Replacing lead water pipe

Carberry · Post: # 67765Post **Carberry** Mon Aug 29, 2011 7:53 pm

I've been asked to dig a 14m long, 750mm (minimum) deep trench for laying 25mm MDPE to replace the existing lead pipe. Scottish Water have said it needs to go in to the house at 750mm below finished height of driveway, which just happens to be right through the foundation and in a really awkard spot.
Can you get away with the pipe going in to the house at about 450mm below height of driveway then dropping down to the 750mm required depth after 150mm?

Just seeing if I can save myself some hassle tomorrow.

Pablo · Post: # 67769Post **Pablo** Mon Aug 29, 2011 8:17 pm

yes it'll be fine basically you've got no choice anyway. We had huge problems over here with pipes bursting between the road and the house last winter. Most of it was caused by shallow pipes being burst by ice forming around the outside of the pipe and forcing it onto a sharp stone so I'd make sure it was encased in sand especially at the shallow point.

Carberry · Post: # 67770Post **Carberry** Mon Aug 29, 2011 8:43 pm

Pablo wrote:yes it'll be fine basically you've got no choice anyway. We had huge problems over here with pipes bursting between the road and the house last winter. Most of it was caused by shallow pipes being burst by ice forming around the outside of the pipe and forcing it onto a sharp stone so I'd make sure it was encased in sand especially at the shallow point.

I know I'm at the mercy of Scottish Water, I just wanted to get all my facts right before I call them again. They sent out 2 eejits today who either had no idea how to measure correctly or just failed at basic arithmetic. They said my trench was 600mm and needed another 150mm, it was actually 825 when you add on driveway but they wanted another 150mm so I dug down to 975.
The 2 eejits also said it unequivocally had to go in to the house at 750mm, but I'm not trusting anything those two said after what happened today and if I can put it in slightly higher it will save a lot of hassle because it is one hell of an awkward spot to get in to.

digerjones · Post: # 67798Post **digerjones** Tue Aug 30, 2011 9:03 pm

think if you put armocore or something similar they may let you, but they are keen. i have done quite a few. it always says leave the trench open for inspection but this is never practical. i always back fill with 110mm site pipes left in every 5m or so.

Carberry · Post: # 67800Post **Carberry** Tue Aug 30, 2011 9:09 pm

think if you put armocore or something similar they may let you, but they are keen. i have done quite a few. it always says leave the trench open for inspection but this is never practical. i always back fill with 110mm site pipes left in every 5m or so.

Thanks. Going to do that so I can crack on with spreading the type 1.

Did what they asked. Punched straight through the foundation with a breaker, seems silly and unnecessary to me but I need to get on with this job. Client now has the unenviable task of crawling under the floor and digging down 600mm to find this pipe that I have put through the wall. The great escape springs to mind

Wed Aug 31, 2011 10:16 pm

if you are really worried just lag it with insulation as you get shallower, and still encase it in sand. i did 2 last week, both shallow as the main was only 400mm down in the road and the entry point to the stone houses was only 50mm down. just lagged it with the really good foam insulation that they use on air conditioning etc.