DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Is it just me?
I was moving a radiator supplied by 8mm pipe, and used some 8mm compression elbows to avoid having to use a soldering flame in a very confined space. However, they turned out to be completely useless. We tightened them up fully, used Fernox LS-X and ensured that the pipes were well seated in the fittings. The compression was enough to squeeze the olive onto the pipe, but it could still be rotated and was thus not leak proof. In the end we removed the pipework and installed new, which we managed to eventually fit as a continuous length. Is this a lesson which a CH engineer would have learned many years ago and I have only just learned. I know that professionals do not normally favour compression fittings, presumably, as much to do with the cost as anything else. Any comments much appreciated

The idea of using 8mm copper pipe is to avoid expensive elbows and to insert bends using either your hands or a simple bending machine.
A lot of plumbers avoid 8mm pipe.
I like it as the heat loss per metre is so much better and when used with a pressurized system is capable of suppling quiet large radiators
Its cheaper to buy, easier to install, and cheaper to run.

Just you I think - the trick is to not overtighten as the olive will easily crush the pipe.


htg