cap off unused water main / stopcock ?

[sm_jamieson]

At present I have 2 stopcocks, one in kiitchen which feeds all plumbing for house, also hot water to wash-house. Other in outside loo, which feeds outside loo, outside tap and cold water to wash-house. Incoming mains is lead. I will be knocking down the outside loo and wash-house for an extension to cover all this area. The outhouse stopcock will actually end up near the new kitchen sink (although slightly too far into the room), but obviously a new slab will cover this whole area. What to do with the outhouse stopcock / incoming mains ? Cap it off ? If so, how should this be done underground ? Or, any uses for keeping a second stopcock ? Simon.

[Robert Laws]

Something you might like to consider: does/will the meter measure both supplies or just one?

Robert

[sm_jamieson]

Hmm. It would be interesting if there were a metered and unmetered stopcocks. I have no water meter however. I thing of which I am glad even if it would save me some now (no kids yet !) Simon.

[Phil L]

This will be a branch from your existing main. Water bylaws say you can't leave a dead leg in now, you have to cut it off level with the other main, IE you can't cap it off at the end...their idea is that the water in that length of main can stagnate, then it can get drawn back into the mains, hence the removal idea although it's often a PITA...your builder may be excavating the area at the time hopefully, maybe he can remove it then?

[sm_jamieson]

What is the recommended way of doing this with lead pipe ? Cut it and hammer it flat ? I was wondering about having it all replaced with plastic, but they may have to dig up the hallway, which is nice tiles ! Or would they mole under the house ? I bet it would not be cheap. Simon.

[Robert Laws]

the victorian house I am renting at th emoment, and was hoping to buy, is suffering ongoing subsidence and this has been caused, apparently, by leaks from the old lead water pipes. One leak was patched up but there are likely to be others. if we do buy it the first thing we will do is replace these pipes.

our surveyor said that most subsidence in houses is caused by underground water leaks washing out the earth.

replacing the pipe before it leaks is chepaer than underpinnign etc. later.

Robert

[robgraham]

Get that lead pipe out of there - I don't know whether the health hazard was over-played or not but the mechanical hazard of old lead pipes is significant. I had two breaks in mine before I saw the light and got it all out; fortunately my extension design could take this into account and replacing the run from the stop c*ck to the house was no more than digging the appropriate trench and making a coupling to match an old stop c*ck.

Rob