How deep and how close to house?

Curious_Case

Any thoughts welcome --

How deep and how close to house is the cold water supply likely to be?

House was privately built in the late 1960's

Pressure at sink has lowered and rumbling can be heard so there's a definite leak within perhaps 15 feet of where pipe enters kitchen

Hoping to investigate at corner of house and bypass damaged pipe

listermint

house was built in 1960s so todays standards do not apply. Convention is supply should be min 700mm below ground but this raises as it reaches the house. Realistically you will have to get someone who knows what they are doing to dig back carefully to reveal the supply feed line.

Curious_Case

listermint wrote: »

house was built in 1960s so todays standards do not apply. Convention is supply should be min 700mm below ground but this raises as it reaches the house. Realistically you will have to get someone who knows what they are doing to dig back carefully to reveal the supply feed line.

Thanks,

Hoping to avoid extensive excavation by digging carefully with spade to expose pipe and then determine which side of dig the leak is on (probably closer to house, under coal bunker, where a Tee fitting was installed to feed a utility room)

Rising main in kitchen is PVC, shut-off valve is outside the property in the footpath

Electricity is overhead cables and no gas supply

antoinolachtnai

It might be good to consider the option to just locate the pipe in the garden where it comes in from under the footpath, and then find a new path to run a new pipe.

Curious_Case

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

It might be good to consider the option to just locate the pipe in the garden where it comes in from under the footpath, and then find a new path to run a new pipe.

Sound advice, but it runs under a tarmac driveway and I'm hoping to locate it where it clears the tarmac and goes under an old concrete path.

PMBC

In the 60s anything was likely. I've seen water services at 9" below ground level and Id be very surprised if its any deeper than 14" to 16".
Best of luck.

Curious_Case

PMBC wrote: »

In the 60s anything was likely. I've seen water services at 9" below ground level and Id be very surprised if its any deeper than 14" to 16".
Best of luck.

I think you're bang on the money, the pipe froze once about 10 years ago (but only started leaking in recent months).

Curious_Case

I've dug a spade wide trench about 24" deep and perpendicular to house

No sign of pipe, could it be encased in concrete and running against wall of house?

listermint

Curious_Case wrote: »

I've dug a spade wide trench about 24" deep and perpendicular to house

No sign of pipe, could it be encased in concrete and running against wall of house?

Not likely but could be anywhere. What makes you think it enters the house on this wall side.

Usually they are perpendicular entry but can come in at a 90 degree first and then in perpendicular. But there's no knowing the thought process of the builder back then. Apply some logic but don't let it rule you.

Curious_Case

listermint wrote: »

Not likely but could be anywhere. What makes you think it enters the house on this wall side.

Usually they are perpendicular entry but can come in at a 90 degree first and then in perpendicular. But there's no knowing the thought process of the builder back then. Apply some logic but don't let it rule you.

UPDATE: Finally noticed wet patch outside utility room where concrete path meets wall so I'm guessing that leak has developed where branch was taken - going to stick clothes hanger wire down the copper pipe to see how deep the Tee is.

Many thanks for your help re: possible location, depth, etc.

Curious_Case

Located leak about 4 feet from wall of house, where branch had been taken from PVC mains to utility room.

It was about 16 inches below top of utility room floor
( or about 14 inches below old path that utility room was built over )

The copper inserts & olives where the PVC pipe met the Tee compression joint had disintegrated.

Guessed where to dig by running a length of single core cable into the washing machine water feed until it stopped.

PMBC

Its good to read you got the problem solved