Broken outdoor stopcock and damaged indoor lead pipe

[diysos69]

Hi all,

I've had a major problem today and am quite lost...help!

I drilled through the incoming lead mains pipe in the kitchen floor (concrete), then proceeded to turn off the mains from outside only to break the handle off this also (after the water turned off...phew!)

The outside mains stopcock is in the garden, so am I responsible for this. I have no running water now, so any ideas would be much appreciated.

 

[holty]

usually the water boards resposibility.

 

[dextrous]

usually the water boards resposibility.

Although they may claim not as it's inside your boundary.

Don't know if there's a lead repair kit available. Others will advise. You could use a couple of leadlocs and a short length of pipe between them to replace the damaged section. Or there is a universal coupling available - a plumbers merchants will be able to help you.

 

[holty]

from water boards mains to stop tap is communicaton pipe, so usually there responsibility.after that the service pipe is the householders responsibility.have to admit never had a prob when reporting faulty stop taps, being on someones property or not.

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

You will probably need a 7lb 1/2" lead-loc connector. Dont quote me on the size cut a piece out and take it with you to the plumbers merchants.
Straight after the repair fit a stoptap and continue in whatever pipe you prefer. Reconnect to existing pipes but if all you have is lead you will need another lead loc.
You can try and tackle the stoptap yourself remembering to turn it anticlockwise with whatever you can get your hands on. Small mole grips. 6" waterpump pliers or maybe theres still a square head you can get an adjustable on.
You might have to get digging!
Your water board will help you get your water back on but will probably charge you.

 

[diysos69]

The lead pipe comes into the house less than a metre away fro the broken stopcock in the garden. Is it worth replacing the broken stopcock (trying to get the water board to pay for it) an the lead pipe that come off it with a plastic one?

I'll have to dig up some of the kitchen floor and the short run outide to do so.

 

[Llan1observer]

you would be better advised to replace lead pipe with new plastic from new stop cock.

don't just join a bit of copper into the damaged lead pipe because you will cause "electrolytic corrosion" it would take a few years but eventually it will leak again.

 

[jameshere]

Oh I feel for you, I really do.

Listen, I don't know anything about those lead loc thingys, the people who mentioned those are doubtless correct, but I was browsing in the local DIY store recently, Homebase I believe, anyway, I noticed that in their plumbing section they had a few kinds of plumbing repair puttys, and one of them could be used on wet surfaces, it might be good enough to effect a temporary repair until you can get a proper fix done.

Secondly, concerning your lead pipe, my house had a lead mains pipe when I moved in, about twenty years ago, and the water board came and inserted a plastic pipe inside it, ( pre privatisation of course ), and I think that it was free of charge.

I can't remember how that came about, it might have been that they were doing a renewal program in the area, or I might have brought it to their attention.

As far as I can remember, I think that what they did was to feed a plastic pipe through the existing lead pipe, this was from the street, right into the kitchen.

I believe that a change in the health and safety reglations required them to do this, and I'm nearly sure that I didn't have to pay anything, anyway, you can ask them.

The other thing is, that might not work with your garden stop cock, so perhaps they might have to fit a suitable stop cock, perhaps at their own expense ?, who knows.

Yet another thing, surely there should be a stopcock in the street, there usually is, have you looked ?.

Anyway, good luck, you're due some.

 

[dextrous]

from water boards mains to stop tap is communicaton pipe, so usually there responsibility.after that the service pipe is the householders responsibility.have to admit never had a prob when reporting faulty stop taps, being on someones property or not.

I thought the communication pipe ran in the street, and any stoptap here would be their responsibility. Not arguing with you, but have never seen this pipe having being laid inside a property's boundaries before. I have seen a second stoptap within the boundary, but was under the impression it was the householder's responsibility.

Anyway, op, it's worth a phonecall anyway.

 

[fatplumber]

water co is responsible for the first main stoptap wherever it may be. Doesn't matter who broke it. You are responsible after the st. I would run a new main to where the stop tap is and get the water co to connect. If there is no lead in your house then you cn get them to remove lead on their side. Company stop tap is often inside property on old lead pipes.