9 replies to this topic

[maccers]

Does anyone in plumbing or building if cement mixture will cause any negative reaction to copper pipes? Since removing fireplace a few years ago, and building over the live, but "off" gas pipe with breeze block and cement my dad is worried that it may cause a reaction and possible gas leak.

Any advice?

[ToM 2012]

hi cement/compo wont harm copper pipes at all. as long as you havent layed the blocks on top of the pipe? ino they are only light breeze blocks.

[Bungle]

yes the cement will eat into the copper, it's mainly to do with electronics as well as the chemical reaction

the normal thing to do is sleeve the pipe with the next size up pipe or buy the plastic coated stuff, i have even seen insulation tape used to cover the copper (although don't know if this is to regs )

old pipe seems to be able to resist better than new copper, i have seed pipe give up in under 5 years

Edited by Bungle, 11 March 2013 - 04:06 PM.

[ToM 2012]

hi i dont think compo sand and cement would ruin a copper pipe.unless the copper pipe was under a concrete floor then it would need plastic tubing covering it.

[mister bridger]

Have always wrapped copper pipe in sticky Denso tape or at least polythene to avoid the possibility of corrosion from the cement. It DOES happen.

[midridge2]

http://www.copper.or...r_concrete.html

[Tiny tom]

The fact is as a builder, yes it can happen but I'm pretty sure it won't happen in your lifetime. I think it's salt out of sand or maybe the line from the cement but nothing to worry about.

[Tiny tom]

Lime*

[maccers]

Thanks for the replies all. The pipes are 8mm micro bore that feed two, well one fireplace now I have removed one. As far as I can remember, the old pipe we burried some of it into a load of cement just to anchor it down really, not that anything is likely to move / vibrate it enough to kink and split.

I would take a look, but since doing this, I had fitted a new wooden floor, as in over the top of the floor boards so will be a bit of a pain to remove.

[blacktulip]

you can buy microbore with a pvc coating already to go but if yo have bought the pipe already you need some sleeved hair felt lagging, we sell 24ft rolls for around £6 at work. or failing that, run some barrier pipe (hep2o or speedfit) over the microbore to give it a channel to run through. some plumbers prefer the latter just incase they need to pull it back out if there is a leak. hope this helps.