Find out more about Pipelife:
👉 https://skill-builder.uk/pipelife
We’ve come a long way from copper and solder — here’s the smart, modern way to plumb a house that’s faster, safer, and built for the future.
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Roger heads back to the Pipelife Academy in Cork, Ireland, to meet Mike Geary and discuss how modern plastic pipe systems are changing plumbing for the better.
From flexible PEX to pre-insulated manifold systems, the days of worrying about joints under the floor or burst copper pipes are fast disappearing.
Mike explains how pipe-in-pipe systems make installation faster, cleaner, and easier to maintain, with the bonus that you can even rethread pipes through ducting if one ever gets damaged.
Roger and Mike also look at insulation—why it’s crucial for heat efficiency, how it affects flow and return losses, and why insulation delays freezing but doesn’t prevent it.
It’s a deep dive into the evolution of plumbing—from lead to copper to modern plastics—with real insight into how technology is helping the trade adapt to faster building schedules, higher comfort demands, and fewer apprentices entering the trade.
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction – Roger visits Pipelife in Cork
00:31 Why plastic pipes have a 50-year guarantee
01:27 Advantages of pipe-in-pipe
02:20 How re-threadable pipe-in-pipe systems work
03:10 Why insulation matters
07:29 Heat loss outside the thermal envelope
08:50 How insulation affects freezing risk
11:51 Skills shortage and faster building methods
15:12 Why modern homes need smarter plumbing
17:20 Wrap-up and how to learn more
Check out @pipelifes
