Plumbing question

All push fit fittings will fit any 15 mm pipe, they only differ in the internal diameter therefore you have to use the manufacturers inserts. Easiest fix is to release clips and replace with JG Speedfit using the old liners . Put a bit of silicone lubricant on the o ring. Looks like the existing drain cock has not been inserted far enough into the fitting, its essential to push full home, most fittings about 20 mm depth but you need to be sure. To make it easier you can always cut a chunk pipe out and replace with 2 straights. Keep any liners for future use, that age they're probably stainless steel
 
R400 said:
All push fit fittings will fit any 15 mm pipe, they only differ in the internal diameter therefore you have to use the manufacturers inserts. Easiest fix is to release clips and replace with JG Speedfit using the old liners . Put a bit of silicone lubricant on the o ring.
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Thanks. I'm slightly confused, why would I use the old liners (HEP2O) instead of the JG Speedfit ones?

R400 said:
Looks like the existing drain cock has not been inserted far enough into the fitting, its essential to push full home, most fittings about 20 mm depth but you need to be sure.
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I've pushed the drain cock well into the fitting now and it's not shifting anywhere! I'll try that with an O Ring and with any luck that will be it fixed for 15p.

R400 said:
To make it easier you can always cut a chunk pipe out and replace with 2 straights. Keep any liners for future use, that age they're probably stainless steel
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That will certainly make removal easier but the pipe run is quite short before it disappears into the hull at either end. I think if I remove all of the clips it will give me enough slack to pull the pipes out. I think spare fittings (including straights and perhaps some pipe) will go into the boat's inventory as it will be a PITA trying to get replacements in Mallorca, particularly if I'm car less. And I think this is one elements of the boat's systems that should be DIY repairable.
 
The seal relies solely on the black o ring that you seem to be missing. The green ring has stainless barbs in it to stop the pipe or drain cock working its way out under pressure. You can carefully ease the green ring off and remake the connection and then push your pipe or drain cock back into the tee. As stated they are Hep2O fittings which were taken over by Wavin/Osma IIRC and are now white in color and larger and demountable with the right tool. The inserts are plastic or metal sleeves that push into the end of the plastic pipes to stop the pipe deforming inside the joint and then leaking. Some of those grey joints also have a small ridged plastic ring inside with the green ring and o ring depending on the age of the fitting. If you want grey fittings that look very similar look for Polyplumb instead.
 
petem said:
Wrong!
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LOL, I was wondering why PF seemed so sure that it was a liner...

@ Hadenough: if you mean that you haven't seen anything worse in boatbuilding than nails/screws/whatever into a GRP hull, well, you ain't seen nothing yet! :D
Talk about doing the same with a balsa cored hull for instance, and see what happens after several years!
 
MapisM said:
LOL, I was wondering why PF seemed so sure that it was a liner...
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I've no idea, I've explained it enough times!

At least I now know:

1) how to drain down the domestic water system;
2) that at least one of the bilge pumps works;
3) how the shower sump is attached to the hull.

It does remind me what a faff it is to get the last few inches of water out of the bilges. Is there an off the shelf micro pump that could be used to get the dregs out?

Pete
 
petem said:
...

It does remind me what a faff it is to get the last few inches of water out of the bilges. Is there an off the shelf micro pump that could be used to get the dregs out?

Pete
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After struggling to get our bilges dry following a domestic water leak, we did an oil change on the engine a couple of weeks ago. As I was packing the oil drain pump, I noticed the instruction on the box to wash it out well after using it to pump sea water out of the bilges - doh!
 
Thanks to all the great comments above. As you've advised, the fittings that FL used are the obsolete Hepworth Hep2O (not to be confused with the totally separate / newer white Wavin Hep2O fittings).

I bought a couple of Hepworth Hep2O equal tee fittings from eBay yesterday and they arrived this morning. I also bought grab rings / wedges but it turns out this wasn't necessary as the tees come with grab rings. I also bought some 15mm O rings. Having pushed the original grab ring completely onto the brass fitting, where it is well and truly locked in place (I think there's a groove that guarantees this) and with the addition of the 'O' ring I can get what feels like a proper connection so I think I'm 'home and dry' (geddit?).

I'm now going to buy some straight couplers and pipe inserts so that I can put these in my spares box and fix any future issues.

If anyone else needs the same fittings then eBay is your friend, search for "hepworth hep2o 15mm".

Apologies to anyone that I may have bored to death with this thread (perhaps it should be in 'PBO'?)!

Pete
 
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