Lead water main

[Wills03]

I have rental property with a lead water main. It has a leak just before the meter which is inside the basement. We excavated to the curb stop with plans to replace with copper. Called city to see if they would replace from curb stop to city main with all the fears about lead these days. Answer was not unless it is leaking. Plans now are to cut lead 6" past the stop and run copper from there to meter. Question is how to connect the copper to the lead. Lead pipes were joined with "wiped joints" back in the 1920's, I need some simple way to make the connection. Any ideas you guys seem to be very well rounded on most topics.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Adjuster]

Re: Lead water main

Big rubber coupler double clamped on each end?

 

[Adjuster]

Re: Lead water main

Actually I may be thinking of waste water plumbing. Saw it on an episode of 'This Old House' several years ago.

 

[joed]

Re: Lead water main

Call the city. See if they will make that connection. They may actually want to make the connection.

 

[ehenry]

Re: Lead water main

I'm not sure I understand.....are you saying your water meter is inside your house? How does the city read it? I would think if the leak is not on the house side of the meter responsibility for repair would fall on the city.

Our meters here are out in the yard close to the street. If there is a leak on the house side of the meter responsibility for repair is on the home owner.

 

[ThumbPkr]

Re: Lead water main

I would think that a flare fitting would work the best there.Maybe you could borrow a flaring tool,the common sizes that I have seen are 3/4" on one end and 1" on the other.I would not know how to protect the gate valve as you are flaring the lead pipe though because you could damage the fitting on the street side of the valve and then you do have problems.
The best bet would be copper all the way if the city will allow it but you may have to supply the copper plus whatever you need for fittings to adapt it.Good luck with it.Ron G

 

[Bondo]

Re: Lead water main

Plans now are to cut lead 6" past the stop and run copper from there to meter. Question is how to connect the copper to the lead.

Ayuh,....

If you're 6" from the curbstop,....
Why not just screw into the curbstop it self,..??
Then you Should be dealing with a Threaded connection....

 

[Wills03]

Re: Lead water main

Ayuh,....

If you're 6" from the curbstop,....
Why not just screw into the curbstop it self,..??
Then you Should be dealing with a Threaded connection....

Curbstop is not threaded on both sides the lead pipe is connected with what is know as a wiped joint. Apparently they would wipe molten solder around the connection with some type of cloth. One of the lost arts. This water service is from early 1990's.

This is why I wanted the city to replace from street to curbstop while I am replacing my portion. But they will not so I have to cut lead line just past stop and run 3/4K soft copper from that point into the house.

Checked my supply houses today. They have Lead-Pak Couplings which attach lead pipe to copper flair or pipe thread. Only kicker is the old lead came in multiple wall thickneses S,XS, & XSS and each one uses a different coupling. They are made by Ford Meter Box Co.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Lead water main

How old is the meter? if it is from way back, I would think the city would want to update it. I updated my water system a few years back and the city/county came out with a new meter that can be scanned from the road. The meter reader doesn't even slow down or stop, just drive by and it reads the meter.

 

[Splat]

Re: Lead water main

Answer was not unless it is leaking.

Why not just make it leak.

Bill

 

[Wills03]

Re: Lead water main

Why not just make it leak.

Bill

Splat

Your not saying that the line would somehow develop a small leak on the city's side of the curb stop are you?

I had thought of that a slight unintended tap with a scratch all would likely go right thru the soft lead.

Hmmm.

Any others want to weigh in?

 

[qaztwo]

Re: Lead water main

I upgreaded my plumping to copper about two years ago, had similar exp. House built back in 1920 meter in basement. Got the water company to put new meter in front yard. Had to pay a city contractor to connect to new meter while city inspector watch.

 

[ThumbPkr]

Re: Lead water main

I don't think the city would have much trouble making a case against you for the leak since it didn't leak before it was exposed.LOL.Ron G

 

[Kiwi Phil]

Re: Lead water main

I may have missed something....why are you using copper mains?
Don't you use mains pressure poly....far superior.
That is all we use here.....just don't kink it when you roll it out.
Cheers
Phillip

 

[Splat]

Re: Lead water main

Splat

Your not saying that the line would somehow develop a small leak on the city's side of the curb stop are you?

I had thought of that a slight unintended tap with a scratch all would likely go right thru the soft lead.

Hmmm.

Any others want to weigh in?

I would never........ Ok I would.......... Did you give them your address when you talked to them on the phone?

Bill

 

[Wills03]

Re: Lead water main

I may have missed something....why are you using copper mains?
Don't you use mains pressure poly....far superior.
That is all we use here.....just don't kink it when you roll it out.
Cheers
Phillip

Phil

Since I have been around construction, late 1960, K soft copper is the only pipe I have seen used in this area Western PA for mains.

Pex is showing up here and there on interior remodeling jobs but I personally have not talked to anyone who has used it for mains.

As far as interior new construction hard copper L is still the rule although some budget builders use type M.

 

[Wills03]

Re: Lead water main

I would never........ Ok I would.......... Did you give them your address when you talked to them on the phone?

Bill

I am safe there, he did not ask for address nor did I offer it. I don't even think I told him we had alredy excavated from their curb stop to the house yet.

All he said was they would not replace their portion, and no desire to inspect my work "goodbye".

Seems insane to me not to replace from the street main to the curb stop maybee 7' max while every thing is dug up. Obviously I can not do that but I would provide the city the 7" of pipe and the stop as well as do the excavating.

 

[Kiwi Phil]

Re: Lead water main

Wills03
I'm a bit surprised.
I had the option of copper or poly for internal (showers etc ) but everything else was poly.
Think I have it right...it is colour coded........blue stripe is pressure mains.....lilac stripe is for re-cycled water etc.
Fittings are fast and easy to apply.
Think we have had it here since the 60's.
I ran a mains down the nursery last yr.
Installing and fixing was minutes....plumber took copper from the ground to the tap....maybe 2".....apparently that was quickest-best option.
Cheers
Phillip

 

[ThumbPkr]

Re: Lead water main

Copper has a characteristic that comes in handy in our climate,thawing frozen pipes.Pex would need to be wrapped with heat tape I would suppose but often when encountering frozen water lines the power is out too so that may not be the solution.
My house has galvanized pipe coming through the wall so I suspect it goes to the curb box too.We also need our water meters to be inside and protected so unless you use a meter pit it would have to go in a warm area such as a basement.Mine has a transmitter on it which they read from the street so no more estimated water bills.LOL.Ron G

 

[joed]

Re: Lead water main

I can not believe with all the problems lead causes that the town would not replace the lead water line. You can't even use lead based solder on copper pipes any more.
Maybe have the water tested and if comes back with high lead file and EPA complaint.