clean cover, completely concealing the tap’s headgear. A still popular alternative is the functional .

‘Supatap’, nowadays provided with plastic rather than metal ‘ears’ for quick and comfortable turning on and off. There is also a very competitively priced range of all-plastic taps. These usually give satisfactory enough service in t he home, but they cannot be regarded as being as sturdy as conventional metal taps, and they can be damaged by very hot water. So far as design is concerned the big difference is between ‘bib taps’ and ‘pillar taps’. Bib taps have a horizontal inlet and are usually wall-mounted while pillar taps have a vertical inlet and are mounted on the bath, basin or sink they serve.

Taking out old basin taps

When replacing old taps with new ones the most difficult part of the job is likely to be – as with so many plumbing operations – removing the old fittings. Let’s first consider wash basin taps. You must, of course, cut off the hot and cold water supplies to the basin. The best way of doing this will usually be to tie up the float arm of the ball valve supplying the cold water storage cistern so as to prevent water flowing in. Then run the bathroom cold taps until water ceases to flow. Only then open up the hot taps. This will conserve most of the expensively heated water in the hot water storage cylinder. If you look under the basin you will find that the tails of the taps are connected to the water supply pipes with small, fairly accessible nuts, and that a larger – often inaccessible – back-nut secures the tap to the basin.

The nuts of the swivel tap connectors joining the pipes to the taps are usually easily undone with a wrench or spanner of the appropriate size. The backnuts can be extremely difficult – even for professional plumbers! There are special wrenches and basin or ‘crows foot’ spanners that may help, but they won’t perform miracles and ceramic basins can be very easily damaged by heavy handedness. The best course of action is to disconnect the swivel tap connectors and to disconnect the trap from the waste outlet. These are secured by nuts and. are easily undone. Then lift the basin off its brackets or hanger and place it upside down on the floor.

Apply some penetrating oil to the tap tails and, after allowing a few minutes for it to soak in, tackle the nuts with your wrench or crowsfoot. spanner. You’ll find they are much more accessible. Hold the tap while you do this to stop it swivelling and damaging the basin. Fitting the new taps When fitting the new taps or mixer, unscrew the back-nuts, press some plumber’s putty round the tail directly below the tap body or fit a plastic washer onto the top tail.

Push the tails through the holes in the basin. Slip flat plastic washers over the tails where they protrude from beneath the basin, screw on the back-nuts and tighten them up. Make sure that the taps or mixer are secure, but don’t overtighten them. To make tightening • easier, (and undoing, if ever necessary) use top-hat washers. All that remains to be done is to connect the swivel tap connectors to the tails of the new taps or mixer. You will see that a tap connector consists of a lining – with a flange – that is inserted into the tap tail and is then secured by the coupling nut.

This nut is provided with a washer to ensure a watertight connection. When renewing taps you may well need to renew this small washer. It is possible that when you come to connect the water supply pipes to the taps you will get an unpleasant surprise. The tails of modern taps are slightly shorter than those of older ones and the tap connectors may not reach. If the water supply pipes are of lead or of copper it is quite likely that they will have enough ‘give’ to enable you to make the connection but, if not, there are extension pieces specially made to bridge the gap.

Bib taps

If you’re replacing existing bib taps with those of a more modern design, it’s a relatively simple matter of disconnecting and unscrewing the old ones and fitting the new taps in their place. However, it’s quite possible that you’ll want to remove the bib taps altogether and fit a new sink with some pillar taps. This will involve a little more plumbing work. To start with, turn off the water supply and remove the taps and old sink. If the pipework comes up from the floor, you’ll need to uncover the run in the wall to below where the new sink will go. You should then be able to ease the pipes away from the wall and cut off the exposed sections.

