How deep is water main

[jamesarm]

Chaps,

I have been digging around my house to try and find the point that the mains water enters - and cannot find it! @!!*!&*!

How deep is the mains likely to be please?

thanks,

James

 

[m1key00]

Its supposed to be at least 750mm deep, which is roughly 2 1/5 foot down, but could be deeper. Its set at this depth to prevent freezing during winter months.

 

[Happyplumber]

you will have to dig deeper,the chances are it could be upto 2 metres down,depending on the age of the house and when it was laid,sometimes they dug very deep trenches for the soil pipe so you could get the fall and then shoved the water pipe in there at the same

 

[pitchroof]

Sorry if this is a little Egg/Hole/Suck....and late,but you have started right where the pipe enters? It must be outside next to the way the b***r goes in, however deep.Then dig around like Tiger Woods looking for the way out!Think easiest for whoever installed it after that.

 

[jamesarm]

Thanks for replying guys.

I started the hole on the outside where I have a stopcock on the inside. Have dug to about 600mm down all along the wall, (the Anglia Water main is about 10m away, closest to this wall also). There are also two draincocks on this wall that I have dug around.

The house is 1899, and originally had an outdoor washroom, this has lead pipes into it, but are concreted over/around by the previous tenant(s) so quite breakable if I chase them out. I am wondering if the original mains is still being used and that it goes to this wash house before coming into the main house on the next wall around.
Is this feasible?

James.

 

[vv2806]

You can hire an electrical cables detector (a big one, not the DIY type) from a toolhire shop. I used one looking for the service cables to my house and it can work in different modes - to detect live cables only or to detect any metal object. Saved me a lot of digging.

 

[homes]

Thanks for replying guys.

Is this feasible?

James.

This is very feasible as old lead mains would have been taken to this washroom first and then to the house, not the other way round.

Find the route from there to your house that seems most likely the original pipe will have been laid, usually the most shortest direct route but not always.