Plumbing advice

xxxpinkladyxxx

I have a leak behind my washing machine. It is where old lead piping joins up with copper(? - think it's copper) piping. My plumber is going to sort it out for me but I just want to check what he says is correct. He said that he needs to come and take a sample of the lead piping and then he will go to the plumbing shop (which is at the end of my road) so that he can match it up. Is this right? The leak is coming from where the old lead joins up to the copper.

robowen

errr...no !
He should be saying he's not able to repair lead and he must replace the lead with copper.

rob

philc_2

The way I read that it sounded like he would chop off what was there somewhere below the current leak and then go and get something that would make a new fit on to the existing lead pipe. Therefore not repairing lead, actually removing a bit of it in order to create a new joint on to copper or plastic. To do that he'd need a reference for the size of the lead pipe to buy the right bit. Just a guess. ;-)

xxxpinkladyxxx

I can't be exactly sure what he meant but what I heard was that he was going to take a piece of the piping out (I'm assuming the lead) and then take it to the plumbing shop. I'm sure he knows what he's doing. He is a friend of a friend so I really hope he knows. He fitted my central heating for me and he did a good job of that and he says he's able to do this, so hopefully he won't let me down.

robowen

I suspect he's going to get a leadlok, this is a compression fitting designed to connect lead to copper.

Its still bad practice to be repairing lead and not encouraging you to remove the lead for your own health reasons.

rob

GreenNotM

Hi PinkLady

This site has the options available for repair but you should read this anyway from the site

" Lead piping in domestic properties is prohibited today for health reasons. Drinking water lying in a lead pipe for some time absorbs toxins from the metal. (If lead piping supplies the drinking water, always run the water for a short time before using it). Thousands of homes still have a lead rising main connected to a modernised system. When the occasion arises lead pipes should be replaced rather than repaired with either copper or plastic piping.
"
But here is one supplier that replaces lead pipes if you are in the North West Unitied Utilities Lead pipe replacement scheme

And Essex & Suffolk have advice about lead pipes ...

I just googled these links add your own area/water supplier to the search line >>>http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=plumbing+lead+piping+domestic&btnG=Search&meta=cr%3DcountryUK%7CcountryGB

shammyjack

Any plumber worth his salt and with a proper old style apprentiship training would simply have " rewiped " the joint . A lot of Plumbers under 35 have never been taught how to do this . A simple 10 minute job !

shammy

xxxpinkladyxxx

I'm really clueless as to how much lead piping there is in my house. I know when i first moved in, I had it all re-plastered and I had all of the old lead piping upstairs for the bath replaced and I'm pretty sure it was re-done downstairs as well, except for where my washing machine is. Luckily my brother knows more about the plumbing in my house than I do.

plumb1_2

shammyjack wrote:

Any plumber worth his salt and with a proper old style apprentiship training would simply have " rewiped " the joint . A lot of Plumbers under 35 have never been taught how to do this . A simple 10 minute job !

shammy

Correct, but we are not allowed to wipe a joint now, as it means you will be introducing lead into the system, as the solder contains Tin/Lead.
I would have thought he would be able to tell what size the lead would be(1/2"), in a standard property, you only get 3/4" and above in old larger Victorian house's.
He would need to to use a Lead-Lock fitting, regarding him not advising you to replace the lead main, what would your thoughts be if he said sorry love but you will have to have a new water main £2.5k:eek: .I'll make us a cup of tea while you get over the shock:D

And as for getting lead posioning from drinking the water, the pipes are so furred/scaled up with lime etc, you would have to drink 20 galls aday for the next 2000 yrs.
Why do you have to have a new MPDE water main, because the water boards, want you to fix all the leaks, and let theirs still leak(brainwashing)

But eating my butties at lunch after i have been working with sheet lead all morning is any matter;)

Hope this post helps.

robowen

plumb1 wrote:

He would need to to use a Lead-Lock fitting, regarding him not advising you to replace the lead main, what would your thoughts be if he said sorry love but you will have to have a new water main £2.5k:eek: .I'll make us a cup of tea while you get over the shock:D

blimey...is that what you guys charge in warrington ??? :rolleyes:

In cheshire / manchester ...re-connection to the water main is free,
50m. Polyethylene Blue PE80 Pipe is around £15, and getting someone in to dig it in the ground is about £200-£250 depending on whether they use a mole or not.
I had mine done for £160 inc pipe.....I collared the guys digging up the street, they were more than happy to do it. :j

As for repairing the leaks...The water board are not responsible for repairing leaks after the stop tap in the street / garden..as you know !
It saves them a little bit of water..granted ! , but the expense of repairing the leak was always with the homeowner.

rob :beer:

plumb1_2

yes connection is free,but not replacing the pipe. I have know jobs replacing a new main take from 1/2 day to 4 weeks, it all depends on the ground, you could have ground full of rubble/old bricks and a mole will never get through, end up ripping up drive ways etc and replacing them(very costly)
So a replacement could cost £300-£3000

robowen wrote:

I had mine done for £160 inc pipe.....I collared the guys digging up the street, they were more than happy to do it

:j
Think yourself very lucky.

robowen wrote:

As for repairing the leaks...The water board are not responsible for repairing leaks after the stop tap in the street / garden..as you know !
It saves them a little bit of water..granted ! , but the expense of repairing the leak was always with the homeowner.

yes i know, its all about figures, they can state in 1997 we lost 20million galls and in 2001 we only lost 7.5 million, look at the inprovement we have made:j