Water Mains: how to connect?

[Lindie]

We have replaced the mains with 25mm plastic pipe. The water authority told us we can connect it ourselves. That is strange but we have waited some 3 months so far so we want to get on with it. I have no idea how to connect the plastic pipe to the existing- iron/lead mains. I would only connect it where the old pipe comes into our garden- don't fancy digging up the public road. Do we just use a plastic compression joint and connect to the old service? I guess the old pipe is 1"" so nearly the same as 25mm?? Thanks Rob

[Lobster]

Don't follow this - which pipe have you replaced, and which is still there? Do you still really have lead piping around *after* you've 'replaced the mains'?

What do you have in the way of stopcocks - there's usually one (your property) inside the house, and another one (water co property) somewhere outside? Can you clarify what pipework is present in relation to these?

If you've got lead pipework coming in from the road, then usually the water co will replace this FOC, providing you pick up the tab for the section downstream of there, on your property (is that what you've already done?)

(And no, you can't dig up the road without a licence, which is not granted to members of the public...!)

David

[Lindie]

Thanks David:

We have laid new plastic pipe with a new stopcock inside. I really don't know what pipe is in the ground. Have not found this yet in the house the old pipe looks iron

There is a stopcock in the road about 1.5 ' from our garden boundary. We have very low water presure. The waterboard was going to install a meter- we just moved in-but are now saying that they are not doing this. The said we could connect our new pipe ourselves. Again, I don't want to dig up the road, just connect to the old pipe where it comes into the garden. Rob

[Mike Hibbert]

If you do this, you really want to get the water co. to lay new plastic to the main supply in the road. Most will do this as it is less likely to leak and they have a mandate to reduce lead and leaks.

[Ed Sirett]

I have done this when the Water Co. wanted 400+VAT for digging up and reinstating the 1.5' (0.75' in my case). Such a short length of lead will likely not cause a big restriction on the flow and if it breaks they will have to fix it, it's theirs and their responsibility. I'm not 100% sure but I beleive that digging up the pavement is a highly controlled activity which you should not engage in.

You can obtain 7lb/0.5" lead 25mm compression fittings from a good plumbers' merchant.

An abuseable wet vacuum cleaner is very helpful for removing the water/mud from the bottom of you trench prior to working on the pipe. Make sure you flush the pipe through after, so that any stuff that gets into it does not find its way to the most awkward, vulnerable and expensive appliance in the house.

[Yitzak]

How to co-ordinate this.

I have the same lead under my house's threshold - length of 2 metres from Waterboard stop c*ck in street to my stop c*ck inside my cellar.

Contacting the water board (Thames) they said they woudl only connect a pipe that is ready. So I would have to have a plumber on stand by for when the water board turn up, he can connect on my side.

Surely they could replace the whole thing themselves. I see house refurbishements when tehy lay the water pipe and leave it outside ready for teh water board to attach. In my case I do not want to cut my supply off for a long time..

any advice

Thanks

[Ed Sirett]

OK at present you have the lead pipe coming into the house this goes along until it meets some more modern piping.

1) Get you house ready for the bylaw inspection. Specifically this will mean removing all lead pipe work except for the existing incoming main. And of course anything else that doesn't comply. 2) T into the existing main after the main stop valve and run back to near the place where the new water main will enter the house, this can be in copper or interior plastic (eg. Hep2O). Add a drain point (bylaw requirement) and the new main stop valve and then right by the cellar wall a fitting to couple to the blue plastic. Close the new stop valve open the old one and enjoy water as before for the next few months. 3) Drill the cellar wall and fit a peice of 32mm waste pipe as a sleeve for the new blue MDPE pipe 4) Await bylaw inspection. 5) Await months for a water company team. 6) On the day in question they open up the pavement, push through a length of 25mm MDPE pipe onto the coupling in your house. You may wish to supply this pipe for them. They connect the MDPE pipe to the street main. 7) Change the T in step to (2) to an elbow and remove old lead main at your leisure.

If your plumbing skills are not up to step (7) then you can simply close the old valve and open the new one on the day they change the main. The old main can then be removed by someone else another day.