Water pipe split

[Parrot of Doom]

I think the main supply pipe to my house has split. I'm in a row of about 7 terraced houses, and there are no individual external stopcocks, just a tap inside each house.

Water pressure is well down, but most obviously I can hear it roaring away underneath the single floor extension I have. There's no way of getting to it that I can see, other than the air bricks at the back of the house, or removing the tiled floor and lifting the floorboards (thankfully the tiles are not on plywood).

I've contacted UU about it, but is this my problem, or theirs? The pipe into my property is fine - its the pipe that runs underneath my property which I branch off that isn't.

[D14 AYS]

Your responsibility I think, call your Building Insurance goodluck .

[xllifts]

Any pipes or services that are deemed to be on your property, ie not public footpath or Highway is your responsibility.

As D14YS said contact your buildings insurer and i echo the good luck!

[Parrot of Doom]

I should have guessed, the kitchen was in that room when I moved in, I moved the kitchen elsewhere and the pipe that's split was the cold water pipe for the old sink, that is now stopped off. Obviously its frozen, had nowhere to expand, and split. Its on my side of the supply, so easy to turn off.

Easy enough to fix, but that room has always been a bit cold so I'm going to bung a radiator on that wall while the floor is up. The pipes have been cut back further into the house, where its warmer.

Insurance time.

Edited by Parrot of Doom on Saturday 9th January 14:47

[D14 AYS]

Parrot of Doom said:

Insurance time.

Dont forget to lag the pipes this time

Edited by D14 AYS on Saturday 9th January 14:56

[Parrot of Doom]

There won't be any new pipes laid, apart from the new radiator. The old pipes weren't doing anything.

[Ferg]

If it's capped, you must ensure that there is no more than 50mm of 'dead leg' from moving water.

[Simpo Two]

Ferg said:

If it's capped, you must ensure that there is no more than 50mm of 'dead leg' from moving water.

Interesting - what happens otherwise?

[D14 AYS]

Simpo Two said:

Ferg said:

If it's capped, you must ensure that there is no more than 50mm of 'dead leg' from moving water.

Interesting - what happens otherwise?

See pics above

[Ferg]

Bacterial growth.

[Parrot of Doom]

D14 AYS said:

Simpo Two said:

Ferg said:

If it's capped, you must ensure that there is no more than 50mm of 'dead leg' from moving water.

Interesting - what happens otherwise?

See pics above

lol.

[Parrot of Doom]

I have a hosepipe tap on the back of the house. What should I do with that? I can unfreeze it with a flame, if required.

[robinhood21]

Parrot of Doom said:

I have a hosepipe tap on the back of the house. What should I do with that? I can unfreeze it with a flame, if required.

Yup! Then get one of from Wickes.

[Parrot of Doom]

What is that, and what does it do?

[robinhood21]

It's an insulation cover for an outside tap. Stops the tap from freezing. More on it Here.

[lewes]

Parrot of Doom said:

I have a hosepipe tap on the back of the house. What should I do with that? I can unfreeze it with a flame, if required.

Fix an isolation valve on the inside and turn off during winter but then make sure you turn the outside tap on or open. Then when it gets frozen and defrosts the water will have somewhere to go

[Parrot of Doom]

Unfortunately its impossible to gain access to the back, the sink is in the way, and its a belfast sink, and it took hours to get in.

I think I'll thaw it out, shut the water off, let whatever is in there drain a bit, and then let it re-freeze, in the open position.

[condor]

Parrot of Doom said:

I have a hosepipe tap on the back of the house. What should I do with that? I can unfreeze it with a flame, if required.

A hairdryer would be a better weapon
I spent 30 mins earlier today using hairdryer to unfreeze an overflow pipe, and will probably have to do the same thing again tomorrow....plumber booked much earlier to fix my megaflo ( previous thread at least a month old), can't get here till Monday. I just hope he turns up.

[Parrot of Doom]

I have a blowtorch, that'll do the job. Its more manly than a hairdryer

United Utilities rang, they don't know where the external stopcock is either. I'm on a shared supply. I can have it changed to my own supply, but at my expense. Fack that.

[condor]

A hairdryer is a gentle way of heating frozen pipes, a blowtorch I'd have thought would be too harsh and cause damage. Temperature gradients and thermodynamic stuff like that.
I thought the water companies connected you to a water meter for free...or is that opportunity lost now?