Mains water pipe

[Guitar_man]

Looks like black alkathene, the tee should have the size written in it, looks like a plasson fitting. I’m not sure speedfit or any other pushfit domestic pipes can be fitted underground, should be blue mdpe.

Edit: if you’re connecting onto lead, there are fittings, unless you want to do away with the lead? A lot of water suppliers do lead ye, replacement schemes, whereby you obtain someone to carry out the leg work from your property to the boundary tap and they’ll connect for free (usually).

Update, OK I fitted the stopcock on the alkathene, it took some red adapter fittings. I turned the stopcock and waited. Read the meter, still moving. Its losing 15 liters per hour. It looks like the lead from the meter is leaking I've read I'm liable to pay the water boards repair costs. Is this true? Are the water Co liable for any of it as its crappy lead with an old style meter, ie no internal spinney thingy.

 

[Deleted member 267285]

If the water board repair the pipe, then you’d be liable for any costs. Depends who you’re with, United utilities used to offer a free one time repair. Unfortunately the water board aren’t responsible for anything from the boundary stopcock, that would have been whoever built the house (I would have thought) who put the lead in.

 

[Guitar_man]

Water company will pay a 250 quid 'discretionary' contribution if fixed within 30 days. Not sure what that means.
By my reckoning it's costing an extra 100 a quarter on the bill.

 

[Deleted member 267285]

Edited.

 

[Guitar_man]

Doesn’t have to be water company, however £250 might not be bad compared to what a plumber may charge?

That's a contribution. Not a total Cost. I expect I'm gonna get fleeced.

 

[Ian H]

Your insurance might cover you.

 

[Deleted member 267285]

That's a contribution. Not a total Cost. I expect I'm gonna get fleeced.

Yes re-read, that’s why I edited it.

 

[Madrab]

How long is the lead run after the meter? Do you know, can you get access? If so then you could get someone in to repair if the supply can be isolated, as after the meter is then usually classed as your pipe hence your responsibility.

 

[Guitar_man]

How long is the lead run after the meter? Do you know, can you get access? If so then you could get someone in to repair if the supply can be isolated, as after the meter is then usually classed as your pipe hence your responsibility.

Not long, it's about 10m, but would involve digging up the pavement. 1m on the pavement, the other 9m on my property(front garden/garden path). There is a crack, probably where the water leak is, I'd say. There is a stop tap on the water meter.

 

[Guitar_man]

Meter update, been off for 12 hrs now. Meter showing. x.67 to x.83 so I reckon 0.16m3. So my reckoning 320 litres per day.

 

[Madrab]

That's a fair leak. If your insurance wont cover then depending on where you are there may also be a lead replacement scheme that'll subsidise the cost, call your Local Authority. Otherwise you may just have to bite the bullet.

 

[Guitar_man]

That's a fair leak. If your insurance wont cover then depending on where you are there may also be a lead replacement scheme that'll subsidise the cost, call your Local Authority. Otherwise you may just have to bite the bullet.

Interestingly I posted another thread about a damp problem on the front wall. I think it's likely they are related. What sort of radius around the leak would this affect the building (ground is slightly running away).

 

[Madrab]

Well a DPC not withstanding then depending on the ground make up and how fast it can soak away, water can run/seep quite a distance so it certainly could be related. Unfortunately it's nigh on impossible to gauge without being onsite. You could dig a test pit at the wall where the damp is showing.

 

[Ian H]

I’m doing a very similar sounding job today. I’ve just dug point of entry, the leak is under the house and it looks like the pipe is in a duct.

This is an insurance job.

 

[Ian H]

Well that was a crap day. The ducting didn’t go all the way so we couldn’t just pull a new piece through. The people had moved out so we temporarily overlanded it so they could move back in.

We are recommending a reroute with Insuduct at the new point of entry.