After being quoted £700+ to have my water leak rectified, I decided to do the job myself.
Have got as far as laying the pipe, the requisite 750mm min deep and covered by 10mm of sand all round, but now comes the connecting at both ends bit.
I am not sure whether the supply pipe is steel/iron or lead (suspect not the latter).
The fitting at the pavement is best described as plastic (approx 4" long, c.50mm diameter - in 3 sections - white couplings at each end with black centre sleeve (of slightly smaller diameter) - have a photo to email if need be.
Before I remove the existing metal supply pipe (which looks smaller in diameter than my MDPE pipe), I wish to know how I go about attaching my 25mm MDPE at the road end – am I likely to be able to just use the existing plastic fitting, or am I likely to need an adaptor? Is the existing pipe likely to be threaded to the fitting?
How important is a tracer wire? I’ve backfilled some of the trench before learning about this. Do the water companies have the power to insist on this being fitted? My company seems pretty lax and disorganised in general.
What about fitting the MDPE at my stopcock end? I have galvanised steel or iron from stopcock to cold water tank in loft. Assume I can cut through this pipework to install new stopcock to take incoming MDPE, but what’s best after that (ie replace with 22mm copper or plastic pipe if more practical)? Else use existing stopcock and join MDPE to existing pipework below it (but how?).
Appreciate any help. Cheers.
Have got as far as laying the pipe, the requisite 750mm min deep and covered by 10mm of sand all round, but now comes the connecting at both ends bit.
I am not sure whether the supply pipe is steel/iron or lead (suspect not the latter).
The fitting at the pavement is best described as plastic (approx 4" long, c.50mm diameter - in 3 sections - white couplings at each end with black centre sleeve (of slightly smaller diameter) - have a photo to email if need be.
Before I remove the existing metal supply pipe (which looks smaller in diameter than my MDPE pipe), I wish to know how I go about attaching my 25mm MDPE at the road end – am I likely to be able to just use the existing plastic fitting, or am I likely to need an adaptor? Is the existing pipe likely to be threaded to the fitting?
How important is a tracer wire? I’ve backfilled some of the trench before learning about this. Do the water companies have the power to insist on this being fitted? My company seems pretty lax and disorganised in general.
What about fitting the MDPE at my stopcock end? I have galvanised steel or iron from stopcock to cold water tank in loft. Assume I can cut through this pipework to install new stopcock to take incoming MDPE, but what’s best after that (ie replace with 22mm copper or plastic pipe if more practical)? Else use existing stopcock and join MDPE to existing pipework below it (but how?).
Appreciate any help. Cheers.