Plumbers Mate or Silicone?????

[estwig]

If your a plumber, or have done any amount of plumbing work, you'll understand.

So what'll it be, plumbers mate or a smear of Sillycone!!!!

 

[Deleted member 9840]

For a plug hole in a basin?

 

[estwig]

Could be, yes.

So what's your preference???

 

[Fenland]

Plumbers mate for me..

 

[markD1968]

Depends....... Hand basin plumbers mate but for a kitchen sink or bath always a smear of silicone

 

[MH1]

As above.

For toilets, tonnes of silicone.

 

[skyhi2]

I would agree with markD1968.

Skyhi2.

 

[Fenland]

You silicone boys (!).....

next you'll be running all the pipe work with push-fittings, oooh hang on.....................................

 

[markD1968]

You silicone boys (!).....

next you'll be running all the pipe work with push-fittings, oooh hang on.....................................

Speedfit the best thing since sliced bread (in the right place)

 

[estwig]

I use silicone for everything, connecting/sealing basin and sink wastes is the biggy. Every plumber I know says silicone is cr*p and only builders use it, plumbers mate is the proper stuff, so once again I gave it a go. Fitting me own bathroom at the moment.

The bath and basin wastes leaked like a sieve!!!!

I had to take them apart and smear sillycone all round 'em, job done. So what's the crack with plumbers mate?? As far as I can tell it is proper pants!!!

 

[An Oasis]

And there's me thinking plumbers mate was a...euphemism

 

[markD1968]

Plumbers mate works well in a hand basin as their is plenty of space around the waste and has the advantage that it never sets but for sinks bath's etc theres just not enough room to use it so I always use silicone for these.

I've obviously got a worse class of builder round my way as I have caught a couple of them using gripfill!!

 

[skyhi2]

Gripfill

 

[KM-Tiger]

It's how you use it.

Rolling it out into a nice even sausage is hard for those that didn't have lots of practice with plasticine when they were a kid.

 

[estwig]

Nothing wrong with a bitta Gripfill, there ain't much you can't do with a dollop of Gripfill and some expanding foam.

We build whole houses with the stuff!!!

 

[estwig]

It's how you use it.

Rolling it out into a nice even sausage is hard for those that didn't have lots of practice with plasticine when they were a kid.

I was more of a Lego kid, wasn't allowed plasticine, I was deemed too messy for such gooey pleasures!!!

 

[Jheath]

SillyCone rules for me! Use the high modulus stuff not the thin runny diy 99p a tube rubbish. I'd avoid those yellowy putty type sealers like the plague, over time they oooze out and leave a dark sticky ring around the base of taps and sanitaryware etc thats difficult to clean. At least silicone sets rigid but flexible, whereas some of the others stay soft or else set hard and brittle.

For pipe jointing Boss Green is the stuff - contains ptfe and is WRAS approved for drinking water. From all good independent plumbers merchants including http://www.lapsdirect.co.uk

 

[skyhi2]

Boss white n Hemp,Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm,works every time

Skyhi2

 

[mattley23]

Plumbers mate for any threaded fitments and silicone for EVERYTHING else!!!

God bless the silly ;-D

 

[estwig]

Boss white n Hemp,Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm,works every time

Skyhi2

Showing your age!!!




I can remember being a young lad on site, listening to the old duffers moaning.

'this copper tube is rubbish, it'll never catch on, it ain't right, far too flimsy, I'm not gonna use it, stick with the 1" barrel'

My heart used to sink, as I went to get the tap and dye set and a big tub of grease, that was me for the day, cutting 1" barrel with a hacksaw, then cutting a thread on the end!!


Now they are moaning that Speedfit is cr*p, no where near as good as copper!!!

 

[Jheath]

Boss white n Hemp,Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm,works every time

Skyhi2

That takes me back - eh them were't' days! - the smell of Boss White

"Nostalgia isn't what it used to be"

 

[Beachcomber]

Now they are moaning that Speedfit is cr*p, no where near as good as copper!!!

Speedfit = instant plumber!
http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/forum1/nothing-wrong-with-speedfit-anyone-can-do-it-t15718.html

 

[Tin]

Copper and Boss White every time for me, don't tell me they've stopped making the stuff

 

[skyhi2]

You will be telling me next they dont make tallow anymore

Can`t sweat a nice lead joint without tallow

You young uns don`t know what yer missin.

Skyhi2

 

[estwig]

Yea but ya need, a bitta lead in ya solder to make it proper!!!

 

[aaamusements]

I miss lead solder, it was so much nicer to use.


Just been in France for a week, where they just put odd bits of pipe next to each other and fill the gaps with solder, not a T in sight!

 

[Pilfo]

Still got a full tub of Plumbers Mate if anyone wants it!

Far too messy...it gets everywhere except where you want it to.

Pilfo

 

[KM-Tiger]

Far too messy...it gets everywhere except where you want it to.

You are not supposed to use it for that!

 

[PP&CHltd]

Plumbers Mate for me thanks.