Lead replacement for a water supply.

psd99 · 4 Feb 2019 at 10:43

Hi,

I'm looking to get the pressure boosted into my property's water I just rang my water company and they suggested that the connection be changed from lead to plastic on the outside. They can do this free of change supposedly.

the pipe running into my property is the new blue plastic type already. (MDPE)

Has anyone here had experience or results in getting their water company to change the connection from lead to plastic?

SimonR · 4 Feb 2019 at 11:03

What is it you want to know?

psd99 · 4 Feb 2019 at 11:06

SimonR said:
What is it you want to know?

if you got this work done, did it help your pressure or make it worse?

kitfit1 · 4 Feb 2019 at 12:47

I think you are getting confused OP. Your water company thinks you have lead pipework on your property, you don't, you have MDPE as most houses do. Even if you had lead, the water company only do the connection to their supply free of charge. It would be up to you to actually lay the pipework on your own property.

Things you could do to try and increase your water pressure are, make sure that the stopvalve in your house is actually turned on fully. If you look on the pavement outside your house, or on the drive you will see the water companies cover and under it will be their stopvalve. Make shure that it is also turned on fully.
If after checking you don't get an increase in pressure, make an appointment with your water company to come and check the pressure themselves. It could be that either you or they have an underground leak that has lowered the water pressure.

psd99 · 4 Feb 2019 at 12:58

kitfit1 said:
I think you are getting confused OP. Your water company thinks you have lead pipework on your property, you don't, you have MDPE as most houses do. Even if you had lead, the water company only do the connection to their supply free of charge. It would be up to you to actually lay the pipework on your own property.

.

most older houses do not have MDPE it is lead connections

who here has had their water company change the connection to their supply and noticed that it made a difference to the pressure?

kitfit1 · 4 Feb 2019 at 13:05

psd99 said:
most older houses do not have MDPE it is lead connections

who here has had their water company change the connection to their supply and noticed that it made a difference to the pressure?

You have already said you have got MDPE on your property, so it's obviously connected to the mains. I never mentioned "older houses", i said "most houses".

SimonR · 4 Feb 2019 at 13:15

OP how old is your property. Some water companies may still have lead service pipes to their service valve, although not many.

psd99 · 4 Feb 2019 at 13:27

1930 build.

Kol · 4 Feb 2019 at 13:34

Interested in this. We are in a Victorian place, lead pipe. I imagine the ID of the pipe is practically nothing after the length of time it's been there.

psd99 · 4 Feb 2019 at 13:44

RJC · 4 Feb 2019 at 13:46

psd99 said:
ID?

Inside diameter.

SimonR · 4 Feb 2019 at 14:13

Given the property age there is probably a high risk of the connection from the mains to the service valve being lead.

psd99 · 4 Feb 2019 at 15:24

SimonR said:
Given the property age there is probably a high risk of the connection from the mains to the service valve being lead.

Agreed but what difference would it make to my water pressure if I got this changed over to plastic?

fastwunz · 4 Feb 2019 at 15:56

psd99 said:
Agreed but what difference would it make to my water pressure if I got this changed over to plastic?

none but from a health perspective it could be vital lol

psd99 · 4 Feb 2019 at 15:58

fastwunz said:
none but from a health perspective it could be vital lol

lol I saw how big the hole was for the water passing through my old lead pipe connection into the home
it was barely 2mm of a gap

so I'm thinking if the connection outside to the water company must be quite bad using a lead pipe that is almost 100 years old.

rah^ · 4 Feb 2019 at 17:52

Pressure.. none

flow would be significant overall which you would notice

Depending on water company.. it maybe they've pressure reduced the entire system so regardless of changing the pipe the pressure wouldnt change!

psd99 · 4 Feb 2019 at 18:07

rah^ said:
Pressure.. none

flow would be significant overall which you would notice

Depending on water company.. it maybe they've pressure reduced the entire system so regardless of changing the pipe the pressure wouldnt change!

Can u give me an explanation on what the difference between pressure and flow is please?

kitfit1 · 4 Feb 2019 at 18:30

psd99 said:
Hi,

I'm looking to get the pressure boosted into my property's water I just rang my water company and they suggested that the connection be changed from lead to plastic on the outside. They can do this free of change supposedly.

the pipe running into my property is the new blue plastic type already. (MDPE)

Has anyone here had experience or results in getting their water company to change the connection from lead to plastic?

psd99 said:
Agreed but what difference would it make to my water pressure if I got this changed over to plastic?

As you said in your original post, you already have an MDPE plastic feed not a lead feed. Unless you telling us someone has stuck a bit of MDPE onto a lead feed ?

SimonR · 4 Feb 2019 at 18:34

It is not uncommon for the pipe post stop valve to be upgraded with alkathene, but the service connection between the mains and the service / stop valve to be still lead (although most have now been upgraded).

kitfit1 · 4 Feb 2019 at 18:40

SimonR said:
It is not uncommon for the pipe post stop valve to be upgraded with alkathene, but the service connection between the mains and the service / stop valve to be still lead (although most have now been upgraded).

Yes i know that, but i think the OP should actually clarify exactly what he has. Either he has MDPE connected to lead, full MDPE or just lead.