new combi/lead pipe

rabialiones

recently had a boiler replaced with a combi one.

water leak due to lead pipe in kitchen which plumber said was probably caused because of combi.
lead pipes were not replaced , installers never mentioned that lead pipe might cause problems or suggested replacing them,
they just took old conventional boiler away and replaced with combi.

was it their job to get rid of the lead pipes and replace with copper or rubber/plastic as they seem to use nowadays.?

installation was from the free boiler scheme.
is it worth contacting them and taking the issue up with them.
any help/advice appreciated

CashStrapped

Are we talking lead piping in the house? Can you see the lead pipe going into the boiler?

Or are they talking about the mains supply pipe, which on most properties built before 1960s....will be lead.

The mains supply pipe is the pipe that goes from the street to the stopcock tap. This is never normally replaced on a new boiler install. It is only done at home owners request of if they are advised to.

If you have lead pipes after the stopcock, around the boiler, supplying the radiators etc. I would have expected this to be flagged up and pointed out as an option on the new install. You need to identify which pipes are lead and which are copper.

rabialiones

lead pipes inside property connecting to copper pipes to sink

CashStrapped

Is there a big tap (stopcock) before it converts to copper and then to the sink? Are there any lead pipes around the boiler?

rabialiones

yes and yes

CashStrapped

Do the lead pipes go into the boiler or do they go past the boiler, to the stopcock and then everything after is copper.

rabialiones

lead pipes provide external water supply to boiler which is upstairs.
stopcock is near to the sink which is downstairs.
hot water from boiler to copper pipe which is connected to lead pipe down to sink ,which is again connected to copper
I hope that makes sense.
and thanks for your help

CashStrapped

Generally, as I said, unless the property is very old lead pipe stops at the stopcock.

If the property is so old that is has lead internal piping, the plumbers should have mentioned this at the time and suggested a full replacement. That may have entailed a lot more work and cost.

Lead pipe going into a new boiler would be very odd. Although, I do not necessarily see it being an issue. It is just odd they did not flag it up.

Are you 100% sure it is lead. Dirty and oxidised copper pipe can look gray and/or green.

My supply pipe to the stockcock is lead. After the stopcock, everything in the house is copper (old and gray looking).

How old is the property. Old properties can have lead internal piping, but if any works were carried out, I would expect it to be the first thing flagged for replacement.

rabialiones

property is old Victorian terrace
plumber who fixed leak which was in lead pipe said the water was coming from the hot water supply.
lead pipe does not go into boiler,
copper pipe is connected to lead pipe which I think is inside wall

CashStrapped

Hmm, it sounds like a mish mash of old and new pipes in part. To be expected in an old property.

I would expect all pipes coming in and going out of the boiler to be copper.

Lead pipes aren't inherently dangerous. As I said, the majority of properties in this country have lead supply pipes. In an undamaged state, no lead should leach from the internal pipe. A protective layer forms over time with prevent lead form leaching out.

Water companies add additives (safe ones) to the water to further reduce any lead leaching.

So, as long as the lead pipes are not damaged, it should be fine.

I would not expect a plumber replacing a boiler to replace all the lead pipes in a property unless requested. It would have been nice of them to give the option of re-piping everything. They should (and it seems have) ensure that all pipes going in and coming out of the boiler are copper.

rabialiones

yes , I agree about not replacing all pipes, but they could/should have informed and discussed the option with us.
or alternatively, just leave the lead pipes in situ and connected with copper piping , which would have been a straight forward job.
plumber also suggested they could and should have done this.
we would have willingly payed extra if they did this