Regulations for fitting new water main from meter to house

[JimUK]

Hi,

I'm having some issues with my current water main leaking. We had an extension put onto our house back in 2013, during which we moved our kitchen into the extension on the opposite side of the house.

The stop tap was positioned in what would become the middle of our lounge, so the plumber had to move it. The problem is he connected the lead 15mm pipe already in the house to a new plastic pipe with push fit connectors, which was then encased in concrete as the screed was laid after the plumber had finished.

Sitting in the lounge we noticed about a week ago a high pitch water noise coming from the wall, so this weekend i've been digging the pipe out to investigate. And after exposing the pipe as much as possible (as removing a few bricks) it turns out the pipe goes from the water meter, down to about 750mm where it enters a clay protection sleeve and appears to rise at a 45degree angle to the position in the lounge where the stop tap used to be, roughly a meter inside the property.

So, my choice is either i cut into the lounge floor to try and expose the pipe without causing any further damage, or I run a new pipe around the edge of the house to where the kitchen sink is and create a new stop tap position there.

I'm currently thinking of going for the second option, as this should eliminate any future issues with the pipe being so inaccessible. However I don't know what the regulations are for installing your own pipe beyond the water meter.

The plan at the moment is to purchase a trench spade and enough blue MDPE pipe to run around the house. Digging a trench approx. 750mm deep, with 350mm clearance from other utilities i run across on the way (should only be gas and drainage on the way, which I know the positions of).

Will I need to get a qualified plumber to sign off my work once i'm done?

Thanks

Jim

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Is it still a lead supply coming off the meter/external road stop tap to where the existing stop tap was ?

 

[gpbeck]

When I did this Severn Trent offered free connection if replacing a lead main (a BIG saving). So dig a trench to rules, lay pipe on a bed of sand, water company inspect your work, you then cover pipe in sand and back fill and they arrange connection at the stop tap. So contact your utility company and you’re away.

 

[JimUK]

Between the water meter and the house i believe so yes. Just realising how bad this is! Will be digging my trench for the new pipe starting tomorrow

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Best time to replace the whole lot then there won’t be any joints under ground except for the meter connection

 

[JimUK]

OK so my plan for tomorrow will be purchase 25m of 20mm MDPE, some FloPlast MDPE elbows, as i won't be able to run one continuous pipe, but do I need to run the pipe within a duct?

Also am I actually allowed to install this myself? Feel like i'll do a much better job than the plumber hired by my builder at least! (he made mistakes such as getting hot and cold water connections to shower mixed up, after asking me to explain to him how the shower valve I'd purchased worked)

 

[gpbeck]

Temporary bypass in the house using flexible pipe and a lead lock?

 

[exedon2]

If you don't fancy digging a big hole in the house installing a duct tunneling out normally under footings there is a way round!
Have a look at insuduct passes all regulations and saves no end of making good

 

[JimUK]

I've no issues with digging holes myself. Never heard of Insuduct before, pretty pricy looking stuff!

I just don't want to dig a hole, lay the pipe following WRAS regulations only to find a certified plumber needs to start the work from scratch, charging a fortune in the process

 

[ShaunCorbs]

OK so my plan for tomorrow will be purchase 25m of 20mm MDPE, some FloPlast MDPE elbows, as i won't be able to run one continuous pipe, but do I need to run the pipe within a duct?

Also am I actually allowed to install this myself? Feel like i'll do a much better job than the plumber hired by my builder at least! (he made mistakes such as getting hot and cold water connections to shower mixed up, after asking me to explain to him how the shower valve I'd purchased worked)

may I ask why you can’t run it in one length ?

 

[JimUK]

may I ask why you can’t run it in one length ?

I'll have to use 90 degree bends as the pipe will have to go up the side of my house, in a space roughly 1.5 meters wide, then turn 90 degrees to go into the side of the house in our kitchen. The water meter is also pretty close to the house and needs to have a 90 degree bend straight after the meter to start going in the right direction. I read that the MDPE 90 degree bends are WRAS approved for below ground use so i'm assuming that means i'm fine to use them. I understand the fewer bends there are in the pipe run the less likely it is to leak in future but the pipe will be far more accessible where i'm going to put it if I needed to get to it again

 

[gpbeck]

DIY is permissible. Utility needs to approve as my previous post and they have to connect street end. Why can’t you buy a longer pipe? Why only 20mm if it’s long?

 

[Ben-gee]

Get 25mm pipe and try not to use elbows if possible - just dig your trench such that it can go in continuous slow bend - in fact this is even easier if you stick with your 20mm pipe .

 

[Tim Court]

The supply to your house from the main/stopcock/meter is your responsibility. As long as you lay it in accordance with good practice using wras approved pipework and fittings you may diy. If it leaks you will be paying a bigger bill! It does not need to be laid in a duct. Just make sure after you have installed the new service leave it under pressure for an hour or two to check for leaks, surround in sharp sand and backfill avoiding large or sharp stones. All just common sense reallly. One other point about ducts the service will flex a little when shut off/opened so can rub on the side of ducting and may cause a failure in the future. Best to surround in compatible expanding foam or similar so it is held firmly and cannot rub against brickwork/concrete when going through your walls and floors.

 

[JimUK]

Yes this is what South Staffs water said to me on Monday I own the pipework and can do whatever I like to fix my water leak, so i'm currently digging a trench around the garden to run a 25mm MDPE continuous pipe (to 750mm top of pipe) from the water meter outlet, to an Insuduct box i'll be installing on the outside of the kitchen.

It's a 22 meter run so it's a lot of digging, but i'm getting there with it now. Our soil is very heavy clay and it seems our garden was used for dumping rubble with the number of bricks i'm finding buried in the garden!

I've already got some sharp sand as I'm partway through laying slabs. I think the only points I could have a problem would be where I connect to the meter or where I connect to the Insuduct hockey stick, but at least I'll be able to access these points in future!

 

[exedon2]

All sounds good the insuduct is a nice bit of kit only thing I would add is don't lay service in strait line should sort of wavy from one side of trench to other just allows for a bit more movement.
Wish you luck with digging!