Water Supplier Replacing Lead Pipes for Free?

[glock339]

Hi I have been reading some information from my water supplier that they will replace the pipe from the mains to the customers property for free if they are lead. As my dad is re-plumbing his whole house at the min and has old lead pipes rite at the surface of the path and a leaky old stop tap I thought it may be worth getting it done? A couple of things I need to clear up though:

1) It passes through founds so it must be ducted etc, the duct pipe sealed both ends with non-hardening plastic. What on earth is non-hardening plastic???lol

2) My dad "may" have moved some of his drains when re-building a wall last year so would there be a danger of the water company checking things like moved drainage etc while the inspector is looking at the new water pipe? May not be worth the hassle if so!

 

[compheat]

It passes through founds so it must be ducted etc, the duct pipe sealed both ends with non-hardening plastic. What on earth is non-hardening plastic??

What do you mean by' founds' You need to dig a trench 750 to a 1000mm deep when you go into the property you must sleeve and insulate the pipe and then seal the end with either a non setting putty such as plumbers mate or use a silicon sealant. We only seal one the house side, but the regulations differ.

A roll of 25mm MDPE blue water pipe is approx £20 then you need a stoptap 25mm MDPE to 15mm copper. £15.

 

[studips]

and the scrap value of lead pipe is rather nice

 

[glock339]

"seal the end with either a non setting putty such as plumbers mate or use a silicon sealant"

Cheers for that! That is the stuff I would have thought you would use. It's just when I Googled "non-hardening plastic" as stated in the water companies info sheet all I got back was some childrens modeling clay! I'll presume it's on about the non setting putty then. I have some 32mm MDPE lying about that I can use and have been eying up the fittings on fleabay.

I'm just worried about the chance of them kicking up a fuss about the drains being moved now!

"and the scrap value of lead pipe is rather nice "

Yeh there's a canny few kg's of lead there to be fair!lol

 

[JohnD]

be sure to request their lead test or survey plenty of time before you start work

I replaced a burst lead pipe not long ago, by the time Thames Water came round to test the lead content at the kitchen tap, the plastic pipe was in place so the lead content was OK so it did not qualify for their scheme

 

[compheat]

They will only connect to 25mm free of charge anything larger then it will cost you

 

[JohnD]

hide the 32mm until they've gone

 

[glock339]

Hi the supplier in question is Northumbrian water, and they say that they will replace the lead pipes without any testing and either 25 or 32 mm MDPE is acceptable.

As I say I'm just worried they will pull up a map of the old drainage and start asking questions, the last thing I want is for my dads wall to have to come down after I recommended getting them in in to change the pipes!

 

[marsaday]

in yorkshire we have to pay for our pipe. they will connect it to the stop tap in the pavement, but anything on my boundary i have to sort out. Shame really as we are on lead and i want to change it, but havent got the time and money at the moment.

 

[Homesafe]

United utilities do a free change but you have to appoint a qualified plumber ( member of WIAPS ) to do the work and then they come to inspect and connect outside etc.

1. do they fit a meter at same time or not?
2. What if I do the work myself?
Sorry for asking on this thread but it's all relevant innit

 

[muggles]

They shouldn't be too bothered about your drainage, that's a BCO issue not the water supplier

 

[Homesafe]

You could get your dad to help you move it I think, maybe someone knows different.

 

[glock339]

in yorkshire we have to pay for our pipe

Yeh everything from the boundary wall in is the customer's responsibility so we would be digging the 750mm deep ditch, putting in the MDPE pipe from house to the boundary, ducting it through 100mm pipe under a wall and into the house, as well as insulating the MDPE as it comes up into the house because it is within 750mm of the outside wall.

All of the back garden is dug up at the min so it wouldn't be much bother to do the 750mm ditch for the water pipe as well.

1. do they fit a meter at same time or not?
2. What if I do the work myself?
Sorry for asking on this thread but it's all relevant innit

Yeh I was wondering about water meters my self, the info on Northumbrian Water's web site dosent mention meters at all so I was hoping you would not have to get one??? Northumbrian are fine with you doing the work your self as long as they can inspect it before you fill in the ditch but I suppose they all have different rules. Seems a bit silly not to let you dig a hole and chuck a length of pipe down it your self though!?

They shouldn't be too bothered about your drainage, that's a BCO issue not the water supplier

Do you think? I knew a builder who said Northumbrian Water can be a total nightmare as he had a lot of bother with them on various jobs, but I can't really remember what problems he had had with them now or if it was involving drains etc. It would be great to get the pipes changed now while everything is dug up etc but I'm just a bit worried

You could get your dad to help you move it I think, maybe someone knows different.

Sorry newgas you've lost me, what would we be moving? I had a couple of shandies last night you know.lol

 

[JohnD]

Some water companies pay a subsidy towards replacing lead pipes, and/or replace their bit under the pavement without charge. The advantage of getting them to test for lead before you start work, is that if they are digging up the pavement to put a new bit of pipe in, it could be very much easier connecting your new piece. In my case it was a bit of a nightmare connecting a new polypipe to the hundred-year-old non-standard sized stopcock on the lead stub coming through the boundary.

If you ply the fitters with tea and biscuits I bet you could get them to connect to your new 32mm blue stopcock

 

[MANDATE]

As far as I'm aware United Utilities do not change the lead pipe free, if its on your property.
Had a situation where existing supply was lead pipe crossing under nearby main road, then came under the yards of adjacent terraced houses.
They replaced the lead under the road but stated the pipe under the yards was not their responsibility.
However a new supply had previously been laid running along the rear service road and most of the houses were connected it.
With the agreement of U.U. I excavated and installed 25mm MDPE as per their requirements including the ducting and insulation.
They provided a outside stop valve and made the connection to the new supply. Leaving me to complete the change over and blank off the old supply.
No water meter fitted. A £950 job reduced to about £50. That would be about 3 years ago.