Copper pipes in concrete?

[rrich]

FWIW, I had a house built on a slab floor. Our pipes ran through the slab and were encased in a neoprene tube (or, excuse the word condom). I was told by the plumber that this was to prevent corosion. The plumber also said that they used soft copper pipes so that there were no soldered joints below the slab.

[Barry_White]

foam lagging.You can buy it in rolls.

Tools

I think you would find that type of lagging would nbe too bulky to be chased into a wall. The prelagged pipe has a lagging that is only about 3 to 4mm thick and is much denser than the after the event lagging.

Probably the best thing to do would be to get some grey duct tape and wrap the pipe with it.

Shouldn't take more than an hour to accomplish that.

[bitingmidge]

I think if youse all look he is going to encase it in mortar which a whole lot different to concrete.
Nearly all concrete contains retarder, which is very corrosive.

And "nearly" all (depending on your brickie! ) mortar contains cement, which isn't at all corrosive!.

Sorry Al, I've dug out too many to let you get away with it!


Cheers,

P

[Smiley Guy]

Thanks guys,

Very glad I asked. The foam stuff would be too bulky in what I have chased out in the wall. I'll go to the shops and ask for some thinner stuff this week hopefully.

I was going to to it this Wednesday when the boy is in day care, but the weather is cooling down enough for a couple hours fishing!!!

[Barry_White]

Thanks guys,

Very glad I asked. The foam stuff would be too bulky in what I have chased out in the wall. I'll go to the shops and ask for some thinner stuff this week hopefully.

I was going to to it this Wednesday when the boy is in day care, but the weather is cooling down enough for a couple hours fishing!!!

Like they say work is only for people that don't know how to fish.

[bricks]

Hey bloke wrap your pipe in normal grey duct tape, this will work well enough. The new copper pipes are thinner material ( cheap rubbish ) so it will corrode faster than old copper would have. Grey tape will do it, thats what i use, yes im a plumber, just make sure there are no holes in it ( do a good job)

Lagging will not work as it is porous and will let moisture through.

When you fill the chase up, try doin the corners on one day and then the next day when its hard you will find it a lot easier to bend the taps into a level position.

[journeyman Mick]

................Lagging will not work as it is porous and will let moisture through.........................

What, the green plastic lagging that comes on the pipes? (Kemlag) I seriously doubt that.

Mick

[Barry_White]

What, the green plastic lagging that comes on the pipes? (Kemlag) I seriously doubt that.

Mick

I agree with Mick. I have had Kemlag buried in soil for years and dug it up and the only area where moisture has got in is in the end where the Kemlag is cut and then it it has only gone in by capillary action a couple of inches. Kemlag is a closed cell foam so moisture doesn't penetrate.

The chances of moisture getting in a pipe that has been rendered in is remote unless the pipe is leaking.

The corrosion is started by the wet cement coming in contact with the copper and sets up a chemical reaction.

Like you say bricks grey duct tape will do the job anyway.

[bricks]

Sorry Mick but eventually the kemlag will have to come off when it is heated or joined, and i was talking about the black foam insulation that someone suggested re smileys last post, plus you could put your kids through private school for the cost of kemlag.

[journeyman Mick]

Most of the jobs I've been on Kemlag has been used for all hot water and wherever pipes are chased into the blockwork. Combinations are usually covered in stripped off plastic lagging if it's around and any bare bits or joints etc are covered in duct tape. I reckon that by the time you factor in the labour component to wrap bare copper in tape then it's more expensive not to use kemlag. Wasting dollars to save cents, I reckon.

Mick