This will allow you to join short lengths of new pipe, bent slightly if necessary, to link the pipe ends and the tap tails. Alternatively, if the pipes come down the wall you’ll have to extend the run to below the level of the new sink and use elbow fittings to link the pipe to the tap tails. In either case it’s a good idea to fit the taps to the new sink first and to make up the pipework runs slightly overlong, so that when the new sink is offered up to the wall you can measure up accurately and avoid the risk of cutting off too much pipe. Rather than having to make difficult bends you can use lengths of corrugated copper pipe. One end of the pipe is plain so that it can be fitted to the 15mm supply pipes with either a soldered capillary or compression fitting; the other end has a swivel tap connector.

http://youtu.be/HkQxO-7IVP8

Water

Place the washing machine and the dishwasher as close to the existing water supply as possible. The water can be supplied hot or cold, depending on the appliance and the general water system in your home. If the water arrives hot you save time, especially with an automatic machine which empties after every cycle.

On the other hand, extracting water from your household system will rob your central heating or bathroom of hot water. Appliance manufacturers usually state whether hot or cold water should be used. To obtain water from your main supply, form a junction at a convenient height in the existing pipe. The plumbers should insert a stop-tap in the extension pipe so that the machine can be moved without having to cut off the water supply to the whole house.

Appliances are fitted with a flexible hose for easy connecting and tolerance when finally positioning the machine. You should try to conceal pipes from general view wherever possible. Machines should be filled at the water pressure recommended by the manufacturers.
Consult your water board for local pressures, and they will advise you on the kind of regulating valve you will need, if any, A water softener may also be needed in some areas.

In Britain the Building Regulations impose certain restrictions on waste and drain pipes. Drains must have a sufficient slope to enable the water to run away quickly.

Changes in the direction of a drain have to be fitted with an inspection chamber, and connections to existing drains are best made at such points.

Waste pipes in houses built in Britain since 1966, sometimes have to be inside, and this also applies to additional pipes. Additions to houses built before 1966 , on occasions, can be fixed outside along with the original pipes. Each waste pipe requires an ‘S’ bend water sealed trap to prevent drain odours from reaching the appliances. However, pipes from different sources (e.g. a sink and washing machine) can meet inside the building so that you only have to penetrate the wall in one place.

You may be limited in your choice of position for a laundry. If none of your rooms is suitable for conversion, consider building an extension.

The position of a conversion or extension should be influenced strongly by the existing plumbing in your house. Laundries need hot and cold running water and a waste outlet. Position the laundry as close as possible to the existing water supply and drains, as this will enable a simple connection to be made to the water supply. It will also reduce, or eliminate, the need for the installation of new drains (underground), which can be very expensive.

Ideally the waste pipe (above ground) from your laundry appliances should issue directly into the existing gully (sink at ground level leading to the drain). You may consider that other factors take priority over the cost of extending a drainage system. Access, for instance, is one which is very important and is influenced by the size of your wash and when you do it. A large family, living in a house, will probably want easy access from the kitchen and to the garden. A young family with no children, who are out at work all day, and live in a flat, may find a room off an upper floor bathroom quite adequate for a laundry.

Additional requirements

A well-equipped laundry should have a deep sink for some soaking prior to machine washing, and for hand washing. Provide hanging rails over the sink for drip-dry clothes, and also a draining board if the sink is not large enough to catch all the drips. A working surface approximately 1.83m x 610mm (6 ft x 2 ft) is necessary for sorting, folding and temporary stacking of clothes. The top should be strong enough to take an ironing machine if required, and should be 864mm (2ft lOin) high for ironing in a standing position.

A retractable lower board can be incorporated for seated ironing. Storage should include a cupboard out of children’s reach for bleaches, dyes, detergents, washing powders etc. A tall cupboard is also required if you use a portable ironing board. This should be fitted with an fireproof material, ventilated compartment for immediate storage of a hot iron. Provision of storage for dirty clothes, clean linen and an airing cupboard will depend on the layout of the rest of your home. If you are generally short of such space, large cupboards in the laundry could be very useful.