Pipefix https://www.pipefix.co.uk Water and Waste Water Services Fri, 13 Sep 2019 14:28:25 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.20 Leaks up 21% to 3 Billion Litres a year! https://www.pipefix.co.uk/leaks-increase-by-21/ https://www.pipefix.co.uk/leaks-increase-by-21/#respond Fri, 13 Sep 2019 14:23:51 +0000 http://www.pipefix.co.uk/?p=3096 A report says more than three billion litres of water were lost through leaky pipework in 2018/19. Disruption to domestic water supplies has risen by a fifth in two years and billions of litres of water are being lost through leaky pipework, according to a report. The Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) said companies needed […]

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A report says more than three billion litres of water were lost through leaky pipework in 2018/19.

Disruption to domestic water supplies has risen by a fifth in two years and billions of litres of water are being lost through leaky pipework, according to a report.

The Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) said companies needed to do much more to protect consumers and questioned how well-equipped they were to deal with extremes of weather that might lead to more burst pipes.

Consumers were left without water for an average of 13 minutes and 14 seconds in 2018/19, according to CCWater’s annual report.

That was a fall on the year before, when the figures were skewed by the widespread disruption during and after the Beast from the East and Storm Emma.

However, it was an increase of 21.8% on 2016/17.

In 2018/19, 3.16 billion litres of water were lost through leaks – a fall of 0.2% on the previous year.

CCWater said it was concerned that the industry’s slow overall progress on leaks could lessen individuals’ motivation to save water.

It also raised doubts that some companies would be able to achieve tougher targets set by regulator Ofwat as part of the current price-setting process for 2020 to 2025.

Bristol Water was the industry’s best performer, losing an average of 71 litres per property per day.

Thames Water, which reported the highest levels of leakage, lost 177 litres per property per day.

People’s consumption of water has increased for a fourth consecutive year, with the average person using 143 litres a day in 2018/19, up from 141 litres in the previous 12 months, the latest figures show.

CCWater senior policy manager Karen Gibbs said: “It’s clear that some companies still need to do much more when it comes to reducing supply interruptions and curbing leakage, which can damage people’s perceptions of the industry and deter them from saving water themselves.

“Being left without water causes huge inconvenience to people and can be extremely isolating for the most vulnerable customers.”

A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesman said: “While this report shows a disappointing overall increase in supply interruptions, Ofwat’s publication of draft determinations for 2020-2025 indicates that on the whole, water companies have strengthened their commitment to ensuring a continuity of supply for their customers.

“We welcome the reduction in water leakages, but we will continue to work closely with Ofwat to hold water companies to account for the delivery of secure and resilient water services, expecting them to deliver greater reductions in leakage long term.”

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Retail Water Market – Ofwat calls for improvements https://www.pipefix.co.uk/retail-market-needs-improvement/ https://www.pipefix.co.uk/retail-market-needs-improvement/#respond Thu, 18 Jul 2019 09:07:43 +0000 http://www.pipefix.co.uk/?p=3063 In a new report reviewing the second year of the business retail market, Ofwat is warning that urgent action is needed to get the market working effectively and unlock better outcomes for more customers. While customers have saved around £10 million in the second year of the market, the report from the water regulator says that […]

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In a new report reviewing the second year of the business retail market, Ofwat is warning that urgent action is needed to get the market working effectively and unlock better outcomes for more customers.

While customers have saved around £10 million in the second year of the market, the report from the water regulator says that progress made by the sector to resolve a number of market frictions in year two has been disappointing.

According to Ofwat, the frictions – which include poor aggregate wholesaler performance, poor quality customer and consumption data, and some inefficient wholesaler-retailer interactions – are undermining the overall effectiveness of the market and its ability to deliver improved customer outcomes

Around 13% of eligible customers in England have been active in the market since it opened in April 2017; with those switching or renegotiating making financial savings of around £10 million during the second year. Some customers have benefitted from increased water efficiency, for example three self-supply licensees reportedly saved around 150 million litres of water between them in 2018.

Alongside its assessment of the second year of the market, Ofwat has also announced decisions following its review of the Retail Exit Code (REC); to continue to protect the interests of customers and promote effective competition where appropriate.

