Laying New blue MDPE pipe

[gummy bears]

So I'm laying a new water pipe as I'm moving the position of the stop cock.

Old pipe is steel. I bought a special converter to go from the 22mm steel to 25mm plastic as I have been told that we cant touch the tap.

Builder wants to lay it diagonal across the drive - dont we have to lay it parallel and perpendicular to the house?

I will leave some excess blue pipe at the connection near the tap so the person can connect direct to the new tap? Who is allowed to do this job? Water board?

Thanks

 

[JohnD]

when you say "tap" do you mean the water company stopcock/meter under the pavement?

Or do you mean your old stopcock buried in your property?

 

[gummy bears]

when you say "tap" do you mean the water company stopcock/meter under the pavement?

Or do you mean your old stopcock buried in your property?

Thanks for the reply.

Sorry for not being clear - no I mean water company stopcock. If you look at the top of the picture you will see the metal flap on the pavement (not my property) that goes to the water companies stopcock.

Where I have dug and exposed the pipe is my property

the yellow pipe is gas.

edit. sorry it's still not clear. i wish to connect new blue pipe to the water companies stopcock AND im also moving my own stopcock to somewhere else in the house. I dont want to move the water companies stopcock only connect new pipe to it

 

[JohnD]

Put up a barrier to prevent anyone falling into your pit.

You're supposed to get the Water Co to connect to their stopcock.

However I am informed it is not unusual, where it is close on the boundary, for builders to burrow to it and do the connection themselves.

Unless there is a lead-replacement or burst pipe scheme, I believe the water co charge a generous amount to allow for the extra skills and workload of digging up and reinstating a pavement.

If you have a water meter, it should be quite easy.

When you inform them you are laying a new pipe, they will also want to come and inspect the depth before you fill in the trench. I was not charged for the inspection.

if you apply for a water meter, the installers can probably be prevailed upon with a friendly word and a mug of tea to connect it to your plastic pipe (leave some slack in the pit)

edit
I see the hatch now. looks awkward, with that wall in the way.

 

[gummy bears]

Thanks for the reply john D - now I know the regulations say 750mm deep, and the current steel pipe is at that depth. But what about the direction we are allowed to lay the pipe? Diagonals allowed?

 

[JohnD]

I don't know. it makes sense to run it straight rectangular lines. Typically in a house the pavement stopcock runs straight to the indoor stopcock under the kitchen sink. If you were drawing a plan, why would you do it any other way?

But I don't know if there is a regulation.

 

[Ian H]

The direction doesn’t matter.

Do you have a modern stoptap in the footpath? If you do you would be better trying to connect into the blue from that rather than the steel. Looks like you could get 400mm nearer the boundary.

 

[gummy bears]

The direction doesn’t matter.

Do you have a modern stoptap in the footpath? If you do you would be better trying to connect into the blue from that rather than the steel. Looks like you could get 400mm nearer the boundary.

Thanks for the reply Ian. I dont think it would be a modern one. What is a modern one? A plastics 25mm one? Well it's metal and it seems like a steel pipe which has an outside diameter of 22mm. Now there is a connection where I have dug which if I were lucky I could unscrew and use a compression fitting - but the sizes would have to be something available today. It would have to unscrew too. That's why I bought the special plastic converter that's designed to go from steel (it's a push fit with a huge rubber washer that can accommodate different diameters of steel pipe) to modern day 25mm plastic, I just have to use a hack saw. I meant this a temporary measure until the water boards tap was updated, but there's no reason I have to rush to update it now, I just need my blue pipe laid to regulation.

 

[gummy bears]

I don't know. it makes sense to run it straight rectangular lines. Typically in a house the pavement stopcock runs straight to the indoor stopcock under the kitchen sink. If you were drawing a plan, why would you do it any other way?

But I don't know if there is a regulation.

thanks for the reply John.

Everything is being redone: It's currently in the toilet downstairs (and yes you are right that's almost a straight line). Boiler is moving to porch. Water softener will be in porch. The porch is a shorter run and it will not pass under the house as an extension is being built over that part.