Hi, i'm converting a house into 2 X 2 bed flats and am trying to make my mind up if to add another water supply pipe for the second flat or use the exisitng supply pipe and split it internally. The current property is not metered and if I split it internally it would save over =A32600 as I wouldn't have to pay three valleys water to lay a new supply pipe. Are there any drawbacks from not laying a new supply pipe? If I were to split the existing supply pipe internally could I lay a new pipe at a later date without major upheaval of the properties internal plumbing? thanks for any feedback
Possibly depends on whether you're going to sell the 2 flats, or keep them yourself and rent them out. If you're going to sell them I understand that some water companies will insist on installing a meter for the new owner, in which case all the internal plumbing would need to be separate.
If I go with the current single pipe I would need to split it inorder to service 2 seperate dwellings, I'm planning on seperating the internal plumbing (gas and electrics, 2 boilers). but its the water flow into the property i'm not sure about. And in the event I needed seperate supply pipes (like you say, inorder to sell) would that have major ramifications on the already existing internal plumbing?
Can't you design the internal split so that it would be easier to have a separate incoming supply later on, perhaps looping the second flat's supply back to near the wall where it all comes in so the future splitting job would be just to cut the pipe there and isolate some of the internal pipes without trashing the decorations?
There's a lead replacement scheme in operation, have a look into this as it's normally free.
The obvious drawback is that you only have one pipe feeding two properties, if the upstairs person is in the shower and the downstairs person decides to put his washing machine on, it's a problem, but not a major one, the major one is when upstairs gets a leak while downstairs is in Spain - he can't gain entry to turn off the water, and likewise, when upstairs springs a leak while he is out of the country, the downstairs chappy can turn all the water off, but each time he turns it back on, it pours through his ceilings.
They really need their own mains, or at the very least, access to a stop tap each, that is to say, you can branch off the existing main and put a stop tap in the cavity in a box, accessible from outside, but this would only stop the water to the upstairs flat, the downstairs flat would still use the existing ST and this would also be the 'master' ST - turn this off and there's no water in the entire building, because the upstairs ST comes off this IYSWIM......the drawback with this is obvioulsy frost and potential leaks - you would have to make a seriously chunky insulative cover for the whole thing that fits snugly
One of the contraints is that ALL existing lead pipe is removed from service in the house/flats/garden. Another is that all the plumbing complies with the water regs.
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter. The FAQ for uk.diy is at
It is going to be necessary to complete separate both supplies and give each flat their own stopcock.
The only question is can this split be inside the building after the main riser has come out of the ground (so to speak) or should it be in a hole in the front garden.
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