Ideas on Edinburgh tenement lead installation runs

[silver50]

hi folks

I've bought a circa 1880 Edinburgh tenement flat. As quite a lot still do, there is still a lead supply pipe running through the building. My flat though also still has a lot of lead plumbing. Some copper mixed in!

I can usually manage fine to drain and disconnect things but those lead snakes minus obvious connections etc have got me slightly baffled so I am intending to get some reliable help getting all the lead out/disconnected

My main (excuse the pun) question is this. I have a lead pipe sticking out the bathroom wall going on to copper feeding the cistern (quite high on wall obviously old high up cistern originally)but it's on the opposite side of the bathroom from the rising main/old lead tank and there is NO SIGN of where it comes from. Pretty bizarre. I've got full access to around the old lead tank. I feel 99% sure my old lead tank is feeding everything in the flat (no mains pressure to be found anywhere) BUT the cold water tank doesn't fill after using the toilet almost like this old lead feed might be mains pressure.

Just hoping someone may know what the deal is with this toilet supply. Two tradesmen so far when having a quick look haven't known....

Thanks

 

[Tibbot]

That lead cold supply could come from a communal tank feeding all the flats. Check with whoever manages the building.

 

[ianmcd]

There are 100% grants available to have all the lead on any domestic pipe work replaced in Edinburgh

 

[Tibbot]

I bet they don't let you keep the scrap lead though.

 

[silver50]

Thanks for replies

I'm of the belief there isn't grants these days. I wish there was
And there sure ought to be!

One of the guys who looked at this did mention
There might be a tank in the loft of the building. I looked today and didn't
Fancy the height of the hatch into the loft!!

There is no factor purely up to the residents. No help from Edinburgh council with them having scrapped the statutory notice system on repairs. Not unless absolute emergencies

 

[silver50]

Meant to say I spoke to a plumber I know pretty well who seemed
To think it was pretty unlikely all those loft tanks weren't done away with long ago