In message , at 11:25:04 on
Sun, 3 May 2020, Roger Hayter remarked:
I'd strongly recommend replacing the whole of the lead pipe to the
stopcock.

See my original posting. That's plan B, but arranging that during
lockdown is going to be difficult. It also means digging up (and
reinstating) 20m of concrete path (also difficult in lockdown, as well
as a fairly major project.).

When I did mine (only about 7m) I dug a person sized (18' to 2') trench
but with modern equipment they can do it only about 120mm wide, even if
you can't do it with a mole.

Which would still require substantial reinstatement in what is the front
path to my house.

In a previous house where I did a very similar project (new
kitchen/diner extension at the rear) they polypiped it off the old lead
main under the floorboards just inside the front door. And very little
drama.

If you're going to have the join outside I'd recommend an (insulated
above) inspection chamber.

Useful, thanks.

If by any chance you've got retricted flow it may help this, as well as
avoid the worry of a buried adaptor with two compression joints.

I'm probably as worried about spending another six weeks with no kitchen
to speak of (we've effectively got a standpipe where the old sink was,
and a 3" hole in the floor as a drain).

It doesn't, BTW, sound as though your plumber knows very much about
plumbing, which is a bit worrying.

The main problem is a plumber who is a subby, who is not available "on
demand" rather typically a week lead time) meanwhile the groundworks
subby was "I've started so I'll finish" on a timescale of days.

And because they are both in theory reporting to (and being paid by) a
now furloughed member of the builder's staff...
--
Roland Perry