End Feed vs Compression Fittings: When to Use Each One

Both end feed and compression fittings connect copper pipe. Both are used every day on UK plumbing jobs. But they suit different situations — and using compression where end feed is appropriate (or vice versa) costs time and money. Here's when to use each one.

End Feed Fittings: What They Are

End feed fittings are plain copper sleeves — no solder pre-loaded. You push the pipe in, apply flux, and solder with a blow torch. The capillary action draws molten solder into the gap between fitting and pipe, creating a permanent joint.

End feed fittings are cheaper than pre-soldered (solder ring) fittings because there's no solder loaded in the fitting — you supply your own. On a big job with dozens of joints, the cost saving adds up.

What you need: Blow torch, solder (lead-free for potable water — use BS EN 29453 approved), flux, pipe cutter, deburring tool.

Compression Fittings: What They Are

Compression fittings use a mechanical joint. The pipe goes in, an olive (a soft metal ring) sits around the pipe, and the compression nut is tightened onto the fitting body. As the nut tightens, it compresses the olive into the pipe and fitting, creating a watertight seal.

No heat required. No flux. No solder. The joint is made with a spanner.

What you need: Adjustable spanner or grips, PTFE tape (for some fittings on threaded entries).

When to Use End Feed

End feed is the professional choice for most fixed copper pipework where you have good access and the joint won't need to be undone:

• New installations — bathroom supplies, heating circuits, kitchen pipework
• Any run of pipework that will be concealed behind walls, under floors or in ducts
• High-temperature applications — soldered joints handle heating system temperatures without degradation
• Where cost per joint matters — material cost is lower than compression
• Where a permanent joint is specifically required (e.g. under a concrete screed)

End feed joints, done correctly, are as reliable as the pipe itself. Done incorrectly — insufficient flux, insufficient heat, moving the joint before solder sets — they leak. Technique matters.

When to Use Compression

Compression comes into its own when:

• Heat cannot be used — near flammable materials, in a live plant room, near gas pipework, where fire risk is unacceptable
• The joint may need to be undone — compression joints can be disconnected and remade (though the olive usually needs replacing)
• Connecting to existing pipework — repairs, extensions and additions where you don't want to drain down and use heat
• Connecting dissimilar materials — compression fittings bridge copper to plastic in many configurations (check fitting spec)
• Speed on small jobs — a compression fitting is faster to make than a soldered joint when you've only got one or two connections to do
• Emergency repairs — compression fittings work in damp conditions where a soldered joint won't take

Key Differences at a Glance

The Embrass Peerless Range at APM

We stock the full Embrass Peerless Atomic end feed range — the most-used brand for end feed fittings on London plumbing jobs. The 15mm x 10mm reducer and the 15mm x ½" male coupler are two of our highest-volume products, moving consistently because they're a staple on every bathroom and kitchen installation.

We also stock compression fittings across the common sizes — 10mm microbore through to 28mm. The 10mm compression coupler is particularly popular for microbore heating circuit repairs.

Everything is available for same-day collection from our Acton trade counter, Mon–Sat.

A Note on Solder Ring vs End Feed

There's a third type: solder ring (also called Yorkshire fittings). These are like end feed fittings but with solder pre-loaded inside a ring in the fitting. You still need heat and flux — the difference is you don't need to feed solder separately. They're slightly more expensive than end feed but faster to use. Ask at the counter if you want both options to compare.

In Stock at APM — Acton Trade Counter

End feed, compression and solder ring fittings across all common sizes. Embrass Peerless Atomic end feed range in stock for same-day collection.

APM Plumbing & Electrical Supplies
24 Western Avenue, Acton, London W3 7TZ
📞 020 8702 8080 | 🌐 apmi.uk
Mon–Sat, trade counter open