Well Placed Drain Cocks - plus Electrics ...

Hoovie · Post by **Hoovie** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 7:55 pm

Heating

What has really annoyed me is that my CH system has no way of properly draining down the pipework, but when I was moving some pipes today to get rid of some surface-mounted downpipes, I finally found that the installers DID fit one

Here it is...
Pictures removed or deleted by host or original poster

And here is a better view - where you can see it is cleverly located under the floorboards which were nailed down

Pictures removed or deleted by host or original poster

It was unusual that this board was nailed down, as just about every other place the boards were lifted to do the heating, they were just dropped back into place and left loose./

Onto Electrics....

Not sure if this a Rogue one or not officially (should be in my book!)

Is it ok when rewiring ground floor sockets to just let the excess cable lay on the dirt underneath?
Pictures removed or deleted by host or original poster

This is the main ring main - one cable is going off to one socket and is just laying on the dirt , the other cable is coming from another socket and again just dropped on the dirt

Hinton Heating · Post by **Hinton Heating** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 9:00 pm

seems fine to me!

The drain off should be somewhere more visible! I ususally put one on the rad pipe near a outside door.

sparkydude · Post by **sparkydude** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 9:01 pm

Either your plumbers re-used some old pipe, or whatever is below the drain off used to be accessible or on show as the pipe is painted white., As for the underfloor cables, some contractors make a decent kob and clip it or suspend it, others just lay it in the dirt as shown

Nick

Hoovie · Post by **Hoovie** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 9:11 pm

well spotted

I think he used a load of old pipe - all the pipework under the ground floor is glossed. Pretty shoddy work all in all - the pipes go up and down and cross cross, most have fallen off the clips.

I have fitted a new tee off at the lowest point and fed that to a drain off point outside

Heating was fitted 25 years ago next month in fact - found part of front page of Daily Telegraph with smears of white stuff (prob flux) under one set of pipes

Hinton Heating · Post by **Hinton Heating** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 9:18 pm

just a point, the pipes within a suspended floor should be lagged!

Mooncat · Post by **Mooncat** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 9:26 pm

I've just re-used some copper pipe I installed about about ten years ago, both carrying heating water so can't be used again for potable water. Some have paint on, but with copper the price it is at the moment, reasonable to re-use. Is it true that when copper prices are high, the quality is down? I ask because I've noticed that it corrodes more readily.

Hinton Heating · Post by **Hinton Heating** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 9:32 pm

I reuse quite a bit of copper pipe nowadays... As you say copper is so expensive, and the old stuff cleans up fine!

as you rightly say, any potable water should be done with new pipes.

I'd use a cold main for gas, providing i'm sure its completly dry.

:)

Hoovie · Post by **Hoovie** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 10:43 pm

Hinton Heating wrote:just a point, the pipes within a suspended floor should be lagged!

Lagging?!!! these guys never heard of the stuff! I was astounded when I saw not a single bit of lagging under the floor

I am lagging everything as I go along

Wood Magnet · Post by **Wood Magnet** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:01 pm

Hoovie wrote: I am lagging everything as I go along

Well get a move on,your lagging behind schedule

Hoovie · Post by **Hoovie** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 8:57 pm

Everything is lagging now I decided to move and lag the pipes - lost the whole weekend to it

Oh - found another drian off

- under the floorboards again, obviously

owen · Post by **owen** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 9:01 pm

Hoovie wrote:

Everything is lagging now I decided to move and lag the pipes - lost the whole weekend to it

Oh - found another drian off - under the floorboards again, obviously

surely if the lowest point of the system is below the floorboards, then that's where the drain cock needs to be otherwise you would never be able to drain the system properly?

Hoovie · Post by **Hoovie** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 9:21 pm

That is very true.
But what I personally would have expected (and what I had in my last house) is a drain cock outside fed from below the boards.
This is in fact what I have now fitted, and due to oddity in the house build, my new drain off is not just below the floorboards, but below most of the ground level

Hinton Heating · Post by **Hinton Heating** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 9:56 pm

quite rare to have external drain offs!

village idiot · Post by **village idiot** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 10:06 pm

mine has an extenal drain off, installed less than a month ago
DONT GET ME STARTED ON THE FVCKWITS FROM SCOTTISH GAS WHO DID THE INSTALL

Hoovie · Post by **Hoovie** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 10:09 pm

tell us more