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robertmccartney · Joined: 13 May 2008 Posts: 2 Location: Ireland

Hi everyone, I haven't done much plumbing before (installed an outside tap) but for money reasons am forced to do the weekend warrior plumbing on a new shower unit on the first floor myself. All the required pipes will be ultimately inaccessable because of tiling, fixtures etc... and I'm concerned that my amateur plumbing may not be up to the job. Nothing you can do about that! However, I was considering filling the area around each compression joint with some expanding filler foam to act as a further barrier in the event one of my joints leaks. Is this a sensible idea?

All joints are brass 22mm compression joints to qualplex.

thanks in advance.

AlanE · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 6:20 pm Post subject:

You can fill aroung the joints with expanding foam no problem EXCEPT it's not waterproof to that extent!

If you have a leak foam will decompose and wash out. Plus as the pipes expand and contract you might well create creaking noises.

robertmccartney · Joined: 13 May 2008 Posts: 2 Location: Ireland

thescruff · Moderator Joined: 03 May 2003 Posts: 4249 Location: Bath

Under the circumstances why not use the inserts and the same fittings as the pipe, with care and making sure the pipe is fully inserted you shouldn't get into too much trouble.

Another idea I like and have been doing for years is to use a manifold system.

Take the hot and cold to an accessible area, say the airing cupboard, behind the bath etc. then run a continuous pipe to each outlet from there, so you have no joints under the floor.