Choosing the right sealant and adhesive can reduce call backs, prevent damage, and make sure your installation won’t be compromised.
Plastic fittings are an integral part of most bathroom, kitchen and toilet installations and play a crucial role in stopping noxious and toxic gases entering a home or building. In fact, plastic fittings are so popular that some manufacturers, like Glasgow-based McAlpine Plumbing Products, produce over 5,000 products, all designed to bring quality and performance to builders, plumbers, and heating engineers across the world. From plastic traps to waste pipes, from WC connectors to wet room solutions, there is a product for all applications.
Although the products are produced to stringent quality standards, it is important that some chemicals, in particular certain acids, are not used on plastic fittings. Certain silicones release acetic acid upon curing and you will know it from a strong vinegar-like smell.
When acetoxy silicone is used with a fitting, it can cause a degradation in the plastic which makes it splinter and break. In simple terms, it’s plastic decay. This breakdown leads to stress cracking, which leads to leaks. This in turn can cause major issues for tradespeople, and call-backs are almost certain. When McAlpine investigated the use of sealants and adhesives on its products, it was not satisfied with the acetoxy solutions, and was also keen to have a product that contained no solvents or isocyanates, which can cause skin irritation and breathing difficulties.
“We decided to test sealants and adhesives to see what would work best with our range – and that’s when we decided to invest in our own,” explains Ross McAlpine. “So, we created MACXSEAL, and it is the only sealant and adhesive tested and approved for use on McAlpine Plumbing Products. It bonds, cures, and seals quickly and has a high strength grab. It is resistant to UV radiation and general weathering – and importantly, it won’t compromise the quality of your installation either.”
MACXSEAL is not just suitable for plastic plumbing fittings – it can be used in a wide range of applications. Available in Brilliant White and Super Clear it is compatible with most plastics, timber, metal and for sealing expansion and construction joints. It is perfect for sealing baths, sinks, vanity units and toilets, tiles, mirrors, metals, wood, stone, concrete, marble, and brick. You can even use it on wet surfaces, and it contains a fungicide to combat mould and bacteria growth.
“Part of our success over the last 100 years has been supporting plumbing and heating installers,” continues Ross. “We wanted to bring them a sealant and adhesive they can trust, not just on our products, but for those other jobs too – whatever your trade, it is the only tube you will ever need.”
A fitting history
The company was formed in 1907 by marine engineer James B McAlpine and it is still as a family-run business. McAlpine helped revolutionise the plumbing industry back in 1957 when it made the strategic decision to switch to plastic, and subsequently introduced the UK’s first plastic waste trap.
Its vast product range now encompasses traps, shower and floor gullies, waste pipe and fittings, overflow pipe and fittings, WC connectors, air admittance valves and waste outlet fittings.
“Many of the company’s products have been copied but none have been bettered and today we employ over 700 people across eight sites and export to more than 90 countries around the world,” says Ross McAlpine, who’s from the fourth generation of the family.
“The launch of MACXSEAL is a landmark for the company; it’s not a plastic fitting, but it meets our high standards on quality and performance.”
The company promises PB there are more new products in the McAlpine Plumbing pipeline – watch this space!
For more details on MACXSEAL visit https://mcalpineplumbing.com/macxseal
YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!
To celebrate the launch of MACXSEAL McAlpine Plumbing Products has teamed up with Professsional Builder to giveaway 10 tubes. For your chance to try MACXSEAL for yourself you can enter by filling in the form below.
