lead to copper joint outside the house

[Mark D Smith]

Hi

Glad i found this group as i have posted a few messages and got great answers.

we had our main drain dug up today near the house to investigate a leek, anyway this also exposed a large length of the lead mains water supply. now the stopcock is in the most inconvenient place on the wall inside the house, another 1 ft to the right and it would be in the boiler cupboard. is there any reason why the lead pipe could not be cut and a new bit of copper pipe run into the house so to move the stopcock. Joining might be the main issue.

we have a plumber who works for the same firm who dug up the drain coming in the morning so i would like to be forearmed before i ask.

Mark

[Mackem]

"we had our main drain dug up today near the house to investigate a leek"

LOL, would it not have been more economical just to buy one at your local greengrocers?

[shazzbat]

I don't know a definitive answer to this one, but I believe you could be opening a can of worms. In order to change or move your stopcock, the supply will have to be shut off at the water suppliers stopcock outside your property. Because the pipe to the house is lead, this stopcock will almost certainly be somewhat ancient and may even be seized up in the on position. This means that it will have to be replaced. Which in turn means that A, they will fit a water meter, and B, The lead pipe will have to be replaced, and it may be long. I would be tempted to live with the stopcock where it is, unless it's possible to move it disturbing only the copper pipe, probably by freezing it.

Hopefully your plumber will be clued up and a decent type, but discuss these issues with him/her anyway.

HTH

Steve

[ARWadsworth]

The main supply stopcock frequently works IMHO. The best option to to try it and find out.

I am only familiar with Yorkshire water and they will replace the stop tap in the street for free if it is faulty and would not fit a meter in such circumstances.

I would be tempted to live with the stopcock where it

When the street stop tap is sorted out then a joint is made from lead to copper by using a "lead lock" (special compression joints that cost under a tenner)

Adam

[Mark D Smith]

see soup ref below!

Hi Adam

am in kirkstall (LS5) and we know the street stopcock works. (had a new boiler 3 months ago). i thought i had seen a lead copper joint somewhere before. thanks for all who replied. off to make some leek & potato soup with the leeks we found :)

Mark

[Brian G]

Mark,

Just as a matter of interest, contact your water company and they *may* give you a grant to replace the entire length of lead pipe with copper or plastic - or they may even do the work for you free of charge (have a look on their website for more info).

With regards to the stop tap, have a chat with the waterboard and it's possible this repositioning could be done at the same time as any pipe renewal.

Brian G