Has anyone had experience with replacing their home's lead pipes? I understand that United Utilites with do their section for free after the homeowner has got the interior pipes replaced.
Any idea of the approximate cost?
Any recommendations for someone to do the work?
Will it improve the water pressure (have heard that Wallasey water pressure is low)?
Any advice will be much appreciated.
They normally push a smaller plastic pipe inside the lead ones, saves a lot of digging.
When you say home pipes, you mean from the mains (tap) to the United Utilities.
And not Internal Lead pipes from the stop cock around the interior of the home.
When I was having problems with the water pressure two years ago, United Utilities came along, tested it, decided it was iffy, so they changed the Stopcock in the road, put a 2 foot piece of plastic pipe in up to my garden wall and said the rest of the pipe is my problem, if I want to replace it "get a plumber". It's about 40 feet long, I haven't bothered yet, I'm putting up with the lousy pressure.
I replaced my own with 1" blue polythene, and United Utilities came and replaced the bit from the mains to the boundary shortly after. I was flagging my yard anyway, so a new trench wasn't much extra effort. I left the old lead pipe in place and as far as I know its still there. Mine too was about 40 feet long, and it only took me a day or so. It wasn't too hard a job and didn't cost me much. I don't recall seeing any increase in pressure, but at least we are not absorbing any lead from the drinking water.
Pulling plastic pipe through old pipes is only done to large cast iron mains. they use a hydraulic expander to burst the cast iron pipes open and pull the new polythene pipe through the wreckage.
Thanks for the advice everyone.
Give Colin Or Mike a call on 07708109977/07970875458 these lads do water mains, free estimate. Mention my name. Ian.