Is this criminal?

[moleman]

Hiya,

The mother-in-law has Homeserve Insurance to cover bits and bobs, the last leak she had was just before christmas to the supply pipe to the house, halfway across the lawn.

Homeserve came out, stopped the leak, then went away.

2 days ago I noticed that water was welling in the same spot, I dug down the short distance to reveal the job they did.

They connected the two pieces of Iron supply pipe, with 15m internal barrier pipe and pushfit fittings in a kind of G shape, so we're talking 5 pushfit fittings withint the space of an A4 piece of paper.

My knowledge of water regs isn't poo hot, but surley shrinking down a supply pipe to 15mm in this short space, using barrier pipe and using pushfit underground is not right?!?

Problem is, they're coming back tommorow, and if they start giving me any crap I'd like to have some facts to hand - is this criminal or just plain wrong?

Cheers

 

[Bartdude]

Can you put up a photo of it?

 

[moleman]

Can you put up a photo of it?

The thick white line is the supply pipe, the dotted white line is the parts of the 15mm barrier push fit pipe under water.

If they come back and try and charge my mother-in-law to rectify this, could I tell them it wasn't done right the first time?

 

[wheeto]

There are plenty of pushfit fittings designed for underground use, but what you've described doesn't sound right. I'm with Bart: pics please!

 

[wheeto]

Right, I posted the above before seeing your picture which shows, I think, speedfit fittings & pipe.

Turns out you're quite right, that is wholly unacceptable. Can't see how anyone qualified could see that as a suitable repair. Can you take any more pics, preferably showing the iron pipe too? You mght need them later as evidence. Good luck.

 

[Bernie2]

There may be a problem with using push fit underground and Blue MDPE rather than the pipe they have used.

 

[Bartdude]

Yep that's speedfit and it's not designed to be fitted there. They do make an underground range (for use with MDPE)

[DLMURL="http://www.indanc.com/speedfit_underground_fittings.php"]John Guest Speedfit® Underground Fittings for MDPE | Industrial Ancillaries[/DLMURL]

If the original pipe is iron(galvanised?)it makes it a bit more difficult to repair. That looks like a like a temporary fix to me.

It's not criminal,but if you pay for their insurance it should be done right. Maybe get the AA in,they're at it now too!!!!!

 

[stevetheplumber]

with all these insurance schemes their looking at getting it done as cheap as possible and this is a perfect example if you spoke to the blokes who did it youll probably find their on a fixed fee probably about 6o quid and they have to take the rough with the smooth i doubt in the real world you could get the hole dug for that

 

[wheeto]

Please don't tell me you're defending that work?

 

[royston]

get the AA in lol !! Wonder if the RAC will catch on to.

 

[quality]

I don`t think there is any defense for the folk that did the work , I would not dig a hole for 60 quid

 

[Twinhawk]

thought only fused, mdpe, or flared compression joints where the only joints suitable (these days)

 

[Avatar]

these cheap policies are inviting shoddy work!

 

[justlead1]

I may well be that under the cold conditions and work load that this was done as a quick fix. You mention they are coming back. If they grip and thread the two ends of the galv pipe. introduce a couple of say Plasson 1/2 female x 20 mm MDPE connectors and a piece of pipe. The jobs a good en. An less than an hours work. The service should be 750 mm below the surface to afford frost protection, however that is difficult to achieve at this stage.