More Progress

Today was meant be fix the gas pipe day 2 , I discovered that National grid wanted to come andf ill in their trench - why i do not know. - it seems that they thought my garden was a public footpath so they left two large safety barriers so that i could avoid falling in to the 6 inch (15 cm hole) you can spot the Barrier as Chris Judd the water man (well to be exact 1 of the water men ) arrives to do his bit

I promised that I would explain about the water pipe ..

I discovered as I searched for my pipes that my mains water pipe was not a really a mains pipe but a standard 15mm copper pipe had been used

 it was to say the least flimsy, and of course not really big enough to supply modern plumbing - the correct size should actually be nearer to 1 inch 25mm so double the size and is a very pretty blue colour MDPE pipe  - MDPE - Medium Density Polyethylene .


To replace my water pipe needs three different people

1. An external plumber who fits mains stopcocks and might dig a trench for you.
2. A plumber to conect your plumbing to the new stopcock and finally
3. Thames Water to  connect the water pipe ( the blue one) to the water meter.

because they migh have to dig up the pavement my local council charges them £500 and so they charge that to me - nice eh? i think its another tax

Here you see the new stopcock fitted inside the garage
to do this they dug a big trench - bored a hole through the garage floor, fed in one end of the blue pipe and then left me to prepare the trench forThames water.  I finished that tonight but it got too dark to take a photo
Here is the scene before I dug the trench you can see the old and the new pipes in the picture. tomorrrow i will post the picture of the trench I personally dug,I then have to fill the trench with sand to protect the pipe.
Tomorrow the Guys from Scottish & Southern Energy will come and lower theElectricity  cable ,
This should be very interesting to atch as they do this live
So at lunchime yesterday I when down to a local builders merchant to buy 2x3m lengths of plastic ducting and the two curved ends

Under the Electricity Safety, Quality, and Continuity Regulations 2002, all underground electricity cables must be installed into PVC ducts. Earthenware ducts are no longer acceptable. If you’re carrying out on-site excavation, you’re responsible for the installation of a black PVC duct from the proposed new meter position to the proposed

new cable joint position. The ducting must be black PVC pipe to conform with Electricity Association

(EA) Technical Specification 12-24 – Plastic Ducts for Buried Electrical Cables. The manufacturer’s identity, together with the wording “Electricity Cable Duct”,must be clearly marked in white on the outside surface of the duct. The

markings should be repeated three times per metre and should withstand normal handling, storage and installation conditions to remain legible.

Ducts should be laid at a nominal depth of 450mm below gardens and paths, These measurements should be made from the top of the duct to finished ground level. All ducting must be laid with electrical cable warning tape, which should be installed at a depth of 240mm below gardens and paths, 100mm below roads.




Now you know everything about the exciting world of ducting!
Maybe someone will explain to me why I have to buy it - it is one of lifes mysteries  onw would imagine the people who cut and install cables would have ducting too

Anyway thats the latest post - more tomorrow provided they reconnect me!