Leaking supply pipe under my house

United Utilities were testing everyone's supply pipes in my area this morning and unfortunately found that mine is leaking.

At first the inspector thought that it was most likely to be in the back yard where maybe a pipe to an old outside toilet hadn't been closed off properly. But he couldn't hear anything out there. But then he listened in the hall of my house and could hear it - clearly!

He said that I have 10 days to get it fixed (before they start pursuing court orders etc). He reckons I'll need to get a plumber to take up the floorboards and hopefully spot the leak and fix it. He reckoned it isn't tiny!!

When it's silent - e.g. late at night - you can hear a noise in the hall near the front door. I have heard it before but had always thought that it was a buzzing from my house alarm control panel which is on the wall there, but it was the same noise we could hear this morning so it must be the leak underneath.

I think I can just about hear it in the kitchen but it doesn't seem as loud, so the hall is more likely.

I dread to think what this will involve, though - and with it being a Sunday, can't really do much except stew until tomorrow! So I thought I would ask if anyone else had the same problem and what you did to fix it? I am hoping it's not a huge/expensive problem...

If it helps:
- it's an old victorian mid-terrace house (c1890).
- I have lino (stuck down but I can pull it up) over floorboards in the hall.
- there is definitely a leak - he turned the water off outside, put a full glass of water up to the kitchen tap and it sucked some of the water back up.
- I don't seem to have an internal stopcock, just the one accessible in the pavement outside.

If anyone can help or advise, I'd be very grateful. Just hearing about someone who had something similar would put my mind at rest a bit. (I did search for similar threads before but couldn't find any on this subject. Sorry if I missed one.)

Many thanks!

where in l/pool are you. im in st helens

Firstly, don't panic it's not the end of the world & it's usually an easy job to fix.
Do you have one of those add on policies on your buildings insurance, if so then it will be covered on that. If not then it's time to start lifting boards up in the hall, or check the boards in the cupboard under the stairs, sometimes there will be an access trap there & it's just a case of crawling under from there to find the leak.

hope youve got a dry suit and a respirator.

keego - Don't think so, just a standard policy (though I'll check before I ring the plumber tomorrow.) Cheers

I'm hoping it's in the hall rather than under the stairs as the cupboard's full of cr*p - but you mean there could be a trap door sort of thing in there that a plumber could get underneath by?

Really don't think I fancy crawling underneath - I'm too claustrophobic for that!!

Victorian houses often had internal stopcocks under the floor near the front door.

Only problem is that they are a type which is generally no longer available.

If the lead pipe itself is leaking then it has to be fixed by connecting a short length of plastic or copper.

It might be an opportunity to replace all the pipe up to the kitchen with plastic or copper at the same time.

Tony

Yeah, I take your point. I think the kitchen floor is concrete, though - so presumably that would involve drilling down through it to get at the pipe? Don't really fancy wrecking my quarry tiles if I can help it as they'd all need replacing then.

Didn't know that about the internal stopcocks though. Thanks. Presumably, when I speak to the plumber tomorrow - as he's local, he'd probably know if there is likely to be one there (as so many houses in Liverpool are like mine), or indeed if there's likely to be access under the stairs. (There's no cellar - checked that before I bought the house as they give me the creeps!!! )

If there is a stopcock there, maybe it's not closed? It does sound sort of like a gushing noise. Though as you say it may be too old to turn off and will need replacing.

I just have this vision of this huge lake under my house and a floor that could give way!! But as I've been here for 3 years with no signs except for the noise you can here when it's silent, that is probably my imagination running riot!! Isn't it...?!

It's unlikely that the water will be collecting under the house, I worked for NW Water for quite a few years & in all that time I never saw a property that had lasting damage done to it by a leaking service pipe. Most likely is it will follow the trench dug for the pipe back into the street, or depending on the area & ground conditions it will just soak away into the ground

Oh good! I did think that - in my more rational moments! I'm at the top of a hill too which I guess helps.

and just to help you sleep , 2properties at the top of my street were flooded just before xmas when the supply pipe burst under thier floor boards .


Little tip , sleep with some arm bands on .

If the leak does prove to be under the solid floor then just re-route it. Easy job for the plumber to do.