Lower usage customers, who are currently much less likely to engage in or benefit from the market, will see retained price protections that will apply from April 2020, while higher usage customers will see price protections retained but relaxed as they are more engaged and more able to benefit from the market. In addition, Ofwat has taken steps to strengthen protection for customers against non-voluntary changes in their non-price terms. Ofwat intends to revisit the price protections in two to three years.

Ofwat’s Senior Director Markets and Enforcement, Emma Kelso said:

“Resolving the market frictions is vital to maintain the momentum of the business retail market and to get it to deliver better outcomes for customers; but it will require all market participants to step up and work collaboratively.

Our decisions reflect the fact that the market is still developing. We want to see more customers benefitting from an effective and vigorous business retail market but we also want to ensure those businesses that for now are less able to engage, are not exploited.

Despite some good progress from some of the industry players, the sector needs to take urgent action to resolve market frictions swiftly in the third year of operation.”

Source: www.waterbriefing.org

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Pipefix Join the CLA https://www.pipefix.co.uk/cla-membership/ https://www.pipefix.co.uk/cla-membership/#respond Fri, 24 May 2019 09:47:39 +0000 http://www.pipefix.co.uk/?p=2968 We recently signed up as a business member of the CLA (www.cla.org.uk) the membership organisation for owners of land, property and businesses in rural England and Wales. A large proportion of our clients manage land, estates and rural businesses so it seemed a natural fit to join up with them as they are the only […]

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We recently signed up as a business member of the CLA (www.cla.org.uk) the membership organisation for owners of land, property and businesses in rural England and Wales. A large proportion of our clients manage land, estates and rural businesses so it seemed a natural fit to join up with them as they are the only organisation solely dedicated to landownership, so the CLA is able to provide members with a range of ways to make valuable connections – with people, with information and with distinctive services such as ours.

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How Long Will My Pipes Last? https://www.pipefix.co.uk/how-long-will-my-pipes-last/ https://www.pipefix.co.uk/how-long-will-my-pipes-last/#respond Thu, 14 Mar 2019 11:23:28 +0000 http://www.pipefix.co.uk/?p=2906 I am always asked by my customers how long the new water pipes we have just installed will last. I’d love to give them a simple answer, but the truth is it’s very hard to say. Here’s why… The Science – How Bursts & Leaks Occur            All of the materials used in the manufacture of […]

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I am always asked by my customers how long the new water pipes we have just installed will last. I’d love to give them a simple answer, but the truth is it’s very hard to say. Here’s why…

The Science – How Bursts & Leaks Occur           

All of the materials used in the manufacture of water distribution networks are prone to degradation over time. The mechanisms by which degradation occur are material specific and are strongly influenced by the environment in which the pipe operates during its period in service. Such degradation can lead to both leakage and burst events depending on the material and type of loading.

The length of time that the water industry has existed, together with its localised nature and differences in a number of key variables, inevitably means that there is a wide spread of materials in use, each with multiple ways in which they degrade.

Bursts and leakage are a result of a confluence of issues arising from three separate causes:

  1. Materials
  2. Pipe Structure
  3. Network

The main causes of bursts and leakage in pipe networks are the three D’s

1. Defects

These generally occur in the manufacturing processes

2.Damage

May occur during manufacture, storage, installation, or by third parties during the lifetime of the pipes.

3.Deterioration

The rate of deterioration and its impact on pipe condition relate mainly to the particular material, ground conditions and the chemistry of the water inside the pipes.

Defects, damage and deterioration affect the ability of pipes to withstand the loadings applied, both external ground and traffic loadings, and internal water pressure. The probability of failure increases with loading (e.g. over-pressurisation or surge) and with the extent of defects, damage and deterioration and the actual mechanisms of failure – which are different for each pipe material.

Some leaks grow and develop over time due to the defects, damage, or deterioration of the structure of the pipe, e.g. resulting ‘holes’ through the pipe wall. The size of holes tends to increase over time, due to factors such as further deterioration of the pipe material, erosion due to the water flowing through the holes, and/or increases in stress in the material adjacent to the holes, and combinations of all three.

Other types of leaks are associated with joints, gaskets, fittings, or ferrules etc. and again these may be different for each material, for example ferrules may be directly drilled and tapped into some pipe materials, but may be installed in the form of ‘saddles’ for others.

