Plumbers please. Yorkshire pipes.

Hi

We live in a stone terrace built around 1910.

We have had a couple of leaks into the hallway from the bath piping. Each time they have had to go through the ceiling causing additional expense with replastering.

Apparently we have “thin Yorkshire copper piping” and we’ve been told that a leak will happen again and find a weak spot unless we get it all replumed.

Is this likely? I’m inclined to replaster and risk it, if it does happen again then maybe sort it then. No idea if they are just after a large job?

Thanks in advance

thin Yorkshire copper piping

That sounds like BS. Get a 2nd opinion

Step one. Ask some more plumbers.

If you get the same reply you know the first one wasn’t lying. It will also give you an idea of costs.

Yorkshire are a brand, I think they might have invented the pre soldered fittings.

I wonder if they meant the pipes were 12mm and the fittings are half inch. Which is a fun combo when you don’t realise…

Do you have soft water? It can eat copper and pinhole leaks form.

If you have had a couple of leaks I’d just replumb especially if you haven’t replastered yet

If I had pinhole leaks I’d be replacing the whole section of pipe as no point making good if its likely to happen again.

You might just have a duff section of pipe which was drawn badly and has poor wall thickness – I guess it can happen esp before modern QA processes etc.

Yorkshire are a brand, I think they might have invented the pre soldered fittings.

Always wondered why the were called Yorkshire joints!

I googled Yorkshire Pipes and came up with a smoking pipe brand! Maybe he does mean the Yorkshire fitting…I saw something on YouTube recently saying that before modern water soluble fluxes if too much flux was used when installing the pipes then it can be corrosive and cause pin hole leaks in horizontal pipework and, I presume, leaks around the fittings too.

Think its probably a case of pin hole leaks…ultimately if you’re getting multiple leaks from old pipework that is probably what it is so you are looking at replacing the affected pipework.

Yorkshire Fittings was the brand (making copper pipes and fittings) now rebranded as Pegler Yorkshire.
Virtually every house in the country will have some form of Yorkshire fitting or pipework in it I would imagine.

His talking balls about “thin yorkshire pipe” although that doesn’t really alter the situation, if its causing multiple problems, it needs to be replaced.

How will covering the pipes with feathers help?

How will covering the pipes with feathers help?

it took me a while, reading from the bottom up, but I found it eventually 🤣

That’s total BS.

Have lived in Yorkshire for 20 years, plumbed many houses and never has ‘local’ pipe issues.

As above, if there is a leak, replace the whole pipe to outside, don’t just wait for the next leak.

Isn’t here is a known problem with a certain era/batch of pipes ~25 years ago? Could it be that he’s referring to?

Can’t remember if it’s Pegler/Yorkshire though.

thin yorkshire pipe

I’m affronted and also bothered by the thought of the er personal growth ads I’m now going to be seeing.

Yorkshire fittings are the pre-soldered ones.

If your plumber uses pre-soldered fittings then may I suggest getting another plumber who knows how to solder properly. Yorkshire fittings are good for DIY fixes and making coats pegs but are usually less good than a properly soldered joint with a regular fitting put together by a decent plumber.

Now I’ve got that off my chest I’m going to suggest why not replace the whole pipe where it is hidden with plastic push fit? Shouldn’t leak and easier to fit.

Pretty sure a Yorkshire fitting would last longer than an o-ring on a press fit plastic fitting! nowt wrong with Yorkshire fittings. like anything, you can cock up soldering a Yorkshire fittings as easily as you can a normal one. Either way the joint will be compromised. Plastic is OK but whenever I’ve used plastic for DIY tasks I’ve only ever done it where I can put the fittings in places I can access in the future for when the o-ring perishes and starts leaking. For blind fittings behind walls or ceilings I’d always go with copper and solder – Yorkshire or otherwise.

Have lived in Yorkshire for 20 years, plumbed many houses and never has ‘local’ pipe issues.

I could be wrong but I think we might have covered the use of the word yorkshire in some detail prior to your post 😀

If your plumber uses pre-soldered fittings then may I suggest getting another plumber who knows how to solder properly. Yorkshire fittings are good for DIY fixes and making coats pegs but are usually less good than a properly soldered joint with a regular fitting put together by a decent plumber.

Cost is the only reason plumbers don’t use Yorkshire joints, one you can end feed solder (which isn’t at all hard), no point in paying 3x as much for Yorkshire joints. The end result is the same. I use Yorkshire as I’m only DIYing and cost isn’t really an issue, buy I still end feed the joints if I can’t see a full ring of solder all the way round.

Thanks for the detail. Ok so the plumber has replaced the pinhole pipe with plastic but there seems to be loads of copper pipes up there. No leaks now but not sure if at all it may happen again in another pipe?

So if we get the pipes replaced. Does mean the whole of the upstairs as the radiators all seem to have the same pipes?

Little nudge for the early birds.

You don’t necessarily need everything replacing, you may be good after this fix. But equally possible you might find that this leak fixed just means the next weakest point in the system starts leaking, rinse and repeat until the weakest part in the system is strong enough to hold the system pressure.

I’m assuming that all the pipework in that area is the same vintage? If so and none of it is showing signs of the same issue then probably not necessary to replace it all. Copper poi-works lasts forever so long as there is nothing actually causing it to degrade. It could be that the leaky pipe is at a point in the system where sludge gathers and collects and has caused corrosion or something and the other pipes are relatively clean.

Having said that and if it is convenient or easy, I’d be inclined to replace what I could once I had the ceiling off and making all that mess as a belt and braces/while I’m in there measure. Once you’ve made the hole and got access and if convenient to replace all the pipework in that area then the cost of the materials is cheap so might as well.

Perfect, thanks so much.

They have replaced as much as they could so I think we are comfortable with this.

Thanks again. Some great knowledge and it is really appreciated.

You in Lancashire and you are in Yorkshire and the plumber is just looking for a reason subtly make a dig at Yorkshire.