Finding a water leak

[winchman]

Most houses have a meter, somewhere close, which has a stop valve. Guessing this doesn’t? If there is a meter, the size of any leak after the meter can easily be ascertained and the valve used for isolation if required.

No meter its over 100 years old, just a Lead main running across the rear of 4 houses with one stop cock in the street where it comes off the main

 

[Ton-up]

You'll probably need to freeze the main inlet pipe to the house and see if the sound stops.

 

[gaz1]

No meter its over 100 years old, just a Lead main running across the rear of 4 houses with one stop cock in the street where it comes off the main

a bit of advice here forget its connected to 4 houses with a lead pipe it means nothing

if you hear a leak from your stop tap when its turned on then turn it off and listen for the sound if its still there then its on the external line

if its not return back on and trace around the property as you state its old lead pipe also look for old external toilets many houses had them and that could have broken at some point

to help trace a leak theres a way to listen for it via a screwdriver place the point onto the pipe and the ball of the screwdriver to your ear sound travels up it

 

[winchman]

Just going round now for another locator mission

 

[winchman]

The house has two stop taps, one feeds upstairs bath room other feeds kitchen. When I isolate both stop taps so no water to house the noise is still there but quieter?

 

[jimbo84]

The house has two stop taps, one feeds upstairs bath room other feeds kitchen. When I isolate both stop taps so no water to house the noise is still there but quieter?

Residual pressure in pipes bleeding off through the leak? leave off for a while and see if noise further reduces/stops.

 

[gaz1]

The house has two stop taps, one feeds upstairs bath room other feeds kitchen. When I isolate both stop taps so no water to house the noise is still there but quieter?

then turn one on and listen for the sound if no change shut off and turn the other one on

that will tell you what run your on

 

[Blobber]

Perhaps the leak isnt in your place but in the neighbours and the sound is travelling along the communal main?

 

[winchman]

then turn one on and listen for the sound if no change shut off and turn the other one on

that will tell you what run your on

Its the same

 

[winchman]

Perhaps the leak isnt in your place but in the neighbours and the sound is travelling along the communal main?

This is what we are thinking spoke to all concerned one can hear noise others can't but no sign of leaks?

 

[gaz1]

if its the same then its before the stop tap

that takes some tracing and thats where you need to find out if they was any external toilets as these can be the other leak

other than that its trace the pipe to external of the property boundary as thats where your commitment ends

 

[DickyDoDah]

Turn off all the stopcocks in all four houses and if you can still hear the leak it is in the shared supply. This is the responsibility of the water company with the exception of the last house in the line as their responsibility is for the pipe after it comes onto their property as at that point it's not shared. I did some research some time ago and found that legislation had changed for shared services but I cannot recall if it was a shared sewer or shared water main I was checking for.

 

[DickyDoDah]

Turn off all the stopcocks in all four houses and if you can still hear the leak it is in the shared supply. This is the responsibility of the water company with the exception of the last house in the line as their responsibility is for the pipe after it comes onto their property as at that point it's not shared. I did some research some time ago and found that legislation had changed for shared services but I cannot recall if it was a shared sewer or shared water main I was checking for.

Found the bit you need

Responsibility for pipes and sewers - Ofwat

Water companies keep up to date maps of sewers and water mains for which they are responsible. Most but not all pipes within an individual property boundary are the property owner’s responsibility to maintain. Water […]

www.ofwat.gov.uk

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Main supplies 4 houses as far as we can tell, its lead

I thought lead supplies should have been replaced (something to do with it causing potential brain damage - think lead paint and toy soldiers). Many years ago a friend had supply problems outside her property, the water company threw their hands up in horror and replaced it foc out to the pavement.

 

[winchman]

I thought lead supplies should have been replaced (something to do with it causing potential brain damage - think lead paint and toy soldiers). Many years ago a friend had supply problems outside her property, the water company threw their hands up in horror and replaced it foc out to the pavement.

They will only replace the main to property boundary the rest is all the householders

 

[slim_boy_fat]

They will only replace the main to property boundary the rest is all the householders

But there was no stopcock other than at her front door, they had replaced the under-pavement pipework but only installed a tee-piece, no stopcock at the property boundary.
Maybe that's why they threw their hands up in horror? "extra work innit, Guv"

 

[gaz1]

shared water can be nothing but trouble between houses as many still exist

its trace until the end of your boundary then it becomes next doors problem oh so you might think

and continue tracing the water pipe

the alternative is just to dig up to the main rd and fit a new water main as that comes into the so you might think scenario as then its not your problem anymore

the worst one is on shared private land