Leaking Lead Water Main - Mare

[tododo]

Hi all

We have some severe damp and wet rot we have discovered under the floorboards while decorating......we thought the cause was blocked air vents tbh but today we have found out that the floor is soaking wet near the lead pipe water mains ........we cant see any obvious leaks but surely the lead pipe must be an issue

So thinking of replacing the lead now! Ideally I would like to replace all of it however
I've been looking at the guidance notes for Welsh Water and they specify where the new mdpe pipe comes into the property the depth must be at least at 750mm!!

I've got no problem doing that depth in the front garden however where it comes under the foundations of the house that would be a hell of job to do especially digging down in the main living room!!...that's where it currently comes in

What a mess that would be

I've thought that maybe a better option would be to connect up where the lead currently comes into the property currenty and use plastic from there

Any thoughts would be appreciated.....thanks all

 

[terryplumb]

Best if no lead at all. There are companies that will " mole " rather than dig up ,and your new supply doesn't have to follow that of the existing. But you would need internal plumbing re routed to some degree if choosing a new route.

 

[just pumps]

Isn`t the 750mm reference to outside pipe to stop water freezing?

 

[tododo]

Yeh it's definitely 750mm on the outside for freezing but on the drawings they have it going into the property at 750mm too....then comming up once it's inside.....even then it has to be insulated by the looks of it

When reading the Welsh water charges it appears but I'm not sure that Welsh water will also want to change the meter which I don't want at all......so to avoid that I'm thinking of going close to stop cock but leaving a bit of lead......and joining mdpe to that

This way it avoids the main cost and also avoids me having to have a meter installed too

Rip off if you ask me....but I've emailed them to see if the meter thing is correct or not

 

[JohnD]

Does your house have solid concrete floors, or suspended timber floors with a space underneath?

the new pipe does not have to follow the same route as the old one.

 

[tododo]

Timber floors with around 6inches maybe until the concrete raft

 

[JohnD]

When I did mine, I lifted some boards near the wall, and drilled diagonally through the oversite and the wall, coming out somewhere near the pipe in my trench. Placed the polypipe and pushed Armaflex down round it. You will need an SDS+ drill with a long steel and probably an extension.

Position yours at a convenient place, remembering that it does NOT need to follow the same route as the old one.

As you have lead pipes I imagine the oversite will be weak and quite thin. You might be able to chip it out for an easier bend.

Clean out the air bricks and remove rubbish while you have the floor up.

 

[jeff the gasman]

Go wireless!
Joking!
Just replace the bit which is leaking. No stress not much cost. Sleep tight.

 

[bobasd]

change the whole lead service for 25mm or 28mm MDPE.lead is well bad for anyone esp little ones.

thers a guy on youtube - handyman someyhin - whos done a good video of a replacement water supply enterin a property an got ready for inspection.

connectin to external an internal stops stop is strightforward - so is punchin through the foundation. once through you immediately rise up - you dont go trenchin across below the living room.

do you have a meter? if yes, wheres it located?

 

[bobasd]

if you need advice dealin with the damaged flooring etc. anwet rot issues thengo on the Building Forum

 

[dilalio]

There's also this product...

https://groundbreaker.co.uk/products/insuduct/installation/

 

[blup]

The company that replaced my lead main used a moling system and drilled through the oversite just enough to draw the blue mdpe pipe through.

Prior to that a major leak had been repaired with a plastic lead loc type repair.

When lead fails for whatever reason it's time for complete replacement wherever practical.

These youtube videos cover repair and replacement:

Blup

 

[Ian H]

Any thoughts would be appreciated.....thanks all

Buildings insurance?

 

[ClockPie]

Change the pipe to new pipe. Out water-board tested our water and said they'd change it for free - so why not contact them first?

As the old pipe went under an extension (!) they said they'd take the pipe to the front of the house, and my issue to get it to where I wanted. Great. Anyway, a mate recommended a privateer who moled a new route, 35m, under drive, down side, and up into kitchen. 5 mole pits. And cost me around £400 (!!!!!!!!!!!). The !!!!!!!!! is "fk me that's cheap". I had to confirm there wasn't a 0 missing. Expert in his field, he dug a mole pit quicker than I could type this. Brilliant job.

We live on a private road shared with waterboard - and the inspector drove past a few times, and was OK with me doing it privately back to meter, looked a few times and all fine.

The depth is to prevent freezing, but we couldn't go that deep to get it into the house (1930s place, solid footings) - so we went in the same level as the lead (as that never froze) and used the correct (expensive) insulation (lead had none). We were nowhere near 750mm - impossible to have achieved. But as the lead never froze/split in 80 years, probably ok!

Inspector saw what we were doing and was happy.