Replacing old lead pipe

[amyboo]

Apparently there's a slight leak in an old lead drainage pipe in my building. The pipe has been replaced in the appartment above me, and apparently the plumber decided the leak is coming from my appartment. The trouble is, the previous owners installed a nice new kitchen (which I paid for in the price I paid for the flat....). The pipe in question runs down the corner of my kitchen, behind a low cupboard, a tiled section about 50cm high, a high cupboard, and then behind boxing in, up into a false ceiling space.

I just wonder how feasible it's going to be to replace the pipe in quesiton without destroying my kitchen. The plumber reackoned he should be able to get away with just taking the cupboards down, as there seems to be access behind there, and then cutting a hole in the false ceiling to access the pipe up there.... This all sounds a bit impossible to me. Do you think it's likely that there'll be minimal damage to my kitchen? Can anyone tell me how this type of situation would normally be tackled?

 

[75pete]

Can you see any water leak? If the leak is not in your flat who will pay for the investigation? That said, your plumber sounds like he can fix it but without any pics, who can say.

 

[amyboo]

Nope there's no visible leak in my appartment, which is my issue. My building copropiété (kind of management group thing) will pay for the pipe replacement from the joint building account, but will not pay for the damage caused to my lovely kitchen! The insurance won't pay out either, as there's been no actual damage. The building want the pipe replaced, but it's OK for the people above me, as one of them is having their kitchen replaced at the moment, and the other one has a crappy kitchen anyway!

I've basically agreed with them that the pipe can stay as it is until we have the money to re-do the tiling in our kitchen, which is likely to be disturbed in the process.... If the pipe leaks before then, well at least the insurance will pay to clean it all up!

Thanks for the help.