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

[christopheros00]

Hi All,

Having my bathroom done. Thought it might be a good idea to join this site.

Christopher

 

[christopheros00]

Just hired two plumbers to refit my bathroom. Work has started today. It was agreed ahead of the works by the plumber that we would hide (chase) some of the pipe work in the wall for the basin. I am having a wall hung toilet with concealed cistern and wall hung basin installed. This is to give a spacious look in a small bathroom and show more floor space. The plumber/builder has now informed me that he would rather keep some of the pipe work coming out of the floor, that is near to the wall, and box around it, and conceal this with tiles. I think this will look untidy and that the pipes should be placed in the wall. The wall incidentally is an external brick wall, latching on to the neighbour. Advice please on whether I should push the plumber to dig into the wall, which will later be tiled over, or whether he should box the existing pipe work in, but I will lose the look of floor space in a relatively small bathroom and the room will not look symmetrical. Sorry for the rather long explanation. Thank you for any kind advice and I'd be happy to clarify anything where possible.Christopher

 

[Andy™]

without wanting to state the obvious, but you are aware this is a sparky's forum, and not a plumbing forum?

 

[Theorysparky]

[quote name='Andy

 

[Apache]

Hello and welcome.

We cover all bases here!

I would find out the plumber/builder's reasons for not concealing the pipework. I can see it might be much harder and much more expensive if the sink needed changing in the future. You also need some local isolation to change a tap washer etc.

Fundamentally you are the customer - so long as what you request doesn't contravene any building regs or make your house structurally unsafe then you get what you want!

 

[PC Electrics]

^^ like the vet says (and before you ask, yes he is a vet).

If it was agreed beforehand, then presumably this is what has been costed into the quote? And now he's expecting you to recieve an inferior product for the same money?

It really shouldn't be too much to ask to have 15mm pipes sunk into bricks by 5 to 10mm and the rest covered by the plasterwork and tiles.

Another way to achieve the "look" might be to batten the wall and plasterboard leaving a small void for the pipes.

Bottom line: your dollar, your choice

 

[batty]

Welcome to the forum Christopher. only problem i can see with having pipes in wall is if they leak but good luck with the builder.

 

[Doc Hudson]

Welcome to the forum Chris, you have presumably noticed I have moved this to our Plumbing Sub-forum, probably best in here.

Doc H.

 

[AAAMUSEMENTS]

I would say it's bad practice to bury pipes under any surface...

 

[Apache]

I would say it's bad practice to bury pipes under any surface...

Underfloor heating? ; \

 

[AAAMUSEMENTS]

Underfloor heating...

...is designed specifically for that purpose!

 

[ianmacd]

...is designed specifically for that purpose!

And has to be one complete unbroken loop without any joins.

 

[Apache]

...is designed specifically for that purpose!

The water comes into the house through a buried pipe with joins. It's in the walls and under the floors.

Nothing new.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

I would say it's bad practice to bury pipes under any surface...

Well thats stuffed my central heating system then!!!!!!!!!!

It certainly don't run on the surface!

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

...is designed specifically for that purpose!

using the same bog-standard pipe you can run on the surface!

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Just hired two plumbers to refit my bathroom. Work has started today. It was agreed ahead of the works by the plumber that we would hide (chase) some of the pipe work in the wall for the basin. I am having a wall hung toilet with concealed cistern and wall hung basin installed. This is to give a spacious look in a small bathroom and show more floor space. The plumber/builder has now informed me that he would rather keep some of the pipe work coming out of the floor, that is near to the wall, and box around it, and conceal this with tiles. I think this will look untidy and that the pipes should be placed in the wall. The wall incidentally is an external brick wall, latching on to the neighbour. Advice please on whether I should push the plumber to dig into the wall, which will later be tiled over, or whether he should box the existing pipe work in, but I will lose the look of floor space in a relatively small bathroom and the room will not look symmetrical. Sorry for the rather long explanation. Thank you for any kind advice and I'd be happy to clarify anything where possible.Christopher

Just tell him if he wont do it, you will get another plumber who will do it!

welcome to the mad house ...

not bad plumbing answers for a bunch of electricians..............................

(and a VET!)

; \ :^O

 

[AAAMUSEMENTS]

No one has so far has clarified if he intends to use plastic or copper... it makes a difference!

If he intends to use plastic, or plastic covered copper with no joins then fair enough. If he intends to use copper then definitely not!

Just because historically pipes were laid in concrete or through walls and didn't always leak, doesn't make it a good idea. Even wrapped in Denso, pipes have been known to become porous, or pinhole.

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



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

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

No one has so far has clarified if he intends to use plastic or copper... it makes a difference!If he intends to use plastic, or plastic covered copper with no joins then fair enough. If he intends to use copper then definitely not!

Just because historically pipes were laid in concrete or through walls and didn't always leak, doesn't make it a good idea. Even wrapped in Denso, pipes have been known to become porous, or pinhole.

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



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

And I guess that is why millions and millions of homes are rushing to put ALL of there pipe work on the surface....

get it out of the loft voids....

from below those floorboards...

And take out all of those Mixer-showers with pipes (with elbow joints) neatly fitted flush behind the tiles wall....

AND of course why electric shower manufactures NEVER allow for a rear entry to their pipe connections...

insisting that we put ALL pipe entries on the surface from top or bottom!

Looks like ALL of my past experience and understanding is total tosh cuz I don't have a subscription to Tube Talk!

Is me Caravan Club subscription any good? ?:|

 

[M107]

I'm using this in my bathroom to conseal the waste pipes.

http://www.encasement.co.uk/dynProductOverview.aspx?id=pipecasing

 

[AAAMUSEMENTS]

And I guess that is why millions and millions of homes are rushing to put ALL of there pipe work on the surface....get it out of the loft voids....

from below those floorboards...

And take out all of those Mixer-showers with pipes (with elbow joints) neatly fitted flush behind the tiles wall....

AND of course why electric shower manufactures NEVER allow for a rear entry to their pipe connections...

insisting that we put ALL pipe entries on the surface from top or bottom!

Looks like ALL of my past experience and understanding is total tosh cuz I don't have a subscription to Tube Talk!

Is me Caravan Club subscription any good? ?:|

Yeah... evidently the tongue in cheek nature of that last comment was lost...

Sorry if I am not making this clear enough, to reiterate;

1. Plastic going through just about anything will probably be fine.

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?