Replacing lead stop cock

[traggah]

Hello, new to all this so apols if this sounds obvious/long winded....needed to turn water off a couple of weeks ago...but after turning stop cock fully water was still getting through. Gave it up and turned stop cock back on. Problem was stop cock then started leaking slightly from the nut. Managed to tighten nut to stop leak. Not tried turning stop cock off again for fear of it leaking.

So bit wary stop cock is dodgy and needs replacing. Our house is typical semi built in 1920s suspect this is the original lead stop-cock. Presumably this means supply pipe under drive will be lead. Got a leaftlet from Yorks water which suggests they aren't responsible for replacing lead pipe from boundary to my house. Fair enough.

So what do you recommend. Just get a plumber in to replace stop cock or go whole nine yards and replace lead supply pipe under drive. Bit worried re costs of latter is gonna be grim. I have got kids so aware of health effects of lead but are you OK if you let the water run for a minute or so in the morning?

 

[BoxBasher]

Depending on the length of your drive, flushing your toilet first thing in the morning is enough to pull fresh water through the pipe anyway.

Cost of getting lead replacement varies, but it's worth doing sooner rather than later. Lead can burst/leak due to its age, flow can be quite restricted through the pipe and as you've already mentioned there are health worries associated with lead too.

Costs of lead replacement vary from area to area and job to job but you are looking at hundreds rather than thousands. Round where I am around £400-£600 is the norm for your "average job"