Identifying water pipe

[andrew]

I have 3 water pipes from our meter and wish to separate one onto a new connection. They were all fitted into one trench to the house, a gardener's cottage and a proposed office 150 metres away. The office supply was never connected and is terminated near the house. I now want to use this redundant pipe for the new supply and have excavated the trench to expose the three 28mm blue plastic pipes at 50 metres but need to identify the redundant one. I've tried listening while a tap is running in the other two but cannot hear a difference, perhaps I need a stethoscope? I cannot find a difference in weight but may be able to notice a difference in tension.

My current plan is to take a guess and nick a pipe while the two in service pipes are still turned on by the meter. Then if no water spurts out I'm OK first time else I will joint it and try the next undsoweiter.

Any better suggestions?

AJH

[Tim]

Pour hot water over pipes until warm. Then turn on taps and see which ones cool fastest?

Tim

[Tim Lamb]

In message , andrew writes

Yes.

Assuming the pipes are plastic, clamp them off one at a time and note which supplies ate interrupted.

The professionals have clamps with rounded jaws but you could use a G cramp and a couple of half round wooden blocks.

regards

[chrisj.doran%proemail.co.uk]

Conversely, freeze pipes one at a time (assuming it's OK to do this with blue plastic ones?) and see which tap stops. The way the weather's going, you may not even need to buy the freezer spray cans :-)

Chris

[Tim]

My method would be a lot cheaper and quicker. Cost, one kettleful of hot water. ;-)

Tim

[YAPH]

Or just chill enough to get frost on the pipe and see easily which thaws when tap runs.

[andrew]

So I'll try the kettle or frost first. It'll have to wait as I've been sent to darkest Kent to load a compost experiment in MHM's backyard.

AJH

[andrew]

Ti

No mostly restaurant food waste, higher gate fee.

All three of my parked up tractors were vandalised about a fortnight ago, all windscreens smashed. You're welcome to have the county with 8 tonne Farmi on loan if the jobs worth the transport.

AJH

[Tim Lamb]

In message , andrew writes

Sorry to hear that. I have a plant glazing operation storing their glass here but I don't think their franchise reaches South of London.

8 tonne sounds useful but it is only one trunk weight unknown. There must be something local. Ideally I need to drag it up a 20 deg. slope and over a bank to some flat ground.

I'll put up another photo and you can comment:-) I suppose I could use a hydraulic jack to raise the lower end level and hope the mill has enough adjustment on the rails to match.

regards

[andrew]

In the event we had a freeze last week and I used my IR thermometer, two pipes read 6C and the other 0C, it was intuitively the wrong pipe by the way they were laid out as it was on the far side of the three from the building it was supposed to serve. Anyway my mate cut it and after an initial spurt as the above ground head drained it seems I was right, so thanks to those that suggested the temperature difference idea.

AJH