Mystery pipe
 

I want to get a pipe that runs up one of the walls in my flat removed, as I
think it is no longer in use. It looks to my untrained eye like lead -
meaning presumably it's at least less likely to be in use. Does anyone know
if there's a way to tell whether there's any water going through it without
cutting into it? I've attached a link to a picture, below for anyone who
wants to hazard a guess as to what it's made out of.

http://www.qwirtytqwr.myby.co.uk/pipe/

Mystery pipe
 

Frank Mulvenny wrote:

I want to get a pipe that runs up one of the walls in my flat removed, as I
think it is no longer in use. It looks to my untrained eye like lead -
meaning presumably it's at least less likely to be in use. Does anyone know
if there's a way to tell whether there's any water going through it without
cutting into it? I've attached a link to a picture, below for anyone who
wants to hazard a guess as to what it's made out of.

http://www.qwirtytqwr.myby.co.uk/pipe/

If it is lead, then the surface will be very soft and easy to scratch. If you
had to work hard at getting it as bright as in your photos,then I suspect it
might be galvanised steel.

If it is in a flat then it could be serving somone else above or below yours?

Can you get to one end or a tee junction to see if it has been connected with a
wiped joint or a screw thread?

Mystery pipe
 

Frank Mulvenny wrote:
I want to get a pipe that runs up one of the walls in my flat
removed, as I think it is no longer in use. It looks to my untrained
eye like lead - meaning presumably it's at least less likely to be in
use. Does anyone know if there's a way to tell whether there's any
water going through it without cutting into it? I've attached a link
to a picture, below for anyone who wants to hazard a guess as to what
it's made out of.

http://www.qwirtytqwr.myby.co.uk/pipe/

Frank,

Would that pipe be about 100mm in diameter as it looks like an old lead
toilet soil pipe from the colour of the photo?

If it is, check to see if yours and your neighbours toilets are connected to
it and if they are then it is still "live" and cannot be removed without
some form of replacement to carry away the waste.

Brian

Mystery pipe
 

Brian wrote:
Frank Mulvenny wrote:
I want to get a pipe that runs up one of the walls in my flat
removed, as I think it is no longer in use. It looks to my untrained
eye like lead - meaning presumably it's at least less likely to be in
use. Does anyone know if there's a way to tell whether there's any
water going through it without cutting into it? I've attached a link
to a picture, below for anyone who wants to hazard a guess as to what
it's made out of.

http://www.qwirtytqwr.myby.co.uk/pipe/

Frank,

Would that pipe be about 100mm in diameter as it looks like an old
lead toilet soil pipe from the colour of the photo?

If it is, check to see if yours and your neighbours toilets are
connected to it and if they are then it is still "live" and cannot be
removed without some form of replacement to carry away the waste.


No, it's only about 32mm in diameter. If I remember correctly, when I boxed
it in (replacing some bulkier 100year-old looking boxing) there was another
pipe that came down parallel to that one, and was capped off half the way
down the wall.

Mystery pipe
 

Bob Minchin wrote:
Frank Mulvenny wrote:

I want to get a pipe that runs up one of the walls in my flat
removed, as I think it is no longer in use. It looks to my untrained
eye like lead - meaning presumably it's at least less likely to be
in use. Does anyone know if there's a way to tell whether there's
any water going through it without cutting into it? I've attached a
link to a picture, below for anyone who wants to hazard a guess as
to what it's made out of.

http://www.qwirtytqwr.myby.co.uk/pipe/

If it is lead, then the surface will be very soft and easy to
scratch. If you had to work hard at getting it as bright as in your
photos,then I suspect it might be galvanised steel.


Hmm, it was fairly easy, and the metal does seem soft, although I dont know
if it's 'as soft as lead'.
I wonder if there's a chemical test you can do with household materials...

If it is in a flat then it could be serving somone else above or
below yours?

Yep, it's definately not supplying my flat, as I have a copper pipe coming
in elsewhere.


Can you get to one end or a tee junction to see if it has been
connected with a wiped joint or a screw thread?

Ah... I could try and find the end of the other pipe that's also beside this
one and terminates at some point between the ceiling and the floor - more
sawing'll be needed though.

Mystery pipe
 

"Frank Mulvenny" wrote in message
...
I want to get a pipe that runs up one of the walls in my flat removed, as
I
think it is no longer in use. It looks to my untrained eye like lead -
meaning presumably it's at least less likely to be in use. Does anyone
know
if there's a way to tell whether there's any water going through it
without
cutting into it? I've attached a link to a picture, below for anyone who
wants to hazard a guess as to what it's made out of.

http://www.qwirtytqwr.myby.co.uk/pipe/




It looks like an old 7lb lead water main or something. Try putting a
screwdriver point against it and your ear to the handle and if you hear a
hissing sort of sound then it is still feeding something. You might have to
flush your loo or wait for a neighbour to run some water, but it should tell
you quite well if it is still live.

Mystery pipe
 

"Frank Mulvenny" wrote in message ...
Brian wrote:
Frank Mulvenny wrote:
I want to get a pipe that runs up one of the walls in my flat
removed, as I think it is no longer in use. It looks to my untrained
eye like lead - meaning presumably it's at least less likely to be in
use. Does anyone know if there's a way to tell whether there's any
water going through it without cutting into it? I've attached a link
to a picture, below for anyone who wants to hazard a guess as to what
it's made out of.

http://www.qwirtytqwr.myby.co.uk/pipe/

Frank,

Would that pipe be about 100mm in diameter as it looks like an old
lead toilet soil pipe from the colour of the photo?

If it is, check to see if yours and your neighbours toilets are
connected to it and if they are then it is still "live" and cannot be
removed without some form of replacement to carry away the waste.


No, it's only about 32mm in diameter. If I remember correctly, when I boxed
it in (replacing some bulkier 100year-old looking boxing) there was another
pipe that came down parallel to that one, and was capped off half the way
down the wall.

It may be gas, I would ask the people above if you can trace it out
just in case. In my old house the gas was lead and when they came to
remove it transco had to dig up the road as apparently they never used
to fit isolation valves in those days.
Take care
Rob

Mystery pipe
 

"Frank Mulvenny" wrote in message
...
I want to get a pipe that runs up one of the walls in my flat removed, as
I
think it is no longer in use. It looks to my untrained eye like lead

From the scrape marks, it looks very much like lead.

meaning presumably it's at least less likely to be in use. Does anyone
know
if there's a way to tell whether there's any water going through it
without
cutting into it?

Lead was also used for gas pipes, so discovering that it does not contain
water is not necessarily useful. You really need to try to trace the ends if
you want to cut it away.

Colin Bignell

Mystery pipe
 

"Frank Mulvenny" wrote in message
...
BigWallop wrote:
"Frank Mulvenny" wrote in message
...
I want to get a pipe that runs up one of the walls in my flat
removed, as I think it is no longer in use. It looks to my untrained
eye like lead - meaning presumably it's at least less likely to be
in use. Does anyone know if there's a way to tell whether there's
any water going through it without cutting into it? I've attached a
link to a picture, below for anyone who wants to hazard a guess as
to what it's made out of.

http://www.qwirtytqwr.myby.co.uk/pipe/




It looks like an old 7lb lead water main or something. Try putting a
screwdriver point against it and your ear to the handle and if you
hear a hissing sort of sound then it is still feeding something. You
might have to flush your loo or wait for a neighbour to run some
water, but it should tell you quite well if it is still live.

I've never heard any sound from it, but maybe if it's gas it'd be silent.
The gas comes in a different location in my flat though, so it could still
be decommissioned...

I found the end of the other pipe - picture at the url above.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I think maybe checking with the 2 upstairs
flats is the way to go, rather than randomly cutting into this water/gas
pipe :-)

Trace the pipe out. Find out what it supplies. It may be a dead gas or
water pipe, or a gas pipe that no longer serves anything. If it is useless
get rid of it.


---
--

Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.507 / Virus Database: 304 - Release Date: 04/08/2003

Mystery pipe
 

On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 23:13:30 GMT, "Frank Mulvenny"
wrote:



No, it's only about 32mm in diameter. If I remember correctly, when I boxed
it in (replacing some bulkier 100year-old looking boxing) there was another
pipe that came down parallel to that one, and was capped off half the way
down the wall.

Two pipes of that diameter running parallel could be old feeds from a
back boiler or kitchen range - possibly in the original house before
conversion. If you go down from them would that take you to where an
old range or fire place might have been?

--
Peter Parry.
http://www.wpp.ltd.uk/

Mystery pipe
 

"Frank Mulvenny" wrote in message
...
....
I've never heard any sound from it, but maybe if it's gas it'd be silent.
The gas comes in a different location in my flat though, so it could still
be decommissioned...

I found the end of the other pipe - picture at the url above.

The pipe was obviously still in use at the time that end was made.

Colin Bignell

Mystery pipe
 

Peter Parry wrote:
On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 23:13:30 GMT, "Frank Mulvenny"
wrote:



No, it's only about 32mm in diameter. If I remember correctly, when
I boxed it in (replacing some bulkier 100year-old looking boxing)
there was another pipe that came down parallel to that one, and was
capped off half the way down the wall.

Two pipes of that diameter running parallel could be old feeds from a
back boiler or kitchen range - possibly in the original house before
conversion. If you go down from them would that take you to where an
old range or fire place might have been?

The flat has always been part of a tenement, although the kitchen used to be
close to this part of the room, I believe.

Mystery pipe
 

On 26 Aug 2003 00:17:36 -0700, (rob w) wrote:

"Frank Mulvenny" wrote in message ...
Brian wrote:
Frank Mulvenny wrote:
I want to get a pipe that runs up one of the walls in my flat
removed, as I think it is no longer in use. It looks to my untrained
eye like lead - meaning presumably it's at least less likely to be in
use. Does anyone know if there's a way to tell whether there's any
water going through it without cutting into it? I've attached a link
to a picture, below for anyone who wants to hazard a guess as to what
it's made out of.

http://www.qwirtytqwr.myby.co.uk/pipe/

Frank,

When I was rebuilding the first floor bathroom in my 1948 ex-council
house I came across a capped pipe end in the wall cavity. It was a
dirty black thing, maybe 30 to 40mm dia - can't remember exactly. It
was a bit in the way of a drain pipe that I wanted to put through the
wall, so I considered removing it. Being wary of unexpected surprises,
I removed the end cap carefully. It was a gas pipe, and still
connected. The house has never had any gas appliance fitted upstairs,
so they must have had a change of plan during the building phase.

MJ