Capital repairs in the apartment usually starts with replacing the plumbing. Do-it-yourself installation of metal-plastic pipes is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. At the same time, you don’t even need to have special knowledge and skills, you just need to do everything according to the instructions and show accuracy and attention.
Where to start replacing the plumbing
Pipe installation begins with markings. You can sketch out a plan of the apartment on paper and mark where the water supply will pass. This will allow you to accurately determine the amount of material, fittings, adapters and tees. You can do it even easier: make the markup and the necessary calculations right on the walls. You will not need to constantly look into the drawing, everything will be right before your eyes.
Please note that the eyeliner should be double: hot and cold water. Then you can make additional outlets only for cold water, for example: to the toilet or washing machine.
Important! Replacing the plumbing is done immediately in the entire apartment. This will rule out joints of metal-plastic and metal pipes, which will greatly simplify the work of your own hands.
After all measurements are made, it is necessary to prepare the necessary tools. For metal-plastic products, this set is minimal.
You will need:
- A set of wrenches (including an adjustable wrench), a hammer drill and pliers.
- Get a calibrator. You will need this tool for expanding pipes.
- Special scissors. Unlike metal, plastic is quite easy to cut with your own hands, you don’t even need to make much effort.
After that, you need to turn off the water supply. If you live in a private house, then there will be no special problems, just shut off the inlet valves. In apartment buildings, you will have to block the entire riser. Therefore, it is necessary to first warn the neighbors and call a plumber. By the way, you will need a housing office employee to replace the inlet valves near the apartment. If the installation can be done by hand, then only a professional should change the valves. Then the old plumbing is dismantled in the apartment and you can get to work.
Installation of metal-plastic pipes
Do-it-yourself plumbing installation begins with the installation of coarse and fine filters. Without these devices, any debris, sand and scale from the general water supply will get into the water supply. For metal-plastic pipes, this is disastrous. Roughness and scratches will remain on a smooth surface, which will significantly reduce the service life.
Filters are installed immediately after the inlet valves. They are usually followed by water meters. You can install them yourself, but seal counters an employee of the Vodokanal should.
After that, the pipes are cut in accordance with the prepared drawings. To do this, you will need special scissors. Metal-plastic products consist of three layers, which are connected by an adhesive layer. Therefore, such products must be handled very carefully. Using scissors, you can get the smoothest cut. When using a hacksaw or other tools, sharp edges may remain on the cuts, which will lead to damage to the rubber seals. During trimming, the products can be deformed; you can return them to their original shape using a calibrator.
The connection of metal-plastic pipes occurs with the help of fittings. Do it like this:
- The inner surface is leveled with a calibrator.
- Insert the fitting.
- Tighten the clamp and screw on the nut.
- Insert the end of the pipe on the other side of the fitting.
- Tighten the structure with keys.
As you can see, installing a water pipe with your own hands is not particularly difficult. But there are some nuances:
- Be sure to tighten the fittings with two wrenches. One holds the fitting, the other is screwed on the nut. This must be done with extreme caution. Fitting connections are quite fragile, with a fair amount of force, you can damage the structure. It is necessary to tighten the nut until a characteristic crack appears. Too zealous is also not worth it. Places of threaded connections are recommended to be treated with silicone or sealant for reliability.
- In any apartment there is a corner where the pipe just needs to be bent. Plastic is a fairly flexible and elastic material, but bend the pipe it's unlikely to work by hand. The installation of a water supply system can be greatly simplified by using a spring for bending metal-plastic pipes. If the pipes do not pass in plain sight, bending them will be the best option. Any, even the most expensive fitting, does not exclude possible leaks. At the bend, the pipe remains intact, which does not allow leaks in principle.
- Installation of water pipes to the wall can be done using special plumbing clips. These clips are easily attached to any flat surface, after which the pipe is simply inserted into the clip. Plumbing clips come in different diameters, respectively, they are suitable for any pipes. In order for these devices to hang on the wall evenly, it is recommended to perform preliminary marking.
On this, the installation of a water supply system with your own hands can be considered complete. It remains only to supply water to the apartment.
Service
Even metal-plastic pipes have their own service life. It is believed that he is 50 years old. Perhaps this statement is true, but in 50 years it will be necessary to carry out maintenance of the water supply system at least several times. This can be done with your own hands without disturbing utility workers.
Even if the installation is carried out in accordance with all the rules, leaks may form at the fitting joints over time. There may be several reasons for this:
- Rubber seal rings are quickly destroyed, especially from hot water, so they often need to be replaced. In this case, the fitting is untwisted, the ring is changed. It is better to put a silicone seal.
- Fitting. The adapter itself may also burst. In this case, just replace it with a new one.
- Pipe. Perhaps during installation, the cut was made unevenly and the sharp ends led to leakage. In this case, the product is cut again, flared and installed in place. If the pipe itself suddenly burst, then it is not repaired, but replaced entirely.
If you are not sure that you can do the installation of pipes yourself, then it is better to contact a qualified plumber. After all, if the flow from the pipes ruins the repair just made, it is unlikely to give you pleasure. Although, as practice shows, most people successfully cope with the self-installation of metal-plastic pipes.
