Water Main

[aaront]

In am contemplating laying a new water main, for 2 main reasons:

1. The current set up has a lead (see reason 2) pipe coming into the flat and my feed splitting off with a 15mm copper pipe & stopcock under the stairs. I've been told this is a factor in the low pressure I'm getting.

2. Dont like the idea of drinking water from a lead pipe.

I understand that most plumbers today would lay in new platic pipes and fittings. I'm basically going to be re-plumbing the entire flat so would any plumbers out there recommend the new style plastic fittings or should I stick to the traditional copper methods? My old man is a dab hand and fitting the traditional way - hence my dilemma! How easy are the new plastic fittings to a novice?

Also, is it possible to lay in a platic main from the valve in the front garden and then use copper once the new main is inside the house?

 

[robmorphet]

i'm not a plumber.

I use hep20 stuff now, sick of the tediousness of copper, the fact that every hole has to be spot on thro' the joists, that there's chances of fire in voids, that (depending on how big your car is) the max legnth is 3m, that bending and fixing seems to take forever. Sinks, baths and showers just become a bore!

Plastic is great. make sure you match the connectors with the pipe (and ALWAYS use inserts!). Its great for underfloor, roof void & loft stuff but its a bit of a ball if its visble as you have to fix more often top keep a straight edge.

My family own caravan parks in the lakes and for the last 10yrs that all they've used (Acorn, Hep20, OSMA, John Guest etc) sitting dozzens of chalets & units weekly with no complaints.

BTW not done any groundwork stuff, but it used to be black alcathene, believe its blue now?

hope that helps

 

[masona]

You needn't worry about drinking water from lead pipe as over the years the internal of the lead pipe have a built-up of hardwater scale which protect you from lead poision,but having said that the life expectantly of lead pipe is approx 60/70 years as they start to get pin hole leak,so best to change it anyway.

 

[aaront]

Some further questions for you:

1. how deep should the new main be laid in the garden leading into the house?

2. If it ok just to dig the rench and then refill it with the earth taken out or do I need to bed it in anything specific?

Once again, cheers for any advice.

 

[AnonymousImport]

750mm deep to top of pipe minimum
bed in sand