Homebuyers survey - incoming water pipe

Bobby3210

Hi All,
I wanted to get an opinion from  all the knowledgeable people on here regarding the following statement in my survey and whether it sounds like a big issue/cost. I will be calling my surveyor tomorrow to discuss as I know very little by way of water pipes. Thank you
Mains water is connected to the property. The external stopcock is located in the pavement. I was informed by the tenant that a water meter has been fitted. The internal stop !!!!!! is located in the cloakroom. The incoming supply pipe appears to be of metal and original to the property. Cold water distribution pipework is in copper and plastic. The system appeared in satisfactory condition with no evidence of leakage. I am unable to comment upon serviceability. The incoming supply pipe is aged and will be nearing the end if its useful life and more prone to leakage. I recommend the supply pipe be replaced in the near future. Replacement costs will be high and quotations should be obtained prior to exchange of contracts. As no water storage is provided should there be a disruption to the supply there will be no water at the various fittings. 

BrownTrout

The cost of replacing metal pipe with plastic from street to house is NOT expensive. Digging a trench in the winter is great fun.......you lay it, get it inspected then water company do connection often free of charge......
Will get you fit i can tell you...

davidmcn

"Nearing the end of its useful life" doesn't mean "likely to suddenly fail next week", it's surveyor-speak which can cover anything in the next few years/decades. Unless there are specific problems I wouldn't get too excited about it.

greatcrested

So it's an old pipe. There are lots of old pipes around, all functioning fine.

 I hate to think how old mine are - maybe oiginal from 1851! (well, no, cos there was a well back then).

"will be nearing the end if its useful life" - sounds like my 1851 house really. I'd best knock it down and replace......

FreeBear

Bobby3210 said: The incoming supply pipe appears to be of metal and original to the property.

That says much about the surveyor - It is very easy to tell if the pipe is metal, and also the type - i.e. Lead or iron.

A lead pipe will outlast you or I. An iron pipe, not so long and would probably need replacing after ~50 years of use. Perhaps worth asking the surveyor what type of metal he thinks the pipe is, and go from there.

AlexMac

The cynic in me thinks that the surveyor's report that
-  " The incoming supply pipe is aged...I recommend (it) be replaced in the near future"
is 4r5e-covering whereas
-  "should there be a disruption to the supply there will be no water..."
is such a colossal statement of the ble3din obv'ius that it makes me think I should set myself up  as a surveyor if that's the level of deductive analytical skill required for the job!

My last house was over 100 years old.. with original Victorian piping to the internal stopcock...  My current house is 30-40 years old, with... (you guessed).  Never even ocurred to me to dig up the forecourt.  If it ain't broke...?

On the other hand, the uber-cynic in me tempts the thought that you could use the report  to seek a constactor's toppy estimate to re-run the incoming supply, and then to try to chisel a few grand off the agreed price?   We experienced that.  My wife's reaction, however,  when our buyer's surveyor prompted them to try it on at a house she was selling some years ago was to tell 'em to go forth and multiply, or to p155 off and buy a new build.

So you always take that risk when you start to renegotiate the price!

AdrianC

FreeBear said:

A lead pipe will outlast you or I.

Mmm.

Our last place had a lead incoming pipe. As soon as the kitchen fitters looked at it sideways, they were chasing leaks left, right and centre - and we ended up replacing the lot from the road with blue plastic. We were lucky - it smoothly fed under the living room floor, and we only needed to dig a flower bed up, not lift or cut paving or tarmac...

Tracet74

They should have informed if lead as now considered to be a health risk and should be replaced

AdrianC

Tracet74 said:

They should have informed if lead as now considered to be a health risk and should be replaced

Lead water incomers are rarely a health risk, because the inside of the pipe is so well coated with years of residue and limescale.

'course, even if YOUR incomer isn't lead, there may still be lead elsewhere in the main feeding you. If you're worried, get the water tested.