Self Installing water supply pipes

[pugwash4x4]

Hi All,

Have seen lots of really useful threads on water supply installation.....but can't find the answer to the following, can anyone help please?:

As background- the pipe is running down the side of garage (which sits in front of the house)

1. I need to run other pipes in the trench- including 3 water pipes back to the garage and an oil pipe. i was going to dig the supply pipe at 1200mm and then layer the other supplies over that at appropriate depth. is this ok?

2. The run is about 10m of trenching- can i get away with 2 inspection pits for the trench inspection?

3. The time from installing the new pipe to actually connecting it to the new supply is going to be 12-18m (its the first step in a long list of changes- involving new boilers, new unvented tanks, replacement internal piping etc all of which will take time). Should i get the inspection done as soon as I've laid the pipe, or just before connection to the main? My preference would be the former....

Thanks everyone,

James

 

[oldbutnotdead]

1 yeah its fine. I don't know what regs apply to underground oil pipes though, i'd certainly suggest ducting it & bunding the duct at one end or the other (so a leak won't contaminate the ground).
2 probably not, they usually want to see the open trench and the house end. Get water board to inspect & approve soon as you've dug & sanded the trench. They'll want to connect soon as poss (if its a replacement) so consider temporary connection from new to house (it'll have to be proper -ducted thru wall- but doesn't have to be final

 

[pugwash4x4]

Thanks Oldbutnotdead- much appreciated. I have the oil pipe bit covered and you're spot on it will be ducted.

We're in thames water's area and they seem to be suggesting that i can leave inspection pits at 10m intervals.

I'm really struggling with what to do with timing - a new oil boiler, unvented tank and water softener is going into an outhouse here the new water supply will go (and then softened and hard cold water feeds will go to the kitchen). The current water supply goes to the very middle of the house and then up a couple of floors to a cold water header tank. We can't afford to do the conversion all at once- and i can't afford to the dig the house up just to connect the new supply to where the old one comes in.

What we do have is an outside tap that connects to the house supply. As a temporary measure could i feed the house "backwards" through the outside tap supply pipe? (ie i'd put the new water supply through the wall and connect to the outside tap pipe from the inside of the property (the pipe for the outside tap runs up the inside wall before going outside). Is there any reason this wouldn't work?

 

[oldbutnotdead]

If Thames are happy with 10m inspection pits (get that in writing) then go with it-take a load of pics of the open trench as well.
Yes your temporary idea would work, whether Thames would buy it is another matter
EDIT Long as the new pipe enters house below ground in an approved fashion (ducted through wall, correct bend radius) you'll be good to go e