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[Lincs Robert]

Ok, so Speedfit plastic pipe fittings.

If you want to use them on a piece of pipe that's been painted (emulsion paint), does the paint have to be removed prior to using a Speedfit fitting?

Ta

[Andy B]

Yes. There's  a seal that seals against the outside of the pipe.  Better with a proper soldered fitting though ....IMHO

[cam.in.head]

If it was me then I would yes.otherwise the paint could flake off as the fitting is being pushed on causing a leak similar to the ones that occur on flaky alloy wheel rims

[cam.in.head]

Yes. There's  a seal that seals against the outside of the pipe.  Better with a proper soldered fitting though ....IMHO

.        Oh most definitely.speedfit fittings being used everywhere now but personally never trust them myself.never known anyone have an issue with them but you can't beat a good old soldered copper fitting !

[Andy B]

Yes. There's  a seal that seals against the outside of the pipe.  Better with a proper soldered fitting though ....IMHO

.        Oh most definitely.speedfit fittings being used everywhere now but personally never trust them myself.never known anyone have an issue with them but you can't beat a good old soldered copper fitting !

There are some in my kitchen, fitted by kitchen fitters 10 yrs ago. As you suggest, they've  never leaked. ...... but not keen on them.

[cam.in.head]

Same as the flimsy plastic ball valves in new cisterns these days. I have a good old style brass version in mine but let's not end up starting a toilet thread hey !   !   !

[Varche]

Yes, carefully clean the area and inspect for damage. I like and use UK speedfit a lot in our house over here. If you use a proper pipe cutter , an insert per joint and follow the instructions you don't have problems. Haven't had a single leak from any of the many , many joints.
 More than can be said for the compression fittings on the various larger gauge Spanish plastic supply pipe outside. 

[Lizzie Zoom]

Yes. There's  a seal that seals against the outside of the pipe.  Better with a proper soldered fitting though ....IMHO

.        Oh most definitely.speedfit fittings being used everywhere now but personally never trust them myself.never known anyone have an issue with them but you can't beat a good old soldered copper fitting !

I have done a lot of plumbing in the past and usually used soldered joints of all types. I would never trust the push fit ones, and indeed a male friend of mine with 50 years building and plumbing experience as said to me he never has used them and never would as they can work loose all too easily

[Sir Tigger KC]

I have a house where the central heating system has been DIY fitted with a mixture of soldered, compression and push fit joints. 

It's probably over 15 years old and I always think it's a good advert for push fits as I've never had a problem with them in the 11 years I've owned the property. 

[Marks DTM Calib]

Push fits are OK as long as, when they are ten or so years old, you don't disturb them or they have a habit of leaking.

Cousins a plumber and he only uses plastic in contract new builds as it's very cut throat and quicker to fit, every other job is traditional soldered copper as you don't get failures when fitted correctly....the push fit he does see some issues with, hot water and heating being the worst

[Varche]

Presumably those problems can be side stepped by fixing pipes properly and having metal pipework more than the minimum recommended distance from boiler.

Be interesting to see it in thirty years!

A common problem in Spain with metal plumbing buried ( in walls/floors) is leaks due to chemical corrosion. Who would have thought!

[Marks DTM Calib]

Presumably those problems can be side stepped by fixing pipes properly and having metal pipework more than the minimum recommended distance from boiler.

Be interesting to see it in thirty years!

A common problem in Spain with metal plumbing buried ( in walls/floors) is leaks due to chemical corrosion. Who would have thought!

Its well know that plaster and concrete attack metal......isn't it? 

[Viral_Jim]

My experience with them is on the renovation of 2 houses, and helping my parents renovate 3 of theirs. In all cases, 95% of what we used was speedfit, with copper to the boilers and the occasional copper section where space was too tight to get the fittings in.

I would agree that if you are good with soldering then the solder the joints will have better longevity. However, as I don't do it regularly, for me speedfit will always be more reliable. In all the time of using speedfit I've yet to see a failure. Unlike all the soldered joints I pulled out to replace, the majority of which had gone green and were weeping 

a male friend of mine with 50 years building and plumbing experience as said to me he never has used them and never would as they can work loose all too easily

With respect, that's cobblers. The speedfit are a twist fit and if the pipes are clipped properly, they are never going to "work loose". Also, even if they did become unscrewed, the connectors will still hold mains pressure until the collet is pushed in to release the pipe (not easy as you're working against the water pressure to do this).

Finally, for the truly paranoid, you can just buy these clips that prevent the collet from being pressed in at all until you remove the clip. Speedfit collet clips.

IME a lot of plumbers dislike speedfit as it means most Diy'ers can plumb their own pipe, but the plumber gets blamed when a badly made joint pops and floods their house  .

[Marks DTM Calib]

The green around soldered joints is usually where the plumber has not cleaned the pipework post soldering