When we moved into our house twenty three years ago there was an old lead water pipe in the outhouse that had been bent over and clamped shut. As we had no need for water in there at the time (I used it as tool storage/workshop) we had it blanked off properly at floor level. However now I have finally built a shed for my tools and workshop we plan to use the outhouse as a utility room to house the washing machine, tumble dryer and fridge and there is a small cupboard (3 feet 8 inches square) which we are thinking of putting a down stairs toilet and small basin in. Would it be OK to use the old lead pipe to supply water to the washing machine and toilet or will the outhouse need to be re-plumbed?
The mains that come into the house are plastic from the outside stopcock and copper coming up from the floor into the kitchen. Not sure where the old lead pipe is connected.
If outhouse is connected to main house, then I would prefer to take a feed from the house, because you have no way to isolate lead pipe other than internal stopcock, which I wouldn't be happy with. Had old lead pipe in outside bog freeze & split below the stopcock, when I first moved here, ended up flattening pipe to stop leak, have since move water supply to toilet on to house supply & capped off lead pipe.
The outhouse is connected to the main house but to get the feed from there would be a lot of work. All concrete floors so the pipes would have to come along the wall,round a door then through to the out house, then around to the opposite wall for the washing machine to be next to the inside drain, if that makes sense.
Ah! makes things difficult, could you trace lead pipe & fit external stopcock, then you could go into outhouse in plastic fit full bore lever valve & then use copper.
If I remember correctly the outside mains stopcock also stopped the the water to the lead pipe when I had it blanked off, but I could be wrong after all it was twenty three years ago. As for tracing the lead pipe, also a difficult job. Concrete floor inside and concrete drive outside to stopcock.
Are you confident that the old lead supply is still "live"? It would be unusual to go from the outside stop cock in lead and then after the branch to your outhouse to convert from lead to plastic to your kitchen.
To tell the truth, I don't know. I have it in my head it was still "live" when we had it blanked off but after twenty three years sometimes things aren't quite what you remember. When the times comes I'll get a proper plumber in to sort it out for me. Thanks for the help.
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