The deterioration for each material tends to be specific to that material and is generally a function of the pipe environment (e.g. ground conditions) and the nature of the material itself, both in terms of its predisposition to corrosion and the nature and quality of any protective coatings.

Predicting Lifespan

It was not until the 1980s, with the introduction of polyethylene, that properly installed pipes can be considered to have very long life expectancies of 40-60 years. The popular image of the near-immortal plastic bag haunting the countryside and landfills for millennia gives rise to the incorrect assumption that plastics in all their forms must be resistant to degradation. The situation is more complex than this but, briefly, longevity of the form should not be interpreted as consistency of performance.

That said, all pipe networks that rely on joints are inherently prone to leakage at some point during their operational life

Research has shown that installation methods, particularly for ‘plastic’ pipes can be the main causes of leaks, especially at joints and fittings. Also, even slight damage, such as ‘scoring’ or damage resulting in small cracks or micro-cracks can create defects which may then result in ‘slow crack growth’ over a number of years, until the crack is large enough for brittle fracture to occur. Again, each material is different in terms of pre-disposition to deterioration due to damage during installation.

Research also shows that pressure can have a significant impact on deterioration and burst frequency, particularly where surge pressures or transients are involved which may be appreciably higher than normal service pressures. As described above, the probability that a pipe may fail is related to its strength / condition / deterioration and the applied loadings, of which internal pressure is often the main constituent. The relationship between pressure and probability of failure again varies with pipe material.

Another factor to consider is weather and climate. Changes in soil moisture and the shrinkage/swelling of clays arising from this lead to ground movement which can damage pipes and joints. The annual range of water temperature between summer and winter conditions also results in ‘winter events’, i.e. large numbers of ‘weakened’ pipes failing during a brief two or three-week period, often in January or February. Long hot summers can also result in increased water demand, e.g. for garden watering, with the possibility that in some areas of networks, pressures may become increased, with consequent increase in loading and risk of failure.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, all this means that even if you can accurately calculate the life expectancy of the pipe material there is no way of predicting when the network will fail.

The variables are simply too diverse to offer any form of predictability on lifespan, and so the only things we can conclude are:

  • All water distribution systems are in a state of deterioration from the day of installation
  • All water networks will eventually leak
  • Water distribution systems should be regarded as temporary, not permanent

While this may seem like bad news to the manager in charge of the system there is actually plenty to be gained through due consideration of the risk factors.

By spending time considering material, age, environment, jointing methods, pressure and usage it is possible to come up with some ranges of lifespan and risk of failure which a diligent manager would use to allocate suitable budgets to repair and eventually replace the system completely.

So, even without being able to say categorically how long the pipe will last, you will be comfortable in the knowledge that you are prepared for its eventual failure.

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Dorchester Community Church Defibrillator https://www.pipefix.co.uk/donation-to-dorchester-community-church/ https://www.pipefix.co.uk/donation-to-dorchester-community-church/#respond Tue, 05 Feb 2019 16:01:47 +0000 http://www.pipefix.co.uk/?p=2868 We were really pleased to officially hand over the defibrillator to the new Dorchester Community Church site just before Christmas. We pledged the donation last year but had to wait for the site to be opened before they could install and commission it. It’s one of those things that you hope will never be needed, […]

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We were really pleased to officially hand over the defibrillator to the new Dorchester Community Church site just before Christmas. We pledged the donation last year but had to wait for the site to be opened before they could install and commission it.

It’s one of those things that you hope will never be needed, but if it is then we will be pleased to have done our bit to help.

 

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Safeguard Your Business by Hiring Leak Specialists https://www.pipefix.co.uk/safeguard-your-business-by-hiring-weak-leak-specialists/ https://www.pipefix.co.uk/safeguard-your-business-by-hiring-weak-leak-specialists/#respond Mon, 29 Oct 2018 13:10:34 +0000 http://www.pipefix.co.uk/?p=2816 Water pipes, particularly those underground, tend not to be thought about much by those making use of them. Taps, sinks and drains, being the visible element of the water supply, get far more consideration. For the rest it’s out of sight out of mind. OUT OF SIGHT Diligently doing their job for years, decades, even […]

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Water pipes, particularly those underground, tend not to be thought about much by those making use of them. Taps, sinks and drains, being the visible element of the water supply, get far more consideration. For the rest it’s out of sight out of mind.

