Attaching pipe clips without drilling?

[tronic72]

Hi All,

I'm replacing all of my freshwater plumbing as part of my refit and there's some areas where i'll be running pipe which Id prefer to NOT drill into to. Here's the clip in question.



Does anyone have recommendations for how to attach pipe clips (not hose clamps) which hold the fresh water pipes in place "WITHOUT drilling into the fibreglass? I have some areas which I'd prefer not to drill into.

Thanks in advance.

PS. Boat is non-cored GRP.

[ItDepends]

If you are not drilling, then you are glueing. Glueing to fiberglass is certainly possible, but it is also not trivial.

Check out the Weld Mount system. https://www.weldmountsystems.com

[nuku34]

The Weld Mount System looks ok, but it will be expensive.

I use black plastic pads about 30mm square which have places on the top side to thread plastic wire ties through. The back of the pad has an ultra sticky pressure-sensitive coating (kind of like what you find on double-sided tape). After you peel off the protective film and press these on to whatever surface, that pad ain't coming off. I have used them to attach for plumbing and wiring to my fibreglass hull. Here in N.Z. they are available at any car parts shop. A bag of 10 costs about NZ$8

[tronic72]

Actually both your posts have given me an idea. The weld mount looks ideals was as suggested might be expansive. However I believe epoxying a stainless the blocks are a also good idea but I thought epoxying these on might be easier and allow for smaller blocks.

Will investigate both of these options and post what I come up with

Thanks so much for the ideas I knew there’d be something suitable.

[tronic72]

Originally Posted by nuku34

The Weld Mount System looks ok, but it will be expensive.

I use black plastic pads about 30mm square which have places on the top side to thread plastic wire ties through. The back of the pad has an ultra sticky pressure-sensitive coating (kind of like what you find on double-sided tape). After you peel off the protective film and press these on to whatever surface, that pad ain't coming off. I have used them to attach for plumbing and wiring to my fibreglass hull. Here in N.Z. they are available at any car parts shop. A bag of 10 costs about NZ$8

Hi nuka a photo would be great if you have something on file??

[pdx_sailing]

sorry, what type of piping are you running? you shouldn't need that many supports, cover with foam insulation for "unsupported" spans to prevent chafe.

Unlike a house, the distance from point A to B on most boat is short, and water pressure is 5 psi not 90 psi. I am not sure this is that big of an issue.

[nuku34]

PDX sailing:
A good idea!
tronic72:
Put short, say 50mm long, pieces of that tubular foam insulation (used for insulating copper home hot water pipes) over the boat's plastic water lines, then use a hot-glue gun to glue the foam to the hull.

I'll try to get a photo of those black plastic stick-on bits for you in the next few days.

[Sos]

Have a look here Self-adhesive cable tie mounts and clips

[goboatingnow]

I use sika 291 and self adhesive plastic tie wrap holders. Good grip on grp, used on their own without additional adhesive I find them very poor , I usually screw then on where I can.

[tronic72]

Originally Posted by pdx_sailing

sorry, what type of piping are you running? you shouldn't need that many supports, cover with foam insulation for "unsupported" spans to prevent chafe.

Unlike a house, the distance from point A to B on most boat is short, and water pressure is 5 psi not 90 psi. I am not sure this is that big of an issue.

John guest 12 mm Pex style piping. They recommend distances of 300-400mm between ends and now more than 600mm. My virtually all the plumbing I’m doing is below the floor in the bilge but it’s a cabin cruiser not a yacht so some of the spans are long. I think the longest is about 3000mm. You’re right I don’t need heaps, But I think it’s still about 40 clips I’ve ordered. Some will be okay to screw the pipe clips but some will be installed below the floor which I obviously can’t screw into

[nuku34]

to tronic72: the black plastic self-stick cable tie anchors I use are identical to the solid ones in the URL mentioned by Sos. They stick very well without Sikaflex if you carefully clean the fibreglass with acetone first and warm it a bit with a heat gun before applying the self-stick anchor.

[scherzoja]

How about this:

Lay up a 1/2" thick piece of fiberglass(epoxy and 1708) cut it to the length and width you want (i.e. the footprint of the pipe clip), tap a hole for whatever fastener you want to use with the pipe clips, then epoxy that fiberglass chunk to the hull (make sure you thread the fastener all the way in the hold; otherwise, the epoxy will fill the tapped hole from the bottom).

When epoxy cures, remove the fastener, and fasten the pipe clip.

It's a little more work than gluing on with Sikaflex, but it'll hold for a very long time.

If you have several pipe clips to fasten, make a rectangular chunk of fiberglass (epoxy/1708), say, 1" wide x 12" long x 1/2" thick. Then when cured, cut chunks off to make the brackets to which you fasten the pipe clips.

I usually make a cardboard trough lined with packing tape with inside dimensions of 1.25" x 12" long x 3/4" tall (length and width vary, depending on the what I am trying to affix to the hull and how many). Into this, I do the 1708/epoxy layup until I get the 1/2" thickness. Once cured, I tear off the cardboard form, grind the 12" stick smooth, then cut to whatever lengths I need.

[tronic72]

Not sure if anyone will be interested but this was the final solution I used.

1. Cut some glass panel sheets (kusa style or called thermo-lite here in AU) to make some small pads about an inch wide X two inches long

2 predrilled holes with drill using a
John guest hose clips joined together as locator

3 used a product called T-Rex which is similar to sikaflex 291 and 3M 5200 to glue pads in place at 300mm spaces as per John guest recommendation for horizontal and 500mm Vertical runs.

4 once the product had dried (24hrs ) used stainless screws to attach clips to pads.

[tronic72]

Some pics of pipe work and clips .

[Chotu]

That’s the best way to do it. Good job.