Burst Water Pipe

[the_g_ster]

Hello all,

Mondays are bad at the best of times, but today far from good. Whilst getting ready for work heard an unusual hissing from around the boiler and thought hmmmm, somethings not right.

Had a look about and listen to the pipes and made sure everything was off, but something sounded like it was running. Walked down road and chatted to local plumber who said probably a burst pipe under the floor somewhere. He said not to worry as big gap under house and he'll come out on Wednesday.

Went home and thought would work from home today, so sat on call with work and hear running water in background. Promptly left call and had a look at prising up a floor board to find that I now have a nice stream under the kitchen.

Turned it off at street but that's not a very good seal sadly, so now dreading plumber coming later today as found another one.

Any advice, ideas? Can lead pipes be fixed?

Oh to have a Bovis Home rather than a 120 year old money pot.

 

[Shultzy]

the_g_ster, lead pipes can be fixed the same way as copper pipes. This may be a good time to try and replace some/all the lead ones (lead is not good for health). I would at least have the plumber fit a stopcock inside the house as these are less prone to deterioration that the one in the street. This one is usually owned by the water company and you can approach them to repair/replace if it is not sealing properly.

 

[OLD]

I think the lead is replaced with blue plastic and plastic compression joints join plastic to lead so not difficult

 

[andrewm]

Unless the whole house is plumbed in lead then this will be the incoming mains and so will in any case be before any internal stopcock. There should be a stopcock fitted inside, usually under the kitchen sink although mine is in the downstairs cloakroom. I am surprised in any case that a Bovis home has lead pipe. Lead water pipe was outlawed around 1963 and I always think of Bovis homes as being newer than that.

I have just replaced mine, being about to lay a new hardwood floor and not wanting a burst lead pipe underneath. The water board connected it last week. OLD is right. I replaced it with a blue plastic pipe with a compression joint at the stopcock end. The water board put in a new boundary stopcock that was a single unit with a push fit connector each side and then ran a new pipe back to the mains.

There are specific rules on the installation. It must be at least 750mm deep underground and if running in the void under a floor then must be in conduit with insulation. I did the work myself over a couple of weekends and was impressed that the inspector that the water board sent around was both knowledgeable and pragmatic.

Replacement policies differ between water boards but where I am (Cambridge Water) they will replace their bit free of charge if you have replaced all of yours. I have heard that Yorkshire Water will replace lead on request but don't quote me on that.

From a health point of view I am in a hard water area so there is little danger, the lead being coated in a layer of lime scale. Soft water areas might be different.

Hope this helps a bit and good luck.

Andrew

Ps If you do get a quote for replacement from the plumber I would be interested to know how much I have saved. I might be able to justify spending my ‘saving’ on tools

 

[the_g_ster]

Thanks for the fast replies.

Just for clarity I do have a stop cock inside the house, but sadly this is the pipe to the stop cock that has burst. Luckily I had a stick to turn it off in road from next door.

Andrew M, I will let you know later what the quote is. I too am not afraid of getting my fingers dirty, so if it is a complete replacement then I would be happy to dig, and I only live in a small terrace with a short forecourt, so not much to dig out.

One interesting point is that the existing road stop valve is no way 750mm below ground.

Oh, and I mean I wish I had a Bovis home rather than this very old place as I am sure new houses have blue plastic. On the upside, my shed looks fantastic now.

 

[andrewm]

Andrew M, I will let you know later what the quote is. I too am not afraid of getting my fingers dirty, so if it is a complete replacement then I would be happy to dig, and I only live in a small terrace with a short forecourt, so not much to dig out.

Certainly wasn't difficult - more time consuming. The hardest part was getting pipe and insulation through the conduit. If I were doing it again I would try to find larger conduit (or possibly smaller insulation). I did have a problem with water levels in as much as I was doing the digging at the end of February and the water table around here as less than 750mm below ground level so I was digging the last part in a water filled ditch.

One interesting point is that the existing road stop valve is no way 750mm below ground.

So was mine but the new one they have installed is. It comes as a complete one-piece unit with a 750mm deep access chamber with a plastic tap and a water meter point at the bottom. Either side is a push fit connector to 25mm plastic pipe. Very easy to install.

Oh, and I mean I wish I had a Bovis home rather than this very old place as I am sure new houses have blue plastic. On the upside, my shed looks fantastic now.

So I see now on re-reading what you wrote. But I bet you don't otherwise you would have bought one. Certainly around here Victorian terraces go for quite a premium compared to Bovis style estate homes.

Andrew

 

[Dave S]

Oh to have a Bovis Home rather than a 120 year old money pot.

20 years old and a 'modern' house is just as much a money pot, believe me. I rue the day I bought a Barrat house instead of something older and well made. With a newborn baby, buying a 17 year old property 'that won't need much doing to it' seemed a good idea. Truth is, it's shoddily built and with low quality fittings. So at 19 years old, all the taps have given up, all the bathrooms/toilets need replacing, the kitchen is literally falling apart. All the chipboard floors squeak, the upstairs stud partitions are built with 2x2 and flex if you push on them.....

..I'd rather have a Victorian money pot any day!!

Back to the topic, though, I've heard that if you request a water meter and have a lead supply, then water companies will replace the lead as far as the meter. I've also heard that if you grease their palms they just might do the rest for you as well, and they'll use a mole which will save having to dig up your forecourt. So I've heard. :wink:

Dave

 

[the_g_ster]

Dave S, thanks for your reply. I agree, I love my old place, and though a terrace it's actually more quiet than my parents detached pile in suburbia. So wouldn't change it at all.

Come as no surprise that you have had to do alot, most builders don't really go for care or quality. The flexi wall approach is one of my pet hates too.

As for the floor, well, plumber fixed one bit, now other bit sprung. So I need some blue pipe all the way through now. I may do it myself and terminate just on way into the house as I rebuilt our bathroom okay and even plastered it so hopefully running some blue pipe wont kill me. I will get a quote from my plumber tomorrow too.

I am not sure I could go for a water meter, as everytime I think I empty a small lake when I run my bath. So not sure what that would mean for the blll. I think the first quarter of "live workshop" has hit the electric big time, so need to think a bit. (I really really really want an LN jointer at the moment, that would have a great carbon footprint".

AndrewM

Watch this space, I;ll update tomorrow.