Corroded water pipe

[ash132]

I have discovered a corroded water pipe which come out from underneath the neighbour’s extension while I’ve been digging my footings.

The entire pipe was gone, I’ve started to replace everything from my side with mdpe up to the stop cock and reconnect the neighbour’s water however none of the fittings I’ve bought seem to catching onto the old pipe from the neighbour side and its constantly drip leaking

There’s only a short bit of pipe to work with before it disappears into concrete. So i need to be careful on how to best put a permanent fitting onto the pipe as it will be between the party wall.

Had a plumber out today and he said he hadn’t seen a badly corroded pipe like that for a while, he couldn’t guarantee the work so wouldn’t touch it.

It’s been suggested to re-route the pipe around the neighbours back but really don’t fancy going down that route. Their house is rented and I’ve never met the owner. It’ll take weeks to sort something out

I don’t want to but I’m seriously considering getting someone to come in after the BC inspection and solder on a fresh piece of pipe that we can work with!

Before I do, is there anything else I could possibly try or do?

[ProDave]

That looks like a steel pipe. If you are talking about burying that under your extension, forget it. It's rotten, end of life, needs replacing.

 

You talk of getting the neighbours water back on, so is this one stopcock feeds 2 houses, yours and your neighbours?

 

You don't want to be leaving a rotten pipe in an impossible location to dig up again for WHEN it fails. So I would say both properties need a new supply pipe. the issue becomes who is responsible for it and who will pay.

[Russell griffiths]

talk to the neighbours that needs complete renewal 

run that pipe temporarily 

run a new pipe around your build ready for your neighbour to connect on to when he renews his bit. 

 

[ash132]

17 minutes ago, ProDave said:

That looks like a steel pipe. If you are talking about burying that under your extension, forget it. It's rotten, end of life, needs replacing.

 

You talk of getting the neighbours water back on, so is this one stopcock feeds 2 houses, yours and your neighbours?

 

You don't want to be leaving a rotten pipe in an impossible location to dig up again for WHEN it fails. So I would say both properties need a new supply pipe. the issue becomes who is responsible for it and who will pay.

 

I'm going to re-route it around my extension , so it wouldn't actually be going under mine.

 

The stop cock comes up from the pavement, down the side of the house, feeds into mine then goes a bit further up and the tee's off left and right. It feeds the property on the left (where the pipe is and two properties to the right. So where it tee's off i'm having all that replaced to outside the front print of the extension, with the intention replacing all the way up to stop cock . But I cant do anything about the pipe feeding onto and under the neighbours extension.

 

Yes, my thoughts as well.

Edited June 13, 2018 by ash132
mis spell

[ProDave]

What is the water companies responsibility now with a shared pipe like this?

[Onoff]

Don't pi$$ about, replace the pipe. I had exactly the same issue. Tried fixing one leak in the iron - that failed, replaced one bit in MDPE and couldn't get a decent joint to the remaining iron. Then another leak etc. Spent a small fortune on fittings too (you don't need the kebab ) :

 

 

[ash132]

25 minutes ago, ProDave said:

What is the water companies responsibility now with a shared pipe like this?

I asked the question today and they wont touch it either (its my responsibility). Not even as a paid job. I've got some of their approved contractors coming out and taking a look at it tomorrow.

19 minutes ago, Onoff said:

Don't pi$$ about, replace the pipe. I had exactly the same issue. Tried fixing one leak in the iron - that failed, replaced one bit in MDPE and couldn't get a decent joint to the remaining iron. Then another leak etc. Spent a small fortune on fittings too (you don't need the kebab ) :

 

 

 

Haha, after the day i've had with this and other water pipes a big dirty donor might not actually be a bad idea.

 

I figure paying and replacing for all the neighbours pipework would be worse case scenario.

 

I'll wait and see what the approved contractors mention tomorrow but I see no ones mentioning the solder on a new piece of pipe as an option so i'm assuming that's a bad idea?

[Onoff]

Solder? It's a non starter: 

 

It'll end up like this:

 

 

 

I found there were bad bits and REALLY bad bits.

 

I bought the proper, best make, MDPE to iron adapters but it was just too far gone.

 

No g'tee the bit you're looking at isn't the worst bit. If you "bury" that under footings etc you are asking for trouble.

 

Sorry, I know it's a bitch of a problem. Mine was under a concrete path alongside the house that had to come up but that was on my land etc.

Edited June 13, 2018 by Onoff

[ash132]

Thanks for all the replies. I managed to get next doors landlord in today who has agreed to foot the bill his side and use the guys i've got in

 

I attached the pipe to a Philmac 15-21 adapter and that seems to have stopped the leak as well temporarily

 

Strangely enough though the pipe looks to be attached to some kind of stainless steel piece. It was only after polishing it up that i noticed. Not too sure what it is but I think its some kind of clamp?!

 

 

 

[Nickfromwales]

Probably a threaded barrel coupler used to join the two pieces of pipe together. 

[PeterW]

6 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

Probably a threaded barrel coupler used to join the two pieces of pipe together. 

 

Doesn’t look centered to me - wonder if it’s more like a bit of stainless used as a conduit ..?!