Front garden leaking!!

chabsey

We've recently moved into a house we bought (moved in in December, actually bought in September) and have recently noticed that our front garden has become very marsh-like and there's a stream of water running outside the wall and down the road.

This water has been there for ages but just in the last few days it's got quite bad. It happens to be exactly where the estate agent hammered in their sign, so I think it was caused by the pole from that sign breaking a pipe.

Question is, am I required to fix it because it's on my land or is it the council who should fix it?

I'm guessing/assuming the following:

1) That the pipe involved is on our land, although this is 99% definitely the case.

2) That the estate agent's pole broke the pipe (this I'm almost sure of, but it's been so long I don't think I have any come back).



In terms of repair, I wonder should I just dig up the surrounding earth and wrap some sealant tape (have lots of it, it's excellent and made specially for this type of job) around the pipe?

Pataman

It wont take long to repair. Just dig a small hole, if you can find the hole in the pipe. Turn off the mains out at the road.If its a black plastic pipe, its probably 1/2" heavy guage hydrodare. You can get the fittings in your local hardware shop. Ask for a 3/4" 310. This is a straight fitting. Cut the plastic pipe and put the connection on.

If its copper as above but with 1/2" fittings

chabsey

Pataman wrote:

It wont take long to repair. Just dig a small hole, if you can find the hole in the pipe. Turn off the mains out at the road.If its a black plastic pipe, its probably 1/2" heavy guage hydrodare. You can get the fittings in your local hardware shop. Ask for a 3/4" 310. This is a straight fitting. Cut the plastic pipe and put the connection on.

If its copper as above but with 1/2" fittings

Thanks for the info. Couple of quick questions for you; how do I turn off the mains at the road? I know there's one of those small iron caps that flip up and that underneath there's something I need to turn, but what do I use to turn it?

Also, I've a feeling it's a copper pipe as the house is old, do I just cut the damaged section of pipe out and connect a new section into the gap (using two connecting parts, one at each end)?

While I'm not entirely clueless when it comes to DIY, I've never done anything like this before so any tips/advice are appreciated.

ScottishDanny

The Tool you need is called a 'stopcock'. Ask a neighbour (with a straight face) if they have one you can borrow.

chabsey

ScottishDanny wrote:

The Tool you need is called a 'stopcock'. Ask a neighbour (with a straight face) if they have one you can borrow.

Stopcock it is, thanks!

Pataman

A waterkey is what its called

chabsey

Pataman wrote:

A waterkey is what its called

Waterkey sounds more like it....but is stopcock wrong? Google image search shows stopcock as a tap-like device.

Pataman

Waterkey is the correct name. A stopcock is a valve that can be hand turned, normally under the sink on the rising main, where it comes into the house, similar in appearance to a garden tap.

mike65

Its a waterkey its long with a square hollow head (like a socket wrench)

Similair to this http://images.orgill.com/200x200/2801686.JPG

Mike.

Pataman

Chadwicks / woodies or any hardware shop will stock them. Check first what type you have. They used to be all square, but now some have a rounded edge. If you can only get the square key, and the spigot has one side rounded, just hacksaw off one side of the key.

chabsey

Thanks guys. Anyone know the rought price of a waterkey?

And is the water supply specific to my house, I obviously dont want to turn off water to the whole row of houses (I live in a terrace).

Thanks.

mike65

You'll only turn your water off, and they're cheap. Its just a bit of crude steel.

Mike.

Pataman

Less than a tenner and yes it should only supply your house

chabsey

Pataman wrote:

Less than a tenner and yes it should only supply your house

Sounds good. Is there any chance the pipe in question could be concrete (ie. unfixable by me?)

Pataman

No at worst it will be lead and if so you should ring a plumber as some of those fittings have to be made to fit.

ScottishDanny

Water Key?
Now I feel like Homer when he realises he's been calling Ms Krabappel 'Mrs Krandel'

tribesman

You could open it up first and see how deep the valve is. If its close to the surface you could be able to grip it with a vice grips and there wouldn't be a need for a waterkey. That's assuming you own a vice grips.

chabsey

Ok, have dug the garden up and found the pipe (which is lead) and have identified that the leak is coming from either directly under my front wall or more likely, outside my property. Either way I can't get access to the leak to fix it.

I've determined that the leak is outside my property by doing the following:

Dug a trench, found the pipe, traced it right back to the where it enters our garden at the front wall. Turned back on water, saw water gushing around where pipe enters garden. Tried to find a hole in the pipe but couldn't so am assuming the water is entering there cause it's the easiest place for it to flow to, but in fact it's coming from a leak out under the road.

So, what do I do now? Call the council and tell them there's a leak?
I'm hesitant to turn back on the water cause I get a nice big lake forming in our front garden, however, I don't see myself having any choice as I need a shower after all this digging!

Any tips/advice? I'm back in north Dublin if that clarifies which numbers I should call to notify the council of this problem!

Thanks.

JamesM

Call the Council. They don't like water leaks, so the least they will do is check it out and tell you if you need to get someone yourself.

rooferPete

Hi Chabsey,

Take care when speaking with the Council Officials, the fact that your mains is lead could have them saying the leak is on your side of the mains which in the past made it Your Problem.

The annoying part is the consumer paid for a new valve but the council would refuse or at least hesitate before connecting to a lead pipe.

Ask in a nice way if they will repair their pipe / valve at their expense, all you know is that your pipe is not leaking inside your garden wall.

Should the problem be assigned to you then it may be cheaper to have the old lead pipe replaced which is not a bad idea considering it may leak under your floor and the health issue with lead.

The last thing you need is to be paying for a five man crew watching the plumber at work

.