Water pipe.....

[Deleted]

Hello brains trust

OK in my Millard is 1/2" copper pipe with a tap on the "A" frame end (connection point) and it runs to a tap up on the stink.

It leaks at the tap on the stink, I went and bought both a copper and nylon grommet and removing the stink twice tried both and I still have a leak.

So I see that some people are using plastic/rubber/nylon pipe to connect to the tap on the stink. Is this a better way to go ?

Do you need a special tap or do you fit an adaptors to the 3/4 thread?

Or should I stay with copper pipe.....just bl**dy hard to tighten the nut up under the stink !!!!

cheers

[leeron]

Pulled all the copper water pipe out of my van and used mains pressure rated poly system called smartex-p. Very easy push fittings and pipe they even have them at buunningss
www.smartex.com.au

Leon.

[jdmac2312]

Hi Lawrence,

Kevin and I agree with Leon, go with the Smartex system, we will be going that way, easier to use.

Jacquie

[leeron]

If the access under the tap is too tight, you can use a short braided stainless cistern type flex hose. That way you can olive gland the copper pipe in a easier to access spot.
just make sure the flex hose is potable grade.

[bobt]

gidday lockyer

I am a little surprised to hear you have a tap on the drawbar. I was always of the belief that this was a relatively new innovation that appeared on 'modern caravans'. But it is a good thing to have.

I would go with what the others are suggesting, poly pipe, I would suggest it would be easier to lay inside the van.

bobt

[Deleted]

Feb 19, 2015 15:39:08 GMT 10 bobt said:

gidday lockyer

I am a little surprised to hear you have a tap on the drawbar. I was always of the belief that this was a relatively new innovation that appeared on 'modern caravans'.
bobt

Hi bobt

the tap on the drawbar(A frame) is the inlet...so you connect the water from the CP to it and then turn it on and the water then goes into the van and up to the stink.

I think it is a good idea, and will keep it when I re do the pipe work, that way I can turn the water off at night or when away from the van and not worry about a leak inside the van.

Cheers

[Rattles]

If it is a Garden Tap you are using, when you apply water pressure water will not flow as the pressure shuts the tap valve, You will need to take out the valve, so you may just use a nipple instead as you do not need a tap on the inlet, better still put a T with a 1/2 or 3/4 nipple and a Tap this will enable you to bleed some of the air out of the system also to fill bucket without disconnecting anything.

PS - I found out the hard way that a Valve type tap will only allow water to flow in one direction.

Rattles

[bobt]

I thought the tap on the drawbar was an outlet not an inlet, things do becoming interesting with these things..

[tim]

The reason a tap won't work as an inlet is that it relies on water pressure from the pipe to lift the valve. If you squash the valve stem so that its a tight fit into the spindle, when you open the tap, the valve will lift and water can flow through it from the wrong direction.

I'd just use a gate valve, though.

Tim

[bobt]

I gather the problem is at the other end. .. it leaks so lockyer... did you fix it?

Nothing worse then water running loose inside a caravan..

[Deleted]

Hi Bob

Yes I fix it, will put up a post soon about what and how I did it and why.

Cheers

[Deleted]

OK I went to "the big green shed" and bought a 4ft length of the 16mm smartex pipe an elbow connector for copper and nylon and another straight connector for cooper to nylon. Disconnected all the pipes under the stink and removed it from the van, I than removed the tap, checked and cleaned it and re fitted it nice and tight.

I went and grabbed my pipe cutter and climbed under the van and pulled the copper pipe down about 6 inches and then cut it off and remove that section from inside. The long section under the van to the A frame was then removed and the bend that went up into the van was heated with boiling water and then slowly straighten.

The top section of copper approx. 600mm, I removed 200mm of the straightest bit of this pipe and then re fitted it to the tap and tighten the life out of it - something I couldn't do before because of the limited access to the nut.

Re installed the stink, now I took the smartex connector  and fitted it to the copper pipe and then push the nylon pipe up through the floor and with it beside the connector, I went under the van and marked the nylon pipe at the spot to be cut, checked that it was still in the right place in the van and then pull the nylon down and sliced it off at the mark. I pushed it back up and in the van I then pushed the nylon pipe into the connector for finally connection.

I then placed the outer copper pipe back into it original location and with the elbow connector marked where the copper needed to be cut and then cut it. Fitted the elbow onto the copper end and then pushed it up onto the nylon pipe coming out the floor.

Hooked it up to water and did a pressure test and worked the tap inside and no leaks - one happy camper.

So I have copper pipe on the bottom of the van that will handle any stones etc from the road and a short bit of nylon pipe with connectors that I can now access easily

Cheers Lawrence    

 

[tim]

That smartex stuff sounds perfect for caravans. Do the connectors and plastic pipe need any special tools to clamp them together? How do you cut the plastic pipe?

Tim

[Deleted]

Feb 26, 2015 7:52:57 GMT 10 tim said:

That smartex stuff sounds perfect for caravans. Do the connectors and plastic pipe need any special tools to clamp them together? How do you cut the plastic pipe?

Tim

The smartex pipe just pushes into the connector's - no tools needed same with the copper pipe you push it in and you hear/feel it click and then it's locked in but you can buy a plastic thing that looks like a "C" and you place it over the pipe(copper or nylon) and push it back onto the connector and then the connector releases and can be re used.

The pipe needs to be cut straight and at 90deg, I used my copper pipe cutter and it worked fine, you can buy a cutter for the pipe, it looks like a one blade garden pruner

It is very easy to work with and can be adapted to fit copper pipe or to taps etc

Cheers