Copper pipe

Slimbo

Hi All,
I am closing on a property soon that requires a complete overhaul of the heating and plumming systems.
However copper pipe is through the roof with cost and I am looking for an alternative.
Is there anything that is used that is as good as copper, and will be certified as acceptable.
I was thinking of sourcing outside of Ireland(China maybe), and was looking for the pros/cons of this.

Can anyone you help or steer me in the right direction?

Thanks in advance

CJhaughey

Plastic.
Many types available, have you been in to a builders providers and asked to see alternatives?
Qualpex is one name but there are plenty of others.
A word of warning, Irish pipe sizes are a unique size not found in other countries including our nearest neighbours.

muffler

Moved to DIY

10-10-20

As per above, just go with the qualpex barrier pipe.
My whole house is plummed in this except for the last couple of meters before the boiler.

311

Dont outsource pipe from anywhere other than england/Ireland. A company in dublin did this with fittings and seemingly all the fittings blew under pressure.

Qualpex is acceptable as others have said ,I still install heating systems with copper though.

You buy qualpex in rolls for most of the work and you can buy it in straight lengths aswell if it suits better.

Slimbo

Thanks for the replies.

The house I amrenovating is an old stately home and I must do it with copper as per the owners request.
Theamount of copper is vast tosay the least sothats why I want to source abroad as copper purchased in Ireland is way to expensive.
Surely the copper pipe being brought ibto Ireland is from China or the like???
Can anyone share a view on this, am I correct or is there a cheaper country that will import to Ireland for a good bulk price?
I have requested samples from a Chinezse company and they are guarenteeing all the cerst that go with it from the samles i sent to them a couple of weeks ago of irich copper pipe.elieve them or should I just try and ask the owner to see that qualplex is going to do the same job?
Slimbo
Should I b

311

Slimbo ,I can't see how it's worth your while doing this.
Copper is expensive to buy worldwide ,it's also very akward to ship.
You would want to be ordering at least a container load of the stuff and that would probably do a small housing estate.

Most major builders here in Ireland ,who have the means to import ,still purchase bulk from the irish market.

antoinolachtnai

First thing, piping is all about quality, not price. This is all the more true in a restoration job.

A small flaw in a pipe can leak 10, 20 or 30 years later causing a lot of damage. For the job you're doing, you need to be reasonably sure that the pipe will last at least 100 years. How can you hope to achieve this? You use the best pipe and other materials you can get, from a supplier you can trust. This means not buying from a non-regular provider and it means paying a premium for a better product if it is available.

If you are renovating a stately home, the price of the materials is really going to be a small proportion of the total cost. There are going to be architects, planning consultants, horse-hair plasterers, paint specialists and all the rest of it. I can't see why the price of the copper pipe would be an issue.

Sparkpea

It makes more sense to use the majority of pipe work in plastic, theres less heat loss, its cheaper, less chance of it leaking/bursting, quicker job, cleaner job.

I pipe everything in polyplumb, I use copper around a boiler fort he first 2-3metres, copper in the hot press and anywhere thats "on show" such as pipes up to radiators. Copper can be pushed into polyplumb fittings etc it really is a great job.

I dont recomment sourcing copper from anywhere outside of the UK/Ireland

Slimbo

Thanks so much for the replies.

I asked for opinions as the owner wants me to source every material abroad versus home.
I just want to explain what we should be doing and why, and not whats cheaper at all costs. Thats why your various comments are perfect for my discussion with him.
I realise that skilled labour will make up the majority of overall costs, as does he to be fair.
Thats why hes trying to source material as cheaply as possible, without compromising overall quality and durability.

Lastly,can someone please let me know, even with a PM, what companies I could purchase in bulk this pipe fromin Ireland and maybe the UK.
Any leads would be great.

Thanks again.

311

Heatmerchants ,Branches all over Ireland.
Davies ,Based in Artane/Coolock
H&V Sales Irl Ltd ,Based in Walkinstown and Finglas ,also new warehouse outside Dublin soon.


All the above deliver in bulk and stock everything you need ,from bathrooms to fittings and boilers to radiators.

Borzoi

Slimbo wrote: »

Surely the copper pipe being brought ibto Ireland is from China or the like???
Can anyone share a view on this, am I correct or is there a cheaper country that will import to Ireland for a good bulk price?
I have requested samples from a Chinezse company and they are guarenteeing all the cerst that go with it from the samles i sent to them a couple of weeks ago of irich copper pipe.

I used to be involved in buying copper pipe - approximately 120tonne per annum. You need to be buying huge amounts - at that scale I was a very small customer - for the reputable mills to deal with you. As far as i recall, at the time the finished price of copper was made up of 1/3 Materials cost, 1/3 manufacturing costs, and 1/3 covered margin and shipping. At current metal exchange prices, you'd be looking at 1/2 materials, 1/4 manufacturing, 1/4 shipping and margin. So really there's very little scope for saving. BTW I wouldn't buy anything from China - it's hard enough to get proper copper tube

antoinolachtnai

The other thing is whether he is replacing or installing plumbing or heating for the first time. If he is installing for the first time, plastic may well be preferable, because it should be possible to install the system with less damage to the building, simply because the stuff is more flexible. If there was copper there before, it is more arguable.

If you have original or even very old plumbing in a stately home, I would think that a conversation with the local authority is in order before you rip anything out.

However, this is really stuff that a good conservation architect should be having the biggest input on, rather than the plumber, the owner or even a group of world-renowned online plumbing experts such as ourselves.

On the quality, concrete example: I was recently in an attic of a 200 year old house which had been carefully restored, helping the owner to track down a leak which was pouring gallons of water into the bedroom below through the lathe and plaster ceiling. Even when we stopped the water supply to the tank it didn't stop for half-an-hour. We eventually found a little hole in a copper pipe, where the copper had apparently failed. (It was an old piece of copper, not a new bit.)

311

I Agree with antoin ,no one can tell you what to do ,over the internet.

Locating materials at the right price can be tough enough and keeping the materials on site when their needed. Let someone else decide what materials you need.

A good tradesman would know when and where to use certain piping. All before the job is even started.

Slimbo

Thanks All, You Have Been Brilliant And Most Informative.

311

Heres a brand that I use all the time ,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outokumpu