lead

andykinsey · Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2004 2:17 pm Post Subject: lead

my bathroom pipes are lead, we don't have enough money to replace them and its leaking help

oilman · Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2004 2:52 pm Post Subject:

Not having enough money is a bit of a killer.

You could get some adaptors to connect to the ends of the pipe and replace the leaky bit with some plastic for an temporary fix. If you can stretch to more pipe, what about replacing all the lead with plastic and push fit connectors. Are you able to do it yourself?

What could you cut down on? Do you smoke, drink etc? It will cost a lot more to fix problems caused by the leak.

andykinsey · Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2004 3:55 pm Post Subject:

i could cut down on my spending because every few week i buy new running equipment that cost alot, obvuously depends what i buy.

no i wouldn't do it my self i'd get a plumber from down the road who i know to do it for me.

i've look again and realised its at the join between lead and copper pipe-ing, this aproblem?

any thing else i could use until i can afford a refit

TexMex · Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2004 4:45 pm Post Subject:

Try to dry the joint and establish wether it's the joint into the lead or the joint onto the copper.

If it's the joint to the copper you could possibly make it good by undoing the nut, remove as much of the old jointing compound as possible, putting some new jointing compound over the olive and replacing it.

Instead of jointing compound you could try about half a dozen turns of PTFE tape. A roll of this is very cheap at B&Q.

If it's the lead side of the joint, things get a bit more tricky. Remember to turn off the water before you undo the joint.

Lotsofleaks · Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2004 3:44 pm Post Subject: Lead/copper joints

I can see what everyone's saying here, but I am struggling to cure a leak just below the stoptap, in the thingy that connects the lead and copper pipes. I had a plumber spend 4 hours (lots of money

) trying to put another one on; it still leaks. My plumber says that I should just replace the lead pipe because he doesn't know how to sweat the joint & also doesn't know anyone who can do it. So, the question is, how the hell can I find a plumber who can do this? I am spending much of the time with the water turned off at the mains!

breezer · Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2004 4:12 pm Post Subject: Re: Lead/copper joints

Lotsofleaks wrote:

how the hell can I find a plumber who can do this?

call lots of plumbing co and ask. It was an art, so i wish you luck. (unless you can get a lead to copper adaptor?)

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TexMex · Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2004 4:54 pm Post Subject:

Quote:

he doesn't know how to sweat the joint & also doesn't know anyone who can do it

And you call him a plumber? 4 Hours and still not resolved? (I hope you didn't pay him).
I could have done it in less than that, Including the drive from Essex to Lancashire and back (well, perhaps only half way back). And I'm not even a plumber.

Any plumber with a blow torch should be able to "sweat" a lead pipe onto a copper or brass fitting. I believe there is a policy to replace Lead pipes, where they are encountered, rather than repair them. If you can see both ends of the lead pipe, and it is copper the other end too. You would be better off replacing the whole section with copper pipe and fittings.

2scoops0406 · Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2004 10:24 pm Post Subject:

andykinsey wrote:

i could cut down on my spending because every few week i buy new running equipment that cost alot, obvuously depends what i buy.

no i wouldn't do it my self i'd get a plumber from down the road who i know to do it for me.

i've look again and realised its at the join between lead and copper pipe-ing, this aproblem?

any thing else i could use until i can afford a refit

Yes, of course it is a problem, the damage that can be caused by a leaking pipe can be enormous. My advice is cut down on the running gear for a little while, and fix the leak, you'll save yourself a packet in the long run (no pun intended)

ChrisR · Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2004 9:36 pm Post Subject:

This is pathetic. There are cheap lead-copper connrectors which require a little care, and the experience of having used them one or twice before. If you pay something like £9 for your connector (Talbot from PLumbcenter) , those are foolproof, but huge - 6" long and3" diameter.
First time I soldered lead to copper it took me about 20 minutes, but it wasn't under a bath though. Now it's a lot less, though it's agin the regs so I tend not to do it! I've only been plumbing as a job for 5 minutes so there must be loads of guys out there...

Lotsofleaks

How true. Thanks for the advice - i guess I've been a bit of a muppet about this. Turns out that, yes, I can't get a plumber in the area (W Mids) to do the sweating because - as one of them said, outraged - it's illegal (you'd have thought I was asking him to sell me his grandmother). But I did find a plumber who came out, looked at it, and fixed it with a brass connector in about 20 to 30 mins. Dry as a bone. Seemed the first bloke had used a fitting that was the wrong size (too big) then wrapped ptfe tape around it to pad it out. And, yes, I did pay him...why? I'd had a really crap week what with everything, was tired, confused, and didn't know enough to know that he was, quite frankly, talking rubbish when he said it couldn't be fixed.

ChrisR · Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2004 11:37 pm Post Subject:

"used a fitting that was the wrong size (too big)"
Oh yes - worth mentioning for anyone finding this on a search is that lead comes in different "weights". For 1/2" there's 6lb and 7lb. There's about 1mm difference in diameter. Both can be bought from bes.ltd.uk. COmmon procedure is to buy the smaller (6lb) one and find it's too small. You can then quite reasonably scrape the pipe down (shave-hook is good) until the bits just go over the pipe. The seal is made with a fattish O ring which is quite compliant.

There are two common makes - Lead-loc and Lead-line. The latter is removable but if you do what it says in the instructions you split the O ring! So use Lead-loc's to begin with.

Local plumber's or bes.ltd.uk

Skattie · Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 8:49 am Post Subject:

I read this thread with interest...
I fitted a 3/4" leadloc yesterday. Seemed a bit loose when I'd finished but it is bone dry so I'm happy.
When I say loose,..more like springy, i guess this is the rubber o-ring. There is a gap of 1-2 mm between the nut and the pipe which I find disconcerting.
Is there more than 1 size of 3/4" leadloc?
(reference to the 6/7 lb info on the 1/2" fitting)
Should I be concerned or can I sleep peacefully?

Nige F

[quote="Lotsofleaks"]How true. Thanks for the advice - - it's illegal (you'd have thought I was asking him to sell me his grandmother)....It is, but not as illegal as illegal gas work!!!! Glad you got it sorted....Ps. you don`t sweat solder on lead..you wipe a joint with grade D solder and a moleskin cloth (not the skin of a mole)

...Yet another useless skill I was taught @ college

ChrisR · Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 11:06 am Post Subject:

Skattie yes they do feel inadequate! Always tempted to get some silicone on it, but haven't. As far as I know the 3/4 ones are all 9lb - a web search should tell that.

Paul Barker · Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 12:34 pm Post Subject:

Skattie the two brass lead lock typoes one has a copper washer which flicks over when you tighten nut to prevent fitting sliping, other has brass ring with a break in it, which you have to open in order to get it on, it is toothed and digs into the lead to hold fitting on. I suspect you may have misside one of these parts out, the rubber ring compressed would make a seal but in future years you could be calling an emergency plumber. The large bulbous plastic type available at plumb centre sticks three metal prongs into the wall of the lead. This one is more universal in application and has a safer feel to it.

I have wiped lead late night when I didn't have the right sized lead lock and the customer's needs seemed more important than water regs.

In most areas if you take pe pipe to the boundary of your property and shout down the phone at the water board complaining about the lead posioning caused by their side, they'll change you over completely, but may take the opportunity to fit a water meter.