3052 Plumbing

Hello everyone, my name is Mark and i currently own a town house
in Pulgia. It is a family holiday home that we visit about one a year.
The house is basic and we are currently trying to modernise it, which brings me to my question. Are the plumbing standards/fitting different than ours in the UK, can we get these fitting in the UK (ie Metric).

Thanks

Mark

Category
Building/Renovation

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 03/25/2006 - 15:34

Hi Mark,
Can`t help about the plumbing but am interested (nosey!) to know whereabouts in Puglia you are. We`re in Martina Franca. What a pity you only use the house once a year.

Hazel

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 03/25/2006 - 15:42

Hello Hazel,

We are further north (near Lucera) in a village called Roseto Valfortore.
We hope to visit more frequently, but we have a young family.....schools....
work etc.

Mark

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 03/25/2006 - 19:54

According to "[URL="http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0340900067/qid%3D1143333490/202-5250485-8535857"]Teach Yourself: Buying A Home In Italy[/URL]", UK and Italian plumbing is "[I]almost the same[/I]":

"Italian pipe and fitting sizes are metric -- just as UK sizes are metric, but Italian sizes are properly metric while UK sizes are just conversions of old Imperial measures. So, in the UK you have 15mm (5/8"), 19mm (3/4"), 22mm (7/8") and the like, while the Italian sizes are 10mm, 12mm, 16mm, 20mm, etc. The upshot is that you cannot normally use British fittings in an Italian plumbing system. Those lovely taps you saw in Debenhams won't fit on your bath.

"The second point you need to note is that Italian houses have a direct cold water supply system -- thre's no cold tank. That'll give you a bit more space in the attic, but the important things in plumbing terms are that you water supply is at mains pressure, and that this is higher that you get in the UK."

It goes on to talk about various regulations and some of the technicalities.

By the way, the title of the book may sound a little daft, but it's not really about buying a house as such. Rather, it's mainly a language book which covers the very specialised Italian vocabulary you need for doing work on Italian houses. As with the extract from the plumbing section above, it explains how things are different from the UK and it has lots of word lists. It also has diagrams of everything from curtain fittings to septic tanks which are useful in understanding how things work and go together, but could also be handy for point-and-gesture discussions with builders, shopkeepers, etc.

Al

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 03/25/2006 - 20:55

That's really helpful post we need to sort out our lack of bath/shower and also there are other books of interest in your link.
Thanks

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 03/26/2006 - 11:05

Hi willom,
I've just got back from fitting a British style hot water system, cold tank in loft and a hot cylinder.
The copper pipe and fitting came from britain 22mm and 15mm,
Our Italian house has 1/2" metal pipes the british 15mm connector fitted no problems, I use italian 3/4 on british 22mm fitting and 25mm italian plastic fitting on british 25mm water pipe no problems.

I belive like our house all houses in Italy have pressure valve by the meter, I just ask a local plumber reduce the water pressure.

hope this helps

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 03/26/2006 - 13:42

Thanks for the replies.
Having trouble getting a reliable builder, so wondering whether to
purchase parts in UK and fit them myself.

Thanks

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 03/27/2006 - 03:03

On a plumbing point, we had been looking at some houses to buy over the last couple of months, that were being built and I noticed that the water pipes here are all plastic. The house we have choosen is already finished and I was wondering how the hell you work-out where it is safe to drill a hole. Since when laying pipes the builders go in for the 'direct route' approach, there does not seem to be anyway to tell where the pipes run?

Mark

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 04/11/2007 - 12:26

Hi

just read your post re water pipes - have you had any experience with UK taps / shower fittings with Italian pipe work and fittings

Paul.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 04/11/2007 - 12:51

This is is one of those oft raised threads. Plenty of people have bought taps in Britain and fitted them no problem since the threaded fitings are imperial (half a thumb, three quarters of a thumb as they say). There can be a problem with the water pressure as alluded to so you need to make sure you have nice narrow 'tails' on your taps.

Someone also mentioned getting a plumber to reduce your pressure - if you like - if not you tighten the water pressure adjuster next to the meter with a wrench or big spanner

Very curious as to why 'libero' installed a tank in the loft - my understanding was they were old hat in the UK and plumbers were planning them out, creating pressurised systems either with an expansion valve or if a new pressurised boiler, the expansion valve is integrated.

Genuinely curious as I cant think of any advantages. Dont know if its true but I thought cold tanks were Wellingtons idea - if the French invaded each house would have a clean water supply