OUT OF SIGHT

Diligently doing their job for years, decades, even a century or more in some instances thanks to solid Victorian engineering, when they do fail it’s not something that can be anticipated. The consequences can vary, and often not be immediately apparent or even noticeable.

Commonly a water leak will manifest itself as a larger than expected water bill, but could maybe be seen as a wet patch of grass or dirt. It’s rare to ever see anything as dramatic as water gushing from anywhere, but this doesn’t mean the problem is minor – or that it can be fixed by anyone with a shovel and an idea of where the shut off valve is.

RISKY BUSINESS

Whenever breaking ground it’s a journey into the unknown – pipes, cables, foundations, buried treasure, anything could be buried underfoot. There are horror stories galore of those with a little know-how undertaking the work themselves to save money only to end up costing them and those nearby so very much more.

As the land we inhabit becomes increasingly more settled and built over, the risks of hitting something unexpected steadily increase – particularly in the case of commercial and industrial locations as they are often built over brownfield sites.

Hitting something as significant as a power cable has consequences not just for the individual that had the misfortune of doing so, but most likely the business on whose behalf they’re working for, as well as the surrounding properties relying on that power cable to operate.

If such a thing ever comes to pass the chances of being covered by an insurance policy would be severely compromised, potentially leaving your business liable for tens of thousands of pounds in damages, repairs and lost revenue. It has happened, we’ve seen it.

THE RIGHT CHOICE

This is why hiring professionals is always the recommended course of action. They survey sites to identify hazards and use their extensive knowledge and experience to surmise where the fault lies and gauge any obstacles that might be present.

In the unlikely event the worst ever did happen, they are properly insured against the consequences – protecting you with their indemnity and covering you against any additional costs involved with carrying out the original repair.

What would happen if an incident occurred during work being carried out not by qualified professionals isn’t work thinking about and could have potentially catastrophic consequences for the business involved.

Pipefix do everything they can to identify, fix and reinstate as quickly as possible to keep any repercussions to your business to an absolute minimum. Most repairs can be completed in a single day and they leave the site exactly as they found it, replacing and reinstating surfaces so you’d never know they were there. For added peace of mind, any work carried is out is guaranteed too.

If in future if your premises have an issue with leaking water, trust the professionals to do a professional job. Trust Pipefix.

If you would like further information on tracing water leaks or believe you may have damaged piping yourself contact Pipefix today..

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Does your commercial site have a water leak? https://www.pipefix.co.uk/does-your-commercial-site-have-a-water-leak/ https://www.pipefix.co.uk/does-your-commercial-site-have-a-water-leak/#respond Fri, 12 Oct 2018 08:23:25 +0000 http://www.pipefix.co.uk/?p=2801 Water leaks have the potential to cripple any business, at least temporarily. Though not immediately obvious, leakage can do untold damage to both the structure of a building and its immediate surroundings, halting operations in the process. Put simply, leaks cost… in more ways than one. As responses go prompt diagnosis can at least lessen […]

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Water leaks have the potential to cripple any business, at least temporarily. Though not immediately obvious, leakage can do untold damage to both the structure of a building and its immediate surroundings, halting operations in the process. Put simply, leaks cost… in more ways than one.

As responses go prompt diagnosis can at least lessen the financial burden but how do you know if your commercial site has fallen victim? Shared below are some of the key indicators….

Water Bill

A successful business is underpinned by a stringent financial department. Indeed, keeping abreast of outgoings is essential if profitability is to be realised, regardless of industry or sector. An attentive bookkeeper would then be left reeling by a sudden hike in water bills. This is ordinarily the first sign that a leak has taken hold.

Nearly all sites will boast a water meter of some description, one that displays a leak indicator no less. If site owners fear leakage, they would be wise to take an initial reading before ensuring no water is used for a short time thereafter. A subsequent reading should then be taken, wherein a sudden and inexplicable rise would confirm their suspicions.

This same process can be deployed to identify whether the problem is internal or external, quickening repair efforts by virtue of targeting a specific area.

Internal Damage

More apparent evidence of leakage comes in the form of physical damage such as wet patches, discoloration or staining. As tell-tale signs go these are as ugly as they are obvious and should trigger an immediate call to contractors like Pipefix.

