Water Pipes

diz79

Hi

Im not sure if anyone can help I recently had to replace some outside water pipes on my nans house, the original pipes were really old and very small black ones. Changing them has helped with the water pressure in the house a little bit (before it was awful) because her house is in the counryside, the main road pipe in the road is also an old style one, is it possible to contact your local waterboard to see if they will chnge it for her to improve the water flow? Does anyone know the rules on this?

Thanks in advance

AskAsk

Here is what it says about the minimum water pressure

https://www.watersafe.org.uk/advice/common_plumbing_questions1/pressure/what_is_the_minimum_water_pressure_that_a_water_supplier_must_supply/#:~:text=Water suppliers' statutory service standard,to a height of 10m.

Homer_home

Have you checked what your nans water pressure is?

diz79

Homer_home said:

Have you checked what your nans water pressure is?

No I havent is it easy to do? Sorry if a basic question

grumbler

Static water pressure is absolutely meaningless. It's the flow that matters or how the pressure drops depending on the flow.

Jeepers_Creepers

Hi Diz.

Pretty much covered above. 

First thing is, how does your Nan's water supply compare with the minimum that her water board is obliged to supply? If it's 'adequate', then I doubt you can oblige them to do anything.

You have replaced 'some' outside pipes? Just how much - all of it from her main house stopcock to the meter/road-side stopcock? And when you say that the mains pipe is also 'old style', what do you mean - it's not lead or anything like that, is it?

Do you know if lead is used anywhere? If, for example, there's a section of lead pipe coming from the main 'mains' in the road to your Nan's roadside stopcock, then - since you have replaced the pipe from there to her house - they'd also be obliged to replace their bit. But that would only apply to the MAIN water supply if it, too, were lead. 

diz79

Jeepers_Creepers said:

Hi Diz.

Pretty much covered above. 

First thing is, how does your Nan's water supply compare with the minimum that her water board is obliged to supply? If it's 'adequate', then I doubt you can oblige them to do anything.

You have replaced 'some' outside pipes? Just how much - all of it from her main house stopcock to the meter/road-side stopcock? And when you say that the mains pipe is also 'old style', what do you mean - it's not lead or anything like that, is it?

Do you know if lead is used anywhere? If, for example, there's a section of lead pipe coming from the main 'mains' in the road to your Nan's roadside stopcock, then - since you have replaced the pipe from there to her house - they'd also be obliged to replace their bit. But that would only apply to the MAIN water supply if it, too, were lead. 

Jeepers_Creepers said:

Hi Diz.

Pretty much covered above. 

First thing is, how does your Nan's water supply compare with the minimum that her water board is obliged to supply? If it's 'adequate', then I doubt you can oblige them to do anything.

You have replaced 'some' outside pipes? Just how much - all of it from her main house stopcock to the meter/road-side stopcock? And when you say that the mains pipe is also 'old style', what do you mean - it's not lead or anything like that, is it?

Do you know if lead is used anywhere? If, for example, there's a section of lead pipe coming from the main 'mains' in the road to your Nan's roadside stopcock, then - since you have replaced the pipe from there to her house - they'd also be obliged to replace their bit. But that would only apply to the MAIN water supply if it, too, were lead. 

To be honest its quite bad we can only have one tap on at a time, and maybe one bath a day thats how much hot water it gives but I also think the boiler needs replacing.

Ive replaced the main stopcock by the hedge which leads to the outside pipe, thats replaced as well and another small section. I could keep digging another 2m to the edge of the garden and we are almost at the house but there is a concrete path, I was wondering if maybe the previous buliders may have put the pipe inder the path inside a tube maybe?

The pipe is a very small black rubber pipe that we have replaced for a large blue one. Yeah I cant see any lead, but would they be obliged to replace the old road pipe with a larger one like we have now put in?

Im still not sure how to check water pressure, is it simply run a bucket and time it?

Thanks for your help.

FreeBear

diz79 said: Ive replaced the main stopcock by the hedge which leads to the outside pipe

The main stopcock is the responsibility of your local water authority - They would replace it free of charge if faulty/leaking. Could have saved yourself a few bob there.

greatcrested

Not only that but you are not permitted to replace the main stopcock. It's not yours (or your nan's). It's the water company's.

Get them to come and test the supply.

frayedknot

A black rubber pipe?  That's very odd.
How could you replace the main stopcock? It would have water coming out of the pipe , not very much admittedly if what you say is true.

diz79

Do you mean the stopcock near the hedge inside our property or the one which is outside our land, Im confused what you all mean. Surely the one in our property is our responsibility.

Sorry for late reply.