Need some lead water main replacement advice.

[tom.harrigan]

Hi

I want to start making plans to replace my incoming water main which is lead. The stopcock doesn't work, and is in such a tight position that replacing it while leaving enough lead to connect to is going to be a job for a contortionist. I'd also rather not have lead, and hope that replacing the old pipe will improve my water pressure.

My problem is getting a new pipe into the house. If all else fails, I'll dig a trench through my front door (the house no foundations). There must be an easier way?

T

 

[CHRIS]

I replaced my water main when the shared pipe to my row of houses kept bursting, you should replace back to the main valve in the street (where it becomes you responsibility) in blue pvc pipe. To avoid digging we used trenchless digging and only took 1/2 day for 30m

http://www.moleing.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=0&Itemid=28

 

[tom.harrigan]

Chris

Thanks for the tip! My problem is not so much getting from my water meter to the house, it's only a few metres, but getting into the house. How did you get your water pipe into the house?

T.

 

[grays85]

can you get a new meter fitted by the water board? they can sometimes replace them if lead.

you could then run a plastic pipe from the meter throught the wall then change it with a hand tight fitting to copper

just make sure the trench is deep enough to protect from frost

 

[chuckey]

The ultimate water pressure is set by the height of your local reservoir. The actual pressure any at given flow is set by the resistance of the water flow in the pipes/stopcock. So speak to your neighbours or friends who are at the same altitude as you are, to find out what their water pressure is like. I have 40 PSI where I live and my friends in the village have 110 PSI!!!, I am about 200' higher then them.
It could be that the old leather washer in the stopcock in the road has broken up and is dropping the pressure at any half decent flow, this is the water companies responsibilities and in S. Hampshire they replaced their stopcock within 2 days and for free with a nice new gizmo. I would reccommend doing this if your are contemplating upgrading the pipework. In both my houses the feed to and from the main stopcock was in steel with an internal junction into lead to replace the roof fed cistern feed in one.
Frank

 

[Chris1roll]

I remember dad replacing our lead piping with blue pipe when I was about 8 or so. The blue pipe had the same I/D as the lead pipes O/D and mad a massive differnce to the flow.
Our house has no foundation either so he just dug up to the wall, and then under it, and dug a hole in the kitchen floor to meet.

 

[tom.harrigan]

Looks like I'm got some digging to do! Please don't let me find another cellar!!!

If I get caught by the water board or building control, am I going to get into trouble?

T

 

[DaveBrigg]

When Anglian Water checked the pipework before connecting us to the mains they were only concerned that there was a stop cock where the blue pipe terminated (I presume some people forget this and flood the house when the supply is connected.) They also checked that where the pipe came through the wall and floor it was sleeved in something to protect it. The plumber had an idea that it was so there was some movement between house and pipe in case we ever had an earthquake.
The external section from mains to house had to be buried to a depth of at least 60cm for frost protection.

 

[Taff in Glaws]

This is on the to do list for myself. I vaguely recall that minimum depth in our area is 750mm and that the spec differs across the country so it may be worth checking out with your water supplier before proceeding with any work.

 

[DaveBrigg]

From memory, 750 mm was the recommended depth for us too, but we were told that 600 mm would still be enough to safeguard against the British climate. In fact some over enthusiasm with a mini-digger meant that the pipe was probably deep enough to benefit from geothermal protection.

 

[Nemesis]

Is that the mini digger in the photo?