Which ever pipe you are using whether it be plastic or copper, it is important to use the correct tool for cutting it.

Cutting plastic pipe

Plastic pipe is best cut with a designated plastic pipe cutter, you can pay between £5.00 and £20.00 for a pair. To cut the pipe simply open the cutters, place the pipe in the opening where the blade is and squeeze the handles together (some cutters are ratchet cutters and require squeezing the handles several times).

Plastic pipe is the easiest of all to cut as it is so simple, even in confined spaces. Do not use an hacksaw to cut plastic pipe as this will create burrs which damage the PTFE sealing ring within the pushfit joint, which will ultimately leak!

Pipe inserts must be used for plastic pipe, these simply push into the pipe once it has been cut and prevent the pipe from being crushed by the fitting.

PIPE INSERT

Place the insert into the pipe as above

Then ensure it is pushed all the way into the pipe as the picture above shows.

Cutting copper pipe

Copper pipe can be cut with either a hack saw or a pipe slice. If a pipe is against a wall then a hacksaw is probably easiest but if it is not against a wall a pipe slice will be far easier, guaranteeing a straight burr free cut.

Joints are far better if the two pieces of pipe to be joined are square and burr free. A hacksaw can make it difficult to cut straight, whereas a pipe slice is almost fool proof.

If using a hacksaw to cut a pipe a good way to get a straight line is to wrap a piece of paper around the pipe, this gives you a straight line which you can use as a guide.

To use a pipe slice simply open it up and then close it onto the pipe, then rotate it as shown on the directional arrow on the pipe slice. After a few turns the pipe will be neatly cut-

Alternatively you can use a junior hacksaw and a mitre block