We have a problem with an old Victorian pipe that's leaking. The pipe
comes from a reservoir, runs under our house, and used to feed an old
swimming pool which was decommissioned, as far as I know, in the 60s.
The reservoir is not on our property, and the site of the old swimming
pool is also on someone else's property. The pipe is definitely not
used any more, but seems to be full of water and leaking. It's about
1" diameter iron and is very rusty in places. The reservoir is
probably 30m higher than our house, so the pressure could be
considerable.

I want to cap this pipe upstream of our house where it runs through
some woodland, but I'm sure I won't find a standard fitting to do the
job, so it needs some improvisation.

I've dug a hole around the pipe and I'm thinking that I could hammer
the pipe flat to try to stem the flow, then cut it slightly downstream
and try to bung the end with something (cement / silicone sealant /
plumbers' putty), but I'm worried that if the flat section of pipe
lets water through then there will be a build up of pressure behind
the bung which will cause it to fail.

Any suggestions?

"Bodgit" wrote in message
...
We have a problem with an old Victorian pipe that's leaking. The pipe
comes from a reservoir, runs under our house, and used to feed an old
swimming pool which was decommissioned, as far as I know, in the 60s.
The reservoir is not on our property, and the site of the old swimming
pool is also on someone else's property. The pipe is definitely not
used any more, but seems to be full of water and leaking. It's about
1" diameter iron and is very rusty in places. The reservoir is
probably 30m higher than our house, so the pressure could be
considerable.

I want to cap this pipe upstream of our house where it runs through
some woodland, but I'm sure I won't find a standard fitting to do the
job, so it needs some improvisation.

I've dug a hole around the pipe and I'm thinking that I could hammer
the pipe flat to try to stem the flow, then cut it slightly downstream
and try to bung the end with something (cement / silicone sealant /
plumbers' putty), but I'm worried that if the flat section of pipe
lets water through then there will be a build up of pressure behind
the bung which will cause it to fail.

Any suggestions?

Is this in England?

If so I am sure that it would be the responsibility of the owner of the land
where the reservoir is to make sure that the water does not escape onto your
land or at least be liable for any damage caused

Messing with rusty pipes is a dodgy business as it may fail just above where
you have capped it and the failure could be construed as your fault as you
messed with it

A post on uk legal may be helpful

Regards

Tony

Bodgit wrote:
We have a problem with an old Victorian pipe that's leaking. The pipe
comes from a reservoir, runs under our house, and used to feed an old
swimming pool which was decommissioned, as far as I know, in the 60s.
The reservoir is not on our property, and the site of the old swimming
pool is also on someone else's property. The pipe is definitely not
used any more, but seems to be full of water and leaking. It's about
1" diameter iron and is very rusty in places. The reservoir is
probably 30m higher than our house, so the pressure could be
considerable.

I want to cap this pipe upstream of our house where it runs through
some woodland, but I'm sure I won't find a standard fitting to do the
job, so it needs some improvisation.

I've dug a hole around the pipe and I'm thinking that I could hammer
the pipe flat to try to stem the flow, then cut it slightly downstream
and try to bung the end with something (cement / silicone sealant /
plumbers' putty), but I'm worried that if the flat section of pipe
lets water through then there will be a build up of pressure behind
the bung which will cause it to fail.

Any suggestions?

My suggestion is to contact the environment agency and let them get to the
bottom of it.

The pipe and/or the reservoir must belong to someone, and it is their
responsibility, not yours, to prevent flooding of adjacent
land/property....this is exactly the type of thing that the EA deal with
regularly and what they are best at so I would contact them without delay.

Chopping it off is not an option because the piece you leave in could
continue leaking onto someone else's land, the chances are it will have to
be removed directly from the reservoir or capped at that point, rather than
bodged half way along.

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/

On Sep 21, 12:31*pm, Bodgit wrote:
We have a problem with an old Victorian pipe that's leaking. The pipe
comes from a reservoir, runs under our house, and used to feed an old
swimming pool which was decommissioned, as far as I know, in the 60s.
The reservoir is not on our property, and the site of the old swimming
pool is also on someone else's property. The pipe is definitely not
used any more, but seems to be full of water and leaking. It's about
1" diameter iron and is very rusty in places. The reservoir is
probably 30m higher than our house, so the pressure could be
considerable.

I want to cap this pipe upstream of our house where it runs through
some woodland, but I'm sure I won't find a standard fitting to do the
job, so it needs some improvisation.

I've dug a hole around the pipe and I'm thinking that I could hammer
the pipe flat to try to stem the flow, then cut it slightly downstream
and try to bung the end with something (cement / silicone sealant /
plumbers' putty), but I'm worried that if the flat section of pipe
lets water through then there will be a build up of pressure behind
the bung which will cause it to fail.

Any suggestions?

If you are from the UK. It's probably either cast iron or malleable
iron.
Expensive pipe fittings are available. They are bolt together castings
with rubber linings.
This is the sort of thing.
http://www.teekaycouplings.com/index.php

BTW, You would need an angle grinder to cut the pipe off.

In message
,
harry writes
BTW, You would need an angle grinder to cut the pipe off.

Do they do a waterproof model?

More seriously, if the existing flow is a trickle, perhaps pipe freezing
tackle would avoid a soaking.

