FULL SYSTEM REPIPES

Plastic pipe’s featured in residential homes since the early 1960’s.

PEX piping is the most commonly used plastic pipe in the UK.

A multilayer high-density polyethylene pipe. Durable and flexible and can bend 90-degrees. PEX pipe ideal for both domestic and commercial hot and cold water installations.

Believe it or not, copper pipes have been used in plumbing systems for thousands of years. Coppers favoured over other metals as it has the best corrosion resistance to water. Copper doesn’t react to water, unlike other metals that can release toxins into the water.

Both copper and plastic pipes offer advantages and disadvantages. When we work on pipes in the home or commercial premises we use whatever pipes the most suitable for the application at hand.

Whenever new pipe’s installed it doesn’t have to be ‘either’ ‘or’. Copper and Plastic pipes can be combined, so you get the best of both worlds. Using Copper Pipe in places best for Copper and using Plastic pipe in places more suited to plastic.

Let’s use a new central heating installation as an example. We will use copper pipe to connect to your boiler and radiators. We will fit the plastic pipe ‘behind the scenes’. Out of sight under the floor where it’s fitted quickly with ease. The last place you want a leak is under the floor. There’s near zero possibility of leaking when plastic pipes used.

The right combination of copper and plastic pipes gives you a clean, low maintenance, efficient system at the best possible price.

Like most things, it can be possible. But its very rare this happens for a few reasons.

1. Most people if they are re-plumbing the whole property are re-furbing and so the property is not in a good living condition with dust and facilities.
2. It would be much more expensive to do a a full house re-plumb whilst living there. This is as the plumbers have to move items, and leave the property in a certain way each day after working which incurs wasted time actually plumbing.

When was your house built?

First it is worth finding out when your home was built.If it was built:

• from 1985 onwards there shouldn't be lead present in your plumbing system
• between 1970 and 1985 it is unlikely you will have lead pipes but lead based solder may have been used to join the copper pipes
• before 1970 you may have lead pipes in your plumbing system.

Checking for external lead pipes

To check the pipes outside your property, open the external stop tap cover (most often in the street) and examine the visible pipes.In some cases you may find it difficult to access this stop tap, or may not know where it is located. If so, please contact us to arrange an inspection.

Checking for internal lead pipes

The best place to check for lead pipes is where the water pipe enters your home - this is usually the internal stop tap which may be under the kitchen sink, behind cupboards in the kitchen or under the stairs.

If you can see the pipes, lead is generally thicker than other metallic pipe materials and is also easier to scratch using a coin, for example.

Unpainted lead pipes look dull grey in colour and are also soft - if you gently scrape the pipe you will see shiny, silver coloured metal.

Lead pipes are generally thicker than copper or plastic and usually have swollen joints where they meet other pipes.

If you tap a lead pipe it will create a 'dull' sound rather than the clear ringing sound heard from copper or iron pipes.

If you are unsure, you could ask a plumber to carry out this check for you.

Should I replace my lead pipes?

Yes where possible you should replace your lead pipes, this is because lead is a toxic substance. You do not want any lead to get into your water system.

Whether its your mains supply pipe, or internal pipes. You should look to

With any major refurbishment works - unfortunately there will be dust and old appliances being removed which can lead to a little mess.  As standard Ry will always ensure that there are dust sheets laid down in the main pathway areas - these will be areas the engineers will need to walk through to remove rubbish/bring in products etc and the area we are working in where required. Our engineers should always try to ensure that the working area has a little clean up at the end of the working day - but dust does settle which we cant avoid. Sometimes they will also need areas to store items/products waiting to be installed. If you have specific requirements for more extreme protection such as you have brand new carpets - or your front door needs protecting - please notify us we will be happy to price to install plastic flooring and or corex covering throughout all pathways - and can even wrap any door areas. The cost of this depends on the size of the property and is an optional extra not standardly included. Or feel free to do it before we arrive, and we can advise on what to purchase.

Small Jobs i.e alterations to existing supplies with good access

Normally through description over the phone or email and or some images if needed we can give you our hourly rate with estimated time frames which you can find here on our prices page

Small - Medium Projects i.e new installations  with new routes or upgrades

We may recommend a video estimate to start with to assess your requirements and potentially provide you a ballpark figure to provide you quicker turnaround time and save you the hassle of appointment slots.

The plumber will ask if your supplying materials and or any specification requests - and from asking to see fuse board locations and installation locations - plus the ceiling and flooring type for route estimate how much time they think it will take. On longer duration jobs we do not price per hour of course - and based on the estimated time work out days and man power + materials to provide competitive rates.

Medium - Large Projects i.e full system installations

We would attend for a free site visit to go through this in depth and look round the site/drawings or designs if you have them. As well as any products you are looking at.

On longer duration jobs we do not price per hour of course - and based on the estimated time work out days and man power + materials to provide competitive rates.