So I brought back a bidet from France, after being quoted £170+ in the UK...they are €52 in France.

I bought a new pop-up waste and a very small trap labelled 32mm.
The French waste uses the same as the UK, 40mm and 32mm.

But when I came to fit it, the waste pipe I already had wouldn't fit into the new trap.

Measuring it showed that UK pipe is almost 35mm, although the fittings are labelled 32mm and the pipe itself, 34mm.

I ended up buying a new UK trap...slightly bigger than the French one, but it fit...just.


But what's with describing something as 32 mm, labelling some of it as that, other parts as 34mm and it ACTUALLY being closer to 35mm?

Why do we, in the UK, always have to be different?

 

I believe pipe sizes different for solvent weld vs. push fit - maybe that's the reason?

 

As above it depends on tyoe of fitting and also manufacturer as they all can vary slightly

 

a bidet.........??????

 

Used for washing feet, I think

 

Most them catholic

 

^^^random comment of the month^^^

 

catholic feet?

 

ID and OD?

 

hmmm....might be something else that needs washing out if you're catholic

 

Why is it that plumbing uses metric pipe sizes (DN) and imperial (BSP) thread sizes for unions?

At least BSP is used in Europe...British standard pipe I'm amazed they didn't switch over to metric thread just to p**s us off.

 

The bit I can't get mu head round is marking all fittings "32mm" and yet the pipe is clearly marked "34mm"

And both are closer to 35mm.........

 

For some reason they use the internal diameter. Then PVC and PU push fit stuff is thinner walled than ABS solvent weld.

 

French pipe is 32 mm.

And it doesn't matter where you buy it, or who makes it...it fits.

 

Probably like the Spanish stuff (commonly made by Jimten)...They only use solvent weld pvc tube for waste over there which is pretty thick compared to our wafer-thin push fit stuff. Seems to withstand UV exposure better too - ever note how old waste push-fit pipe used outside can go brittle? The Spanish stuff doesn't do that.

The outlets on the traps are always compression style fitting with a neoprene washer (not rubber). Any 32mm waste pipe fits any any 32mm fitting. Any brand, even the flexible stuff.

The only thing not to mix up is PVC pressure pipe (often used for swimming pools) with waste pipe - they look the same, same colour, available in the same outer diameter sizes, but pool stuff (PN16) is thicker walled. Still ok to use PN16 for waste pipe; I plumbed the washing machine using some I had left over Probably wouldn't be wise to go the other way round and use waste pipe to plumb a swimming pool though...seeing it runs at up to 3bar

 

Agreed, French waste plumbing is easy.

But their water pipework plumbing is a minefield, with 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28mm pipe available.

Copper pipe is thicker than ours but is a sliding fit one into the next size up, so easy to end feed solder.

There are NO solder ring fittings, but three different types of compression fitting.

Flexible pipework is dirt cheap...but watch out for the fittings, at €9 per T-piece and €7 per 90 deg bend, they can add to the price horrendously.