Where can I buy 15mm stainless steel tube?

[rogerzilla]

Copper is no good because it'll be exposed (to a shower mixer).  Chromed copper is no good 'cos I need to bend it (and getting a decent compression or pushfit joint on chromed tube is very hard anyway).  Wickes, Homebase or B&Q don't list it.

BTW, it's tube, not pipe, although ignorant plumbers probably call it pipe.  Pipe is sold by internal diameter, tube is sold by external diameter.

[Canardly]

http://www.fwb.co.uk/home/pipeline-fittings/steel-tube-fittings/stainless-tube-fittings?p=2

[rogerzilla]

They only seem to have freaky imperial sizes.  I used to be able to buy this stuff locally 

[Tim Hall]

Half inch is 15mm when it comes to tube IIRC. All down to the internal and external diameter. Back in the day I worked my Summer holidays with a plumber. I spent 15 minutes looking in the the van for a half inch coupler, as I just knew it should be 12.5mm and all we had were 15mm (and 22mm, which are 3/4 inch).

You'll need to have a close look at dimensions  though.

[inc]

BTW, it's tube, not pipe, although ignorant plumbers probably call it pipe.  Pipe is sold by internal diameter, tube is sold by external diameter.

It is like ships and boats, or rule and ruler, irrelevant. Most pipe is measured by nominal bore. European domestic pipe is sized  by both internal and external diameter ( eg 16x14)  all their common sizes fit into the size above, much better than our ancient system based on gravity . Looks like BES sell stainless pipe and fittings , should be a branch near you  www.bes.co.uk/products/163.asp

[robgul]

Half inch is 15mm when it comes to tube IIRC. All down to the internal and external diameter. Back in the day I worked my Summer holidays with a plumber. I spent 15 minutes looking in the the van for a half inch coupler, as I just knew it should be 12.5mm and all we had were 15mm (and 22mm, which are 3/4 inch).

You'll need to have a close look at dimensions  though.

!!! 1/2" is 15mm in plumbing stuff BUT 3/4" is NOT 22mm .... they sell copper converter couplers for connecting to 3/4" pipework ... or you run loads and loads of solder up the joint 

Rob

[robgul]

You could try Plumb Center ... but s/s is a bit special for plumbing .. and I question whether you would get a compression fitting to be watertight? ... the olive in a copper pipe compression fitting (either plain copper or chromed) actually "crushes" the pipe very slightly .. hence "compression" - stainless is going to be too solid to crush/compress.

Rob (having spent today refitting one of our bathrooms!)

[inc]

s/s is a bit special for plumbing .. and I question whether you would get a compression fitting to be watertight? ..

A lot of  cylinders today are stainless and the connections to the coil is with normal compression fittings no problems with leaks or crushing pipe. Although not required I usually replace any brass olives with copper ones which I often anneal first.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Blimey, you shouldn't be crushing your pipes.

Chrome is a problem, but not stainless.

If I can do compression fittings that are gas-tight, then water-tight isn't an issue.

Copper olives make all the difference.

All domestic fittings in the uk are, AFAIK, sold on the size of the external diameter. So 15mm plastic is same external diameter as 15mm copper, but of course the wall thickness is very different.  You can use a 15mm pushfit fitting to join hep and copper pipe.

[Biggsy]

I'd look on eBay.

*Looks on eBay*

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p3984.m570.l1313&_nkw=15mm+steel+tube&_sacat=See-All-Categories

Available in 500mm lengths.  That'll be interesting for the courier.