I'm not sure about relying on the EA. They can move quickly if drinking
water supplies are threatened but I don't see who they are going to
blame here. Perhaps get it capped off and then tell them?

regards

--
Tim Lamb

On Sep 21, 12:31*pm, Bodgit wrote:
We have a problem with an old Victorian pipe that's leaking. The pipe
comes from a reservoir, runs under our house, and used to feed an old
swimming pool which was decommissioned, as far as I know, in the 60s.
The reservoir is not on our property, and the site of the old swimming
pool is also on someone else's property. The pipe is definitely not
used any more, but seems to be full of water and leaking. It's about
1" diameter iron and is very rusty in places. The reservoir is
probably 30m higher than our house, so the pressure could be
considerable.

I want to cap this pipe upstream of our house where it runs through
some woodland, but I'm sure I won't find a standard fitting to do the
job, so it needs some improvisation.

I've dug a hole around the pipe and I'm thinking that I could hammer
the pipe flat to try to stem the flow, then cut it slightly downstream
and try to bung the end with something (cement / silicone sealant /
plumbers' putty), but I'm worried that if the flat section of pipe
lets water through then there will be a build up of pressure behind
the bung which will cause it to fail.

Any suggestions?

Further to previous.
If it's cast iron it's very likely a circumferential break due to
ground movement.
You can just get a clamp that goes round the break from the same
manufacturer, ie repair, don't cut off.
Fast and easy all you need is spanners and wire brush to clean the
pipe up.
Cast iron pipe has insignificant rusting but breaks easily.

On Sep 21, 6:02*pm, harry wrote:
On Sep 21, 12:31*pm, Bodgit wrote:









We have a problem with an old Victorian pipe that's leaking. The pipe
comes from a reservoir, runs under our house, and used to feed an old
swimming pool which was decommissioned, as far as I know, in the 60s.
The reservoir is not on our property, and the site of the old swimming
pool is also on someone else's property. The pipe is definitely not
used any more, but seems to be full of water and leaking. It's about
1" diameter iron and is very rusty in places. The reservoir is
probably 30m higher than our house, so the pressure could be
considerable.

I want to cap this pipe upstream of our house where it runs through
some woodland, but I'm sure I won't find a standard fitting to do the
job, so it needs some improvisation.

I've dug a hole around the pipe and I'm thinking that I could hammer
the pipe flat to try to stem the flow, then cut it slightly downstream
and try to bung the end with something (cement / silicone sealant /
plumbers' putty), but I'm worried that if the flat section of pipe
lets water through then there will be a build up of pressure behind
the bung which will cause it to fail.

Any suggestions?

Further to previous.
If it's cast iron it's very likely a circumferential break due to
ground movement.
* You can just get a clamp that goes round the break from the same
manufacturer, ie repair, don't cut off.
* Fast and easy all you need is spanners and wire brush to clean the
pipe up.
Cast iron pipe has insignificant rusting but breaks easily.

Thanks for all the replies.

Yes, this is in the UK. I reckon the pipe must be malleable iron by
the looks of it.

Last summer the owner of the land where the swimming pool was, had a
flooded cellar. He called out some "specialists" who were mainly
pretty useless but did manage to trace the routes of some of the pipes
(to some extent). They were going to cap the pipes in the woods, but
they ended up not doing it because the flooding abated when they
messed around with some valves on his property.

The dampness on our property has been happening for years - it seems
to be getting worse though. It was only when they traced the pipes
that it occurred to me that maybe that was the cause of our dampness.
The problem is I have no proof, and I quite possibly could be wrong.

As for the reservoir, there are three, on two different peoples'
property, and I don't know which one feeds our pipe! I reckon it would
be a nightmare, with much buck-passing and expensive surveys to
ascertain whose responsibility it is.

I own the piece of woodland where the capping off would be done, and
my house is directly downhill of that woodland, so there should be no
problems with blame for flooding adjacent land.

The Teekay fittings look good. I can't see a site with any prices
though! I guess I'd still have to freeze the pipe or something - it's
all starting to look expensive!!

Bodgit wrote:


As for the reservoir, there are three, on two different peoples'
property, and I don't know which one feeds our pipe! I reckon it would
be a nightmare, with much buck-passing and expensive surveys to
ascertain whose responsibility it is.


If you get a fitting to cap it you could always blow compressed air down it
and look for a bubbling reservoir. ;-)

Tim

On Sep 21, 12:31 pm, Bodgit wrote:
We have a problem with an old Victorian pipe that's leaking. The pipe
comes from a reservoir, runs under our house, and used to feed an old
swimming pool which was decommissioned, as far as I know, in the 60s.
The reservoir is not on our property, and the site of the old swimming
pool is also on someone else's property. The pipe is definitely not
used any more, but seems to be full of water and leaking. It's about
1" diameter iron and is very rusty in places. The reservoir is
probably 30m higher than our house, so the pressure could be
considerable.

I want to cap this pipe upstream of our house where it runs through
some woodland, but I'm sure I won't find a standard fitting to do the
job, so it needs some improvisation.

I've dug a hole around the pipe and I'm thinking that I could hammer
the pipe flat to try to stem the flow, then cut it slightly downstream
and try to bung the end with something (cement / silicone sealant /
plumbers' putty), but I'm worried that if the flat section of pipe
lets water through then there will be a build up of pressure behind
the bung which will cause it to fail.

Any suggestions?

freeze it cut it fit a compression mdpe coupler/"universal transition
fitting" or someat and then blank it on the MDPE side?

http://www.bes.co.uk/products/168.asp

etc etc

Jim K