Insulating outside taps

[Jon Maine]

Sorry let me clarify, I dont have the valve or drain down and suffer no problems.

However, good advice would say that you should have an internal control and drain it down for the cold blast.

 

[Flyfisher]

Thanks for the votes of confidence regarding plastic pipe and fittings for outside taps. Sounds like the way to go - with an internal shut-off valve as well, of course, just in case!

 

[skier-hughes]

Sorry let me clarify, I dont have the valve or drain down and suffer no problems.

However, good advice would say that you should have an internal control and drain it down for the cold blast.

Did you say that your water guy won't let you run water off, but allowed you not to have a non-return valve?
Odd isn't it, where our guy told us to run water off to keep it fresh, but insisted on non-return valves.

 

[MdB]

I've just repaired the burst pipe in the caravan. The leak was underneath right in the middle in a section of insulated copper pipe. The Hep2o plastic pipe that ran to the caravan above ground (need to bury it a some stage) was fine.

 

[Jon Maine]

Did you say that your water guy won't let you run water off, but allowed you not to have a non-return valve?
Odd isn't it, where our guy told us to run water off to keep it fresh, but insisted on non-return valves.

Well, theres a good memory.

I do have a non return valve attached to the external tap, but however no stop tap internally to isolate.

We were not allowed to connect the public water supply to our system directly with isolation via no return valve. We would have to have a header tank it ran into regulated by a ball valve with an air gap between the water inlet and stored water. We could not run off the stagnant leg every few weeks and dump it . Well thats the short version.

And yes the waterboard officials whilst in a heated debate told me in no uncertain terms I could not propose any system which involved wasting water without it being used. technically I am sure that they are correct although I had them over a bit of a barrel and they were twitching and being far from reasonable. I have not finished with them yet but have moved at least 2 steps ahead my direction from that time which they have conceded and got £1000 plus back so far.Long story for another day.

 

[Aidan]

We were not allowed to connect the public water supply to our system directly with isolation via no return valve. We would have to have a header tank it ran into regulated by a ball valve with an air gap between the water inlet and stored water. We could not run off the stagnant leg every few weeks and dump it . Well thats the short version.

What's that about? Grey water recycling?
Fluid category 5 (serious health hazard) so they're probably right. Direct connection devices only go up to category 4 I think (reduced pressure zone valves).

 

[Jon Maine]

No we have a borehole with very good quality clean water. I wanted a mains water supply as standby for if the pump broke down. Waterboard had advised I could not connect directly to their system and mine at the same time. I wanted to have the facility to disconnect my borehole supply to the house pipework and connect there supply instead.

I was told even my drained down empty pipework represented a serious health risk for the waterboards pipes and I could not ever do so. Later that changed to I would have to chlorinate them to BS.... whichever one it was but I could install the header tank option, which in our instance would have to go into the cellar and be pumped through the system.

It is farcical because of all the holes in the pipes and muck that must get into their system!!

 

[Aidan]

No we have a borehole with very good quality clean water.

I think their interpretation of the Water Regulations is correct, re backsiphonage. That would still be a Category 5 fluid, the highest risk. Three Valleys Water managed to supply crypto-sporidium from their deep boreholes about 10 years back making a lot of people very ill. They're concerned about contamination of the mains supply if the mains pressure were to fail and the borehole water was drawn into their system. Your borehole may be clean but the regulations are written with the worst case in mind.

 

[Jon Maine]

Yes, that more or less what they said.

However my problem with them is they did not tell me this before I had the supplies put in despite me asking.

And if my pump were broken down and I disconnected the borehole the connected their supply where would the problem be?

Anyhow the law is not on my side but they have not taken my initial enquiry properly. They advised me incorrectly.

Anyway to change the subject slightly our bore hole has an aquifer at 36m down, that rises to 24m down . i.e. 1.2 bar pressure. When pumped at 18 gallons a minute it dropped by 300mm and recovered immediately upon stopping pumping.

I believe we have a major supply capable of around 200 cubic metres per hour with the correct pump and diameter borehole, thats a lot of water!!

 

[Aidan]

And if my pump were broken down and I disconnected the borehole the connected their supply where would the problem be?

No problem, unless you tell them.

I believe we have a major supply capable of around 200 cubic metres per hour with the correct pump and diameter borehole, thats a lot of water!!

Lucky you!

 

[Jon Maine]

Well, they do know as being an honest sort of person I spoke to them before I did anything. They gave me at best patchy advice and then did not record it so when the meters didnt show usage sent the enforcement officer around only to find nothing was connected.

Well I like my category 5 water.So agree lucky me.

 

[MdB]

Ok this is completely OT but this is not something I have come across before:

Ice circles - Rotates once every 4 minutes.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5510022.ece

 

[Flyfisher]

How odd.
Glad to read that "UFO enthusiasts" have the answer though. Perhaps it was the same alien spaceship that crashed into a wind turbine in Biff's part of the world last week. :wink:

 

[MattJ]

I once saw many of these on the Big Water of Fleet, north of Gatehouse of Fleet in Galloway. Temperature overnight had been down to -10 and there were 20 or so of these discs in the river the next morning. Sometimes there were groups of three or four discs of varying sizes all spinning together. They definitely formed in the eddies. I have some photos somewhere.

Matt

 

[Jon Maine]

The only frozen discs I have experience of are in my neck and upper back