Joining Pipes.

Prepare the Pipe Ends.
Before two pipe lengths of any material can be joined, the ends must be cut square and left smooth. Copper pipe needs careful cutting and finishing to ensure watertight joints. You can cut plastic pipes with special shears over the sharp craft knife. Surbiton Plumbers are trained to use all types of fittings.

Tools: Pipe Cutter or Hacksaw, Half-Round File. A Vice or Portable Workbench.

Cut the ends of the pipes square with a pipe cutter or hacksaw. Holding the pipe in a vice while sawing can help to form a square cut. Smooth away any burrs inside the pipe ends with a reamer on the pipe cutter. Use a file to smooth the end and the outside of the pipe. A Surbiton Plumber is a qualified tradesman.

Compression Joint.
This is a strong and easy method of joining copper and plastic pipes. Tightening the nuts correctly is critical, the joint will leak if they are not tight enough or if they are over tightened. Unscrew and remove one cap-nut from the fitting. If the olive has two sloping faces rather than a convex one, note which way round it is fitted, then remove it as well. Take one pipe and slide the cap-nut over it, then the olive. Make sure the olive is in the same way around as it was in the fitting if it has two sloping faces. Push the pipe into one end of the fitting up to the internal pipe stop. Then slide the olive and nut up to the fitting and hand tighten the cap-nut. Hold the body in the fitting securely with a spanner while you give the cap-nut 1 1/4 turns with the other. Do not over tighten it. Fit pipes into other openings of the fitting in the same way.