Beware also of bad odours emanating from carpets. Over time mould and/or mildew tends to develop and give rise to unsavoury pongs. In worse case scenarios, workspaces become inhospitable, such is the strength of smell. If working from home is not feasible, the likelihood is productivity will diminish throughout the business; a financial headache of a different kind.

Elsewhere panic will often set in when structural damage becomes glaring. If a sewer pipe has indeed cracked the water it houses will escape to the surface, applying just enough pressure to penetrate.

Resulting cavasses in flooring – be they tile or brick – are both unsightly and dangerous, necessitating immediate attention. Further damage could manifest in the separation of walls, uneven or warped flooring, not to mention doors and windows coming loose.

Should any of the aforementioned arise you should be left in no doubt that your commercial site does – sadly – contain a leak.

Signs

While the above examples leave little to no room for doubt, water leaks often present further clues as to their existence…

Occasionally leaks can be heard. Sure enough, a plumbing system under strain may whoosh or hiss – increased volume akin to an alarm bells sounding. Take action!

Elsewhere frustration greets a low water pressure, this as kitchen and toilet taps, as well as outdoor hoses, deliver little more than a trickle. Again, this points to a bigger problem lurking beneath the surface and a need to call in the experts.

On the subject of water flow, leaks are known to spoil output with dirt or rust. Evidently, this presents problems aplenty, including that of potential illness. Absence will only rise if drinking water is polluted, reducing that all important productivity. Make no mistake, the quality of water is every bit as important as the quantity.

Unfortunately, underground leaks can taint the appearance of commercial sites no end. Where once luscious, green lawn may have greeted customers this can just as easily turn to ruin. Browning will regrettably result in grass drying and dying, a process quickened in summer months. The reason of course is the impact on sprinklers typically utilised to water such landscape. A drop in pressure will limit their impact with unfortunate consequences.

Finally, lavatories offer their own insight into water leaks of the domestic and commercial variety. Unfortunately, toilet flappers are not averse to breakage – resulting in a greater amount of water being flushed than ever intended; yet more waste.

Similarly filling mechanisms can malfunction and cause heightened usage. Thankfully such occurrences are simple enough to rectify – certainly compared to damaged foundation. Nevertheless, they prove an inconvenience all the same.

Response

If you suspect your commercial site has a water leak it pays to call in the professionals. Here at Pipefix we are proud to state we have never encountered a leak we have been unable to trace and repair. Better still our process is a transparent one, keeping clients abreast of our work as and when it unfolds.

Utilising tools such as acoustic microphones, moisture meters and thermal imaging we quickly identify the source of the problem before settling on the best course of action thereafter. Response will typically take one of three forms – the first of those being the application of a wrap round repair clamp. In certain cases that is simply not possible and so our engineers instead set about isolating the area in question before cutting the pipe out. Alternate pipes will be installed, replacing the pinch point as opposed to the entire system, allowing you peace of mind that disruption is kept to a minimum.

Every so often a leak will prove impossible to access but that is not to say a solution cannot be sought. Indeed, our typical approach when faced with such difficulty is to install a bypass section, imagining a different route for water flow. Site owners care little for how or where water flows, so long as it does so.

Finally, if a pipe replacement is appropriate yet unavailable on the day a temporary repair will always be implemented to restore water supply and provide temporary relief.

What is more – as touched upon earlier – Pipefix endeavour to keep clients in the loop, granting access to a customer portal updated with site notes and pictures by those repairing their leak(s).

In summary, water leaks are bad for commercial buildings and have the potential to derail business operations. Given this fact, vigilance is essential as you seek to limit the damage – something Pipefix can assist in and have done with Swindon Borough Council and Wiltshire College to name but two.

If you would like further information on tracing water leaks or believe you may have damaged piping yourself contact Pipefix today..

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Resolving water leaks without impacting your business https://www.pipefix.co.uk/resolving-water-leaks-without-impacting-your-business/ https://www.pipefix.co.uk/resolving-water-leaks-without-impacting-your-business/#respond Mon, 01 Oct 2018 10:09:01 +0000 http://www.pipefix.co.uk/?p=2774 When a business owner hears they likely have a water leak, all sorts of unpleasant images are conjured up; