Burst Pipe Charges

[LeonReed]

Just a quick one and any info gratefully received.

A friend has had a pipe burst in their back garden and its created a mini duckpond. House insurance isn't covering it and they need it fixed. They are considering using the official supplier which I think is North West Water but I have the feeling this is the most costly option due to having to have the back garden dug up etc. Is it ok to have a private contractor take this work on as long as its fixed to a professional standard?

Any one ever had a problem such as this or know anything regarding costs etc. I realise it depends on the job but would it be a daily rate or a fixed price?

Thanks in advance.

 

[KidsBeeHappy]

Insurance tends to cover the damage done by the water, rather than the pipes themselves. When dealing with the utility contractors I have found the most efficient route is to get as much done as possible yourself and minimal involvement from the utilities themselves.

 

[gordano]

Firstly do they know where the "burst" location is? A pond can develop a considerable distance from where the pipe is leaking. As to pricing, I would ideally want a fixed quote, or failing that a capped price based on hourly rates.

 

[LeonReed]

Right so an option would be to do as much manual work yourself then gather some fixed quotes or capped hourly rates prices. Understand what your saying about the burst may not be directly under the were the visible water is though.

 

[estwig]

Which side of the main stop cock is the leaking pipe??

The leak maybe the water boards problem and not your friends.

 

[LeonReed]

Which side of the main stop cock is the leaking pipe??

The leak maybe the water boards problem and not your friends.

That I am unsure of I only know its in their back garden. So is their a main stop cock somewhere along the piping in the back? If so and the leak is after the stop cock is it just down to the water board and will they charge for the fix?

 

[estwig]

That I am unsure of I only know its in their back garden. So is their a main stop cock somewhere along the piping in the back? If so and the leak is after the stop cock is it just down to the water board and will they charge for the fix?

What I was trying to get at, didn't put it well is. Just because the pipe is on your land, doesn't mean it's your pipe, or your responsibility if it leaks. Get in contact with the water board and try and establish who's pipe it is.

 

Just a quick one and any info gratefully received.

A friend has had a pipe burst in their back garden and its created a mini duckpond. House insurance isn't covering it and they need it fixed. They are considering using the official supplier which I think is North West Water but I have the feeling this is the most costly option due to having to have the back garden dug up etc. Is it ok to have a private contractor take this work on as long as its fixed to a professional standard?

Any one ever had a problem such as this or know anything regarding costs etc. I realise it depends on the job but would it be a daily rate or a fixed price?

Thanks in advance.

Pop into B&Q and get a roll of self fusing silicon tape £6.00 .You don't even have to turn the mains off.

Simples.

Earl

 

[papverpoppies]

Pop into B&Q and get a roll of self fusing silicon tape £6.00 .You don't even have to turn the mains off.

Simples.

Earl

Used that and its great, there is also a guy on Ebay selling it for half that price I bought 3 rolls and with pp it came to less than £9.00.
Just make sure to stretch it tight that's the secret.

Poppy xx

 

[LeonReed]

Thanks some great info. So its a call to the Water Board and if that's a non-starter a trip to B&Q and a lot of digging.....and getting wet is in order

 

[LicensedToTrade]

Estwig has given the best advice to you so far. You need to determine if it is your responsibility to repair it first. So yes give your local water board a call first and get them to come and look at it. If the pipe falls outside of the boundaries of your house (this can still be in your garden) then that water pipe is one of their assets and as such their job to fix it at no cost to you.

 

Used that and its great, there is also a guy on Ebay selling it for half that price I bought 3 rolls and with pp it came to less than £9.00.
Just make sure to stretch it tight that's the secret.

Poppy xx

You must have a lot of leaks.

Earl

 

[LicensedToTrade]

You must have a lot of leaks.

Earl

Or a shotgun license and a drink problem.

 

[papverpoppies]

You must have a lot of leaks.

Earl

No, just a lot of piping....
Yes, allkathene piping running to the sheep water troughs - when you live rurally you 'bulk' buy!

Ain't got a BQ handy.

Poppy xx

 

[papverpoppies]

Or a shotgun license and a drink problem.

Pea shooter, but with the cold weather it was hard to blow!

POPPY XX

 

[LicensedToTrade]

They don't generally sell alkathene anymore its all MDPE/LDPE or Medium/Low Density Polyethylene to anyone as sad as me. I'm not ready to stop yet.... pipe sections generally come in coils of 25,50,100 or 200 metres and connectors are sold primarily under brands philmac and polypipe. Pipe should ideally be fitted with a pipe sleeve before inserted into a fitting. Fittings include but are not limited to Tees, elbows, couplers, stock cocks, reducers, stop ends.

Whoooo glad to get that out of my system. I remember years ago doing a presentation to hundreds of bored trainees.

 

[deniser]

You need to establish the run of the pipes to see which properties the pipe serves to see whether the pipe is the responsibility of you alone of more than one person.

We had burst pipes twice (old Victorian clay pipes). Once it was from our property at the back garden before it met the common pipe which ran along the back of all the properties. That was clearly our responsibility and our plumber actually hired a pneumatic drill and replaced the broken section for us; that was in the early 90s when tradesmen would take any work things were so dire.

The other time it was in the front garden between the mains pipe in the road and the properties but after the broken bit the pipe diverted into two and served our property and the one next door. We only saw this once the area had been dug up. Faced with this obvious evidence the adjoining owner agreed to pay half.

The water company is only responsible if it is the mains pipe in the road. If it is on your property then it is most likely to be a private pipe and maintainable by the people using it. We got a local builder to fix it that time as it was quite extensive.

 

[papverpoppies]

They don't generally sell alkathene anymore its all MDPE/LDPE or Medium/Low Density Polyethylene to anyone as sad as me. I'm not ready to stop yet.... pipe sections generally come in coils of 25,50,100 or 200 metres and connectors are sold primarily under brands philmac and polypipe. Pipe should ideally be fitted with a pipe sleeve before inserted into a fitting. Fittings include but are not limited to Tees, elbows, couplers, stock cocks, reducers, stop ends.

Whoooo glad to get that out of my system. I remember years ago doing a presentation to hundreds of bored trainees.

NO, they still sell it here for agricultural purposes, as most of it runs under the soil then its hard to fit the sleeves, plus it would cost a fortune as the piping runs for ever across the fields.

No fancy elbows or joints, so long as the water flows, does not leak (outside of bursts) then 'job done'!

Believe me alkathene is 'modern' compared to what some farmers use..

Poppy xx

 

Whoooo glad to get that out of my system. I remember years ago doing a presentation to hundreds of bored trainees.

Yep and now you have probably done it to thousands.:|

Earl

 

[LicensedToTrade]

Yep and now you have probably done it to thousands.:|

Earl

Depends how many people read this thread

They don't let me do product presentations anymore

 

[roythehandyman]

If it is on your /his land it is almost certainly your/his problem. Turn the stopcock off, does it stop the leak and stop the water supply to the house? if it does get a plumber. if leak still flowing and taps still run, then it not your problem telephone water company and tell them to sort it and make a nice claim against them for relandscaping the garden if it is down to you/him then only use water company if you won the lottery recently

 

[thetime22]

I use to work for a plumbing company and they would charge £80 an hour + VAT for this.

 

[harwes]

the self almagamating tape mentioned Will not seal mains for any length of time if at all with mains on as You have overcome mains pressure whilst applying. Anyway find the stop cock. turn it off if pond disappears its water boards problem ad they are responsible up to stop cock. if it doesn't disappear and it feeds your friends house he is responsible from other side of stopcock.

 

[PayVector]

plant a world war II type bomb in garden. Call in army to blow it up. Claim they damaged the pipe. They will send royal engineers to do a top notch repair to keep hearts and minds of citizens in good shape.

Job done.

 

[roythehandyman]

Estwig has given the best advice to you so far. You need to determine if it is your responsibility to repair it first. So yes give your local water board a call first and get them to come and look at it. If the pipe falls outside of the boundaries of your house (this can still be in your garden) then that water pipe is one of their assets and as such their job to fix it at no cost to you.

How is that possible. Your garden implies you land:| If the pipe crosses your garden and serves you and at least one other then it is water comps baby.

 

[roythehandyman]

I use to work for a plumbing company and they would charge £80 an hour + VAT for this.

Wow, I am on my way

 

[LicensedToTrade]

How is that possible. Your garden implies you land:| If the pipe crosses your garden and serves you and at least one other then it is water comps baby.

It gets complicated. Technically speaking it is impossible for anyone to own land in this country as the queen owns it all, she is just polite enough to let us pay council tax and land rates and the pleasure of letting us think we own it. That aside, boundaries work differently where mains water pipes are concerned. A pipe that is in your garden may in fact be the responsibility of the national grid or the local water board that has been given authority of the area. You can find out these boundaries by applying through your local council building control, local water board or the national grid.

 

[papverpoppies]

It gets complicated. Technically speaking it is impossible for anyone to own land in this country as the queen owns it all, she is just polite enough to let us pay council tax and land rates and the pleasure of letting us think we own it. That aside, boundaries work differently where mains water pipes are concerned. A pipe that is in your garden may in fact be the responsibility of the national grid or the local water board that has been given authority of the area. You can find out these boundaries by applying through your local council building control, local water board or the national grid.

So we bill the Queen then

Poppy xx