Neighbour's builder ruptured lead mains into flat, advice needed!

[breaker]

Hi all,

On Monday my neighbours builder, when putting a new fence in between our properties ruptured the lead pipe main inlet to our flat. I went outside and they told me they were going to fix it. Later I returned and saw the 'fix'. They had used some sort of plastic/rubber or similar wrapping around the hole in the pipe, held in by 4 jubilee clips, 2 each side. The builder told me it would be fine, but I had my doubts straight away. By the evening they had concreted it all in.

I've since remonstrated with him and the neighbour that this does not seem like a proper fix at all. I spoke to a friend who is a plumber who said there's no way that it's a proper repair and that I will more than likely leak. I'm pretty worried about this as the position of it is right in front of our property and the repercussions of water leaking under out house are obviously not good.

Can anyone here shed any more light on this? I need second/third opinions... My plumber friend suggested that any fix involving jubilee clips/wrapping/solvent of any kind is not a proper repair at all, especially not to an old lead pipe.

Thanks

Al

 

[ambrosia]

It doesnt sound like a proper fix to me, also lead pipes are most dangerous once disturbed

 

[breaker]

It doesnt sound like a proper fix to me, also lead pipes are most dangerous once disturbed

Thank you for replying - when you say dangerous, do you just mean in terms of it leaking/causing problems in the future? or anything more sinister (one of my friends suggested that anything could be leaking into the water, if he's put any kind of solvent or similar on the 'fix').

 

[newcastle phill]

Sounds like a good fix for a builder.
About what id expect

 

[brum]

Repair will last until about builders cheque clears and then somehow I don't think he will be too bothered..brum

 

[hammers4spanner]

its a builder thats what they do fudge ,bodge and disappear

easiest way to deal with a builder is to just chin um

 

[basildog]

Why is it all plumbers have a thing about knocking builders ?
Some of us are decent and conscientious and not cowboys in fact it may suprise some of you to learn that it is often the builder who tips the architect off to shoddy work carried out by other trades !
I ran a building company for many years and have seen most things I think I can assure you that many so called tradesmen are capable of absolute rubbish work especially if it costs them money to rectify the problem !
My motto was to do it right the first time or not at all none of the guys working for me would bodge anything as I would rather lose money that our reputation !
I always told clients when a problem had occured as was better to be up front than to try and hide it .
At the end of the day they are paying for you as a professional and many have no idea what you are doing for the money they work on trust we owe it to them to be honest and professional it pays dividends in the end .
To be honest it was more the so called tradesmen that made me pack it all in than it was the customers although they can be trying at times .
Although the disrespect to the customers shown on here is sometimes mind boggling such as calling them custards on an open forum to me beggars belief .
I once picked up a 400 k job because the builders on site damaged a sewer pipe and bodged it with a plastic bag not because the labourer did it but the boss of a well respected local firm ,just a shame he did not realise the owner had stayed home that day and saw it all the lies to blame everyone else just made it worse .

 

[newcastle phill]

Fact is in my experience. You get a muppet who can barely lay a few bricks and then calls himself a builder. Probably trained by HMP

Sorry but on my own personal experience builder has to be the most overused term of all trades. im sure there are good ones. I really am

 

[tamz]

Get it fixed properly but the builder might have a case to argue against liability for the cost. Your pipe should be 30" down which is your problem if its not.

 

[newcastle phill]

Who puts a pipe under a fence anyway lpl

 

[village idiot]

Who puts a pipe under a fence anyway lpl

I'm not so sure there is anything wrong with putting a pipe under a fence if it is buried to the right depth

 

[basildog]

Get it fixed properly but the builder might have a case to argue against liability for the cost. Your pipe should be 30" down which is your problem if its not.

Not sure that is the case we have found many services including gas pipes that run a few inches below ground level always made me laugh when I ripped a gas pipe out they all run !
Me I just fold it over or make a wooden bung until transco turned up to fix it !
Mind with the water it is always a winters day just getting dark and no stopcock to be found !
Always a joy lying face down in a trench fixing them live but it does sort the men from the boys !

 

[townfanjon]

Very simple that is BODGED ! Lead pipes, jubilee clips, it's probably leaking now. It may be worth having a word with your water supplier, although if it's on your property, I am sure they won't pay for it .
They may offer advice .
Are you covered by your house insurance ?

 

[tamz]

Not sure that is the case we have found many services including gas pipes that run a few inches below ground level always made me laugh when I ripped a gas pipe out they all run !

True but if it is too shallow and you argue your case you won't be billed.

 

[basildog]

To be honest I would just dig it up and purchase a couple of philimacs lead locks and a bit of the correct size mdpe pipe and fix it the hassle of going down the insurance route just not worth it ?
Did you take pictures of it ?
Do you get on with the neighbours ?

 

[hammers4spanner]

I know nobody gives a monkeys but rant you suppose to be WRAS registered to be working on mains water?

 

[village idiot]

It's a shame you did not follow your gut instinct and tell them to sort it out? Now builders have gone, chances are they will not answer their phone. Builder who did our front porch now refuses to answer phone???

 

[townfanjon]

To be honest I would just dig it up and purchase a couple of philimacs lead locks and a bit of the correct size mdpe pipe ?

Be a better idea than a top hose off an old cortina, and a few jub clips, which bob the builder sounds to have used.

 

[tamz]

I know nobody gives a monkeys but rant you suppose to be WRAS registered to be working on mains water?

Allegedly :wink: :lol:

 

[Ermintrude]

Your water is not potable. Jubiliee clips are not classified as a impervious mechanical connection. Therefore the water supply is not wholesome. If it's supplying two properties after the botch call your local water company and report it.

 

[newcastle phill]

I'm not so sure there is anything wrong with putting a pipe under a fence if it is buried to the right depth

And just who is gonna bury a fence !!

 

[breaker]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I guess it's confirmed my suspicions. FWIW the pipe is the original old lead mains pipe, been there for decades untouched i'd imagine.

Particularly worried about what one of you has said about the water not being potable, as my little boy is not even two - certainly don't want him drinking that then. Also my flat is a maisonette, the upstairs flat's water is from the same feed.

Will be taking it up with the neighbour in the morning!

 

[REDSAW]

lead poisoning over time!!!!

if its any help, i was called out to a burst water main by a national company last year.
upon approaching the address i found niaga falls running down the street so just followed it to the source (bit like top gear).
when i got there the owner was installing new fencing to the front of his property and rammed a post spike into the mains
(6' inside his boundary before his stop-cock). i rang severn trent who came out and told the owner it will cost £3-400 (whatever). i then told them the feed is not set at the correct depth and is only 600mm below ground. the chap grumbled a bit, said your right then done the repair for free!.
me? i charged the call out then left

 

[goz666]

TBH you should've insisted on seeing the repair as soon as you were suspicious. If I was the builder I would argue that you had the time to question it, in fact you did and seemed happy with the reply hence he carried on and concreted over it. Hindsight is great but the builder is within his rights I think to ask you to pay for digging it back up, and if it's a poor fix then he should pay the cost of repair. Then again, how do you know he didn't make a repair with two lead loc fittings and pipe then protected it all with rubber sheath and jubilee clips.

 

[REDSAW]

its the water carriers property so they will be interested in whats been done!!