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Post by rocketmanbkk on May 31, 2022 19:09:33 GMT
It’s a strange one indeed
The only real way of knowing is probably to dig
But who’s going to do the digging? You or the water undertaker? That’s where the battle lines will be drawn as they’ll wriggle every way they can to not dig.
The tests they do are crap. I had it once at my old house. Water pressure dropped at kitchen tap, combi wouldn’t kick in sometimes & some old boy came to test the outside tap, declared it ok then left. I battled & then sent another chap, did the same test & said it’s not up to scratch.
They swapped the water meter & it was back to normal.
When I first complained they said it was a £50 to come out & test!
I had the last laugh as the new water meter was faulty & every 6 months the statement would come through the letterbox with zero use and I just paid the standing charge. That went on for 3 years until some clever clogs noticed it wasn’t working.
I then moved house. Probably saved me £300 a year!
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Post by jcplumb on Jun 3, 2022 12:00:43 GMT
Well an engineer came out on Tuesday and confirmed there was a substantial leak somewhere between my stop tap and the boundary tap.
He couldn't pinpoint it so has guessed that it is either at the connection to the boundary tap and my supply pipe or on a leg of pipe that used to supply an outside toilet (my house was built nearly 100 years ago so will have had one)
They're coming to dig up the boundary tap within 5 working days which means 9 days thanks to the bank holidays, if there's no leak there they will dig and try to find it under the back of my house for free.
So as long as it isn't washing away the foundation of my house it will get sorted without any cost to me providing it isn't under my kitchen.
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Post by jcplumb on Jun 3, 2022 12:03:14 GMT
When I first complained they said it was a £50 to come out & test! I had the last laugh as the new water meter was faulty & every 6 months the statement would come through the letterbox with zero use and I just paid the standing charge. That went on for 3 years until some clever clogs noticed it wasn’t working. I then moved house. Probably saved me £300 a year! Haha nice one, I had something similar with a gas meter once. Was renting a house and the gas meter wasn't registering gas used. I phoned them up (like an idiot) and they said there would be a charge, I think it was £60 to come out and investigate, I told them to forget it. Was there nearly 2 years and only paid standing charge  |
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Post by jcplumb on Jun 9, 2022 23:21:20 GMT
Well they came yesterday and dug up the boundary tap, no leak there.
Got a meeting with them tomorrow evening for me to authorise the work they're going to do (for free) digging up the back of my house to try and find the leak.
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Post by crowsfoot on Jun 10, 2022 8:29:53 GMT
That's blown my favourite theory then . I'd go for the bend where it goes into your house next or at the bend under the house where the main starts to rise into the property ( very popular iron pipe leakage spot). Good luck in finding it quickly, can be right bastard jobs these. Tappy, |
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Post by rocketmanbkk on Jun 10, 2022 18:48:48 GMT
Well they came yesterday and dug up the boundary tap, no leak there. Got a meeting with them tomorrow evening for me to authorise the work they're going to do (for free) digging up the back of my house to try and find the leak. At least it’s free It could’ve been a big bill |
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Post by rocketmanbkk on Jun 10, 2022 18:50:22 GMT
If they’re going to dig would it not be beneficial to dig a new trench & get some 25mm mdpe pipe laid in preparation for a new main?
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Post by jcplumb on Jun 13, 2022 21:17:19 GMT
That's blown my favourite theory then  . I'd go for the bend where it goes into your house next or at the bend under the house where the main starts to rise into the property ( very popular iron pipe leakage spot). Good luck in finding it quickly, can be right bastard jobs these. Tappy, They're here in the morning with Stihl saws and a mini digger. The guy who came the other day said the most common part to go in my age of house is the branch to what used to be the outside toilet. He said they were usually folded and hammered shut. I hope it's not under the house cos this has been going on for at least a few weeks and I dread to think what the foundations are like now if it is there. I did rip up some of the kitchen floor near the stop tap. There's a gap of about a foot, then it's filled with rubble. My house is on a hill so the incoming main is probably about 5 feet down (The steps at my back door are a couple of feet high) I got my inspection camera down the sleeving around the vertical main and went down about 2 feet, all looked dry. Also used a 1m drill bit to drill down through the hardcore about 2 feet, that came back dry too and there's no mustiness or mould in the void. They'll be digging near my house wall and doing a pressure test from there to the boundary tap to determine if it's under the yard or under the house. If it's under the house I'll see if I can tempt them to dig the channel for me to lay a new main with a groundbreaker box. The lead replacement funding stopped 3 days ago so I just missed out on that. Pity too cos it's an automatic £550 grant for you to replace the lead on your property and even paying about £100 for a groundbreaker - I can probably do it for under £250. |
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Post by jcplumb on Jun 13, 2022 21:18:46 GMT
If they’re going to dig would it not be beneficial to dig a new trench & get some 25mm mdpe pipe laid in preparation for a new main? I'll see if I can tempt (cough ** bribe **) them to do that tomorrow  |
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Post by joinerjohn on Jun 13, 2022 23:45:21 GMT
When I worked for the council, we were refurbishing a house and an apprentice, digging the route for the plastic water pipe, hit the gas main. Called Transco out for it. They charged the council about £200 for the repair. A week layer the same apprentice did it again. Luckily some chaps ( subcontractors )from the water board were there and offered to fix it. They used exactly the same fittings Transco used (plastic with a heating wire insert that got connected to a gizmo that welded the fittings to the yellow plastic gas pipe) Gaffer gave me £25 to get these chaps a drink. They refused but accepted £15. Got me a free night out on the beer coz I told the gaffer they'd took the £25. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
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Post by crowsfoot on Jun 14, 2022 7:59:51 GMT
All very interesting stuff.
If the leak is underneath the house you can normally tunnel under the house a bit with the spade and then chop through from above then fiddle a new section of pipe through the hole into the property.
The service to the old outside WC shouldn't have passed the water boards inspection if it's just been hammered over.
The inspectors make you go right back to the branch and either remove it completely or stop end it as close to the branch as possible.
Good luck....
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Post by jcplumb on Jun 14, 2022 15:21:13 GMT
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Post by crowsfoot on Jun 15, 2022 7:53:56 GMT
A monster of a job alright, glad I'm retired cause it's the sort of job I used to get landed with  ! Looks like 3/4" lead although it could be 1/2" lead. If they are digging with the water switched on I would expect a lot of seepage into that hole if the leak was close by. If it is from the old hammered over service to the outside WC then it will have been done without the WA permission. I'd investigate the above first; then if it's a no I'd do as rocky said and go down the root of a new service if it's possible. Good luck for today to all involved. |
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Post by rocketmanbkk on Jun 15, 2022 13:52:20 GMT
It’s a start but not a conclusion.
Unfortunately more digging is necessary as it’s a job that has to be sorted out.
How far is it from the outside stopcock to the one inside?
How much is a man with a digger for the day where you live? Easy with a digger & easily sorted out.
Keep us posted
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Post by cathoderay on Jun 17, 2022 11:14:53 GMT
Bump
Any update JC ?
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