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Water Main Pipe In Footings?


wozza

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Hi All,

 

Came home tonight to find that the builder has laid the new water main in the footings and has then had the concrete poured on top.

 

Is this ok?

Is it normal practice and ok within the regs?

 

Also the waste pipe from the main soil stack that passes through the foundation has not been sleeved or protected in any way - is this ok?

 

Thanks,

 

Wozza.

 

Edited by wozza
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15 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said:

Time for a new builder. 

 

Russell, could you elaborate please, I need facts / regs to quote to him / building control. 

 

What has he done wrong? 

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Water main (25mm Blue MDPE) is just laid in the trench with the concrete poured on top.

 

Soil pipe is brown plastic and connected either end to existing original clay pipe with rubber connectors as they cut through it when digging.

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If it helps, we had our mains water enter the house to where the utility sink would be but then realised we needed a water supply to the cylinder which was some 2 metre away in the same room. To resolve this issue, a connecting piece of blue MDPE was laid across the floor and and the finished screed poured on top. The builder, plumber and heating guy, all independent of each other were happy with the arrangement. It wasn't ducted either. Not saying it was the right thing to do but that is what we have done.

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Concreting a drainage pipe is quite normal Exspecially if it cuts across a drive 

Running a mains water in a footing is ridiculous and concreting over it is pretty stupid 

Services should be in a designated trench and be wyap certified 

 

I think Russel sumed it up perfectly 

You can’t trust someone llike this 

 

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These are pictures of the soil pipe that runs through the foundations - it was originally clay but they cut through it when digging the trench.

They repaired it with rubber connections (with jubilee clips) and new plastic pipe - it has not been sleeved or protected before they poured the concrete.

Soil 2.jpg

Soil 1.jpg

Edited by wozza
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12 hours ago, wozza said:

... laid the new water main in the footings and has then had the concrete poured on top.

 

 

When you say "in the footings", is this to take the water main through the foundation from outside to inside the building under what will eventually become the internal floor?

 

I ask because the accepted practice is to use ducting for the water pipe as it passes through the foundation wall. The Building Construction Handbook 11th Edition page 937 has a diagram showing what is required with a 75mm drain pipe acting as a conduit for the water pipe through the wall and up to the FFL. In their diagram the footing blockwork is as deep as the regulation 750mm depth for laying a water main hence the water pipe and duct pass through blocks rather concrete. I assume your foundation concrete is thicker and the footing block courses will start above the 750mm regulation depth for the water main?

 

The same page then has a confusing extra note "pipes passing under the foundations should be encases in mass concrete". I think this covers a different situation where the foundations are shallow and the arrival point of the mains pipe is completely below the main poured concrete foundations.

 

Your builder should adhere to further mains water service standards as the water main passes up through the floor structure to FFL particularly insulation. The book shows insulation for the final 600mm of conduit up to FFL and where the water main emerges at FFL within 750mm of an external wall I think it recommends the whole conduit is insulated.

 

Here is what an Anglian Water inspector would be looking for:

  1. Pipe has ducting and insulation where it enters the building.
  2. Ends of the duct are sealed.
  3. Within the property oversite, where there is a suspended floor or the pipe rises to less than 750mm deep within 750mm of an external wall the conduit should be insulated.
  4. If the pipe runs through concrete it is housed in continuous ducting to facilitate later removal. 

See page 11 https://www.anglianwater.co.uk/_assets/media/LED645_AW_DS_Connecting_10_steps_20pp.pdf

 

I am a beginner who is about to tackle this on a diy basis so it would be good if @PeterWcould review this.

Edited by epsilonGreedy
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  • 5 years later...

Hi there,

 

We found this copper pipe when we were digging foundations and near by there is SW(Surface water) black metal lids we normally see on road.

 

Most probably it's water supply line for my house. Any house if it's advisable to keep it under the foundation by casing it or putting a slab over it. Just thinking how do they normally fix these types of pipes hidden under foundation or floors

IMG_20241119_153807386.jpg

IMG_20241119_153921868.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

Unfortunately, they have covered the copper pipe in soil; however, they haven't done any subflooring, etc. What is the best approach right now? I am thinking of requesting at least one option from the Builder. can you please suggest which one is best

 

1. Ensure that I am aware of the water mains pipeline path and make sure there is easy access when needed.

 

2. Request the builder or hire external plumber to replace copper pipes with MPDE pipe and cover it in duct.

 

 

Copper_Pipe_Water.jpeg

Edited by Mubbashshir
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On 13/12/2024 at 15:57, Mubbashshir said:

@ETC please explain this line "You’ll need restraint to the front wall and bearing for the lintels" with possible examples and pictures. I understood the bearing bit, which means we need a suitable lintel on top of the Door to bear the load  from top (wall and roof load)

 

Please explain to me front wall needs to be restrained and some reference reading 

 

Also, I have spoken to the builder he says since not much space in the corrider, we can open the door in garage space on other side.

 

 

 

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