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UK diy (uk.d-i-y) For the discussion of all topics related to diy (do-it-yourself) in the UK. All levels of experience and proficency are welcome to join in to ask questions or offer solutions. |
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#1
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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/ |
#2
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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? |
#3
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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 |
#4
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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. |
#5
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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. |
#6
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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. |
#7
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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 |
#8
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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 |
#9
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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 |
#10
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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/ |
#11
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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 |
#12
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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. |
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