Plumbing first fix

The walls are up and the electrics first fix is done. Now the trainees get their first lesson in plumbing with Bricking It plumber, Simon Copeland…

Setting Out
First the trainees check the architect's drawings to verify the location of the walls, windows and doorways. This will tell the trainees where the radiators and sanitary ware need to go. .

Planning the runs
Next the trainees plan where all the water pipes will run. This requires a lot of accurate and detailed work. All the pipes start from the heat meter in the cylinder cupboard, then travel around the house to the fixed points e.g. radiators, taps. The cylinder stores and heats the hot water.

Two different types of pipe were used in the Bricking It flat:

• Hot and cold water pipes – these run to the bath, shower, toilets, hand basins and kitchen sink, and include a waste water pipe which leads to the main drains
• Flow and return heating pipes – these are for the central heating system. They run from the cylinder cupboard to the thermostatic radiator valve (TRV) which regulates the heating to each radiator. There is also a heating return pipe which ensures that water is always circulating around the system

Installing the clips
The next job was to install the clips that hold the pipework in place throughout the flat. The trainees had to drill access holes for the pipes, using a diamond-tipped drill to cut through the brickwork.

Radiators and towel rails
The radiators in the Bricking It flat are floor-standing and made of cast iron. But first the right size has to be selected: the bigger the room, the bigger the radiator.

The trainees placed the radiators in the correct positions (according to the architect's drawings) and attached the brackets to fix them to the wall. It's also the plumber's job to install the stainless steel towel rails. These were wall hung in the bathroom and shower room.

The bathroom
As with a lot of modern luxury apartments, the toilet in the Bricking It flat is what's known as a 'concealed system'. This means the cistern is fitted inside the walls. The trainees connected cold water pipes to the toilet cistern before flush testing it.

Bath and shower mixers were also fitted inside the walls. The trainees brought the hot and cold water pipes through the stud walls and positioned them where the taps and valves were to be fixed.

Installing the pipework
Accurate measurement was crucial when it came to connecting up the pipework. The trainees used joint fittings called 'tees' and 'elbows' which allow the pipes to run in different directions and around corners.

A threading machine was used to cut the steel pipes to size and thread the ends before connecting the fittings to the pipes. A hair-like substance called hemp is placed around the thread of the pipes and a paste is applied to seal them into the fittings.

Soldering the joints
The joints are then soldered onto the copper pipes together using a blow torch and unleaded solder. Safety was a priority here and the trainees needed to know the rules and regulations.

You need a 'hot works' permit before using heat or naked flames on-site. When blow torches were being used a fire extinguisher was always at hand. Finally the pipes were painted with red oxide paint to prevent rust and tested.

Testing
The final thing was to test the system to locate and repair any leaks. It is important to do this before the plasterers 'close-up' the walls and the tiler begins work in the bathrooms.

To find the leaks, the trainees were shown how to use an air compressor to fill the pipework with air. Leaks can be located by the hissing sound of any air that is escaping. Once any repairs have been made the system is tested again.

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