Dug up a pipe

stevie12345 · 3 Jan 2014

Today i started the task of trying to locate and dig to foul water drain which runs along the back of my house. After digging to about a foot and a half down i excitedly touched a pipe. Unfortunately after careful excavation I found that it wasn't actually the pipe i was looking for. What could this pipe be? Could it be gas or elec? Also how deep could the drain be? Are we talking metres down or???

Thanks

Untitled

stevie12345
3 Jan 2014
1

Untitled

stevie12345
3 Jan 2014
1

wrightwoodwork · 3 Jan 2014

To me it looks like an electric mains supply as long as you don't break it it will be fine
Gas yellow
Water blue
Electric black

HERTS P&D · 3 Jan 2014

It's an armoured bt phone wire, have a look in my album.

Andy

footprints · 3 Jan 2014

Looks like something written on the side, that might be a help.
As long as it dosen't say "with love from the Luftwaffe 1944"!

noseall · 3 Jan 2014

First glance says lead water service to me.

Deluks · 3 Jan 2014

noseall said:
First glance says lead water service to me.

Take a second glance

JM2 · 3 Jan 2014

HERTSDRAINAGE2010 said:
It's an armoured bt phone wire, have a look in my album.

Andy

Is it ? What type is that then.

OP: If it is about 2" diameter grey, it could be BT plastic duct (for phone line). Otherwise, yes possibly water.

.

stuart45 · 3 Jan 2014

noseall said:
First glance says lead water service to me.

Does look like lead. Easy for the OP to tell.

stevie12345 · 3 Jan 2014

Hi thanks for replies. It is about 2 inches wide and plastic, so maybe BT as you suggest. I wasn't sure as it runs into my side alley which I now have noticed is covered with about a foot of concrete under the soil all the way along. Thought the concrete might have been protecting something, or is it common practice to lay concrete under a pebble covered alley?

Skimmers · 3 Jan 2014

looks like a lead mains to me...
mite be a power mains get a cloth and clean the pipe if its black its mains if its gray then lead

Blagard · 3 Jan 2014

It's great if you think all cables / ducts are colour coded but the fact is before the colour codes came in you will find all sorts for older installations.

Warning tapes "should" be set above most but don't bank on it.

Drawings "should" mark where cables are routed but can be so inaccurate as to be useless.

The bottom line is treat with utmost respect as it can be extremely expensive to have one fixed should you not find one that kills you first!

IMO too shallow for water. Most likely a duct or BT

gregers · 3 Jan 2014

if its lead dont leave the hole open to long,as the local chavs will come along and nick it.

Hugh Jaleak · 3 Jan 2014

Cant quite make out the writing on the side, but looks to me like an armoured cable.

diynot

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Dug up a pipe

Skimmers

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