Hello.. my name is Chris 'Q' Concealing Bathroom Pipes?

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Yeah... evidently the tongue in cheek nature of that last comment was lost...Sorry if I am not making this clear enough, to reiterate;

2. Copper through voids and under floorboards has always been fine. It's specifically cement (which can be highly corrosive) that can create a problem.

3. Of course showers can have rear entry. Much of the time they are installed on stud walls with pipe drops or the pipes come straight through the internal wall. But any reputable plumber would avoid putting elbows in a solid wall behind tiles, unless it was absolutely unavoidable?

I would hope it was a general concept on here that just because work has been done badly or to an outdated specification in the past, it doesn't make it ok to continue that into the future?

Re point 2/

It would appear your corrosion issue its not as serious as you claim:-

From this artice...

http://copper.org/applications/plumbing/techcorner/problem_embedding_copper_concrete.html

Read this quote, 5th paragraph down:-

According to the Portland Cement Association the interaction of copper with both dry and wet concrete should not cause a corrosion concern. However, copper should be protected when it comes in contact with concrete mixtures that contain components high in sulfur, such as cinders and fly-ash, which can create an acid that is highly corrosive to most metals including copper.

Re point 3/

In the better quality installations carried out in a professional manner pipework IS concealed, cuz people don't like seeing all the nasty pipes and cables coming down into their nice shower cubicle in their nice posh bathrooms they have just paid thousands to refurbish!

I would agree that with many of these modern cardboard box houses, with stud walls here-there-and-everywhere, pipes may well be in or through stud-work.....

BUT there are an equal number of older properties or better built properties with solid proper brick walls which can just as easily have pipes embedded in the wall structure.

I would also agree its stoopid to put a push-fit or compression joint in a non-accessible place...

But a correctly made off solder joint is a very robust connection and can be concealed without any harmful effects!

There is also some interesting reading in the Technical Guide download from your link

http://www.yorkshirecopper.com/technical/yc_te_index.php

(the 8th one down)

go to page 11 and cast you eye over paragraph 3.1.3

Burying in Plaster, Screed and ConcreteSoft temper (R220) copper tubing, made to the requirements of BS EN 1057, is the preferred material for this type of application. This pipework is supplied in long length coils and generally does not need fittings under screed. Such tubing is available in 8 to 22mm sizes as Kuterlex Plus.

Where pipework is fitted within ducted systems, i.e. where the pipework is surrounded by air and not directly embedded in concrete, Yorkex straight length material, to BS EN 1057 R250 / R290 can be used. Indeed, in such a system the pipework is free to move in the surrounding air space and therefore acts in a manner similar to surface-fixed tubing. However, some construction materials may contain contaminants, which are aggressive to copper; we do not therefore recommend that bare copper tubing be embedded directly into concrete or plaster. Instead, tubing fixed in such locations should be protected by a factory-applied plastics covering such as that provided by Kuterlex and Kuterlex Plus. It should also be borne in mind that the minimum recommended depth to which plastics coated pipework should be buried in screed or plaster is 50mm, measuring from the top of the tube in situ. For tubing embedded in plaster, this may require chasing the pipework into the wall. Before going ahead with any design or installation work, it is recommended that the view of the local water supplier on the subject of

 

[AAAMUSEMENTS]

I feel a Deja-vu moment coming on.....

I do know what I am talking about - I have a subscription to TubeTalk!

http://www.yorkshirecopper.com/techn...c_te_index.php

:Blushing

:x



:innocent

Yep you win, I can't compete with your mastery of repeated sarcasm, very clever.

And I really can't be arsed, to be honest.

 

[Apache]

And I really can't be arsed, to be honest.

Of course showers can have rear entry.

So can't be arsed except in the shower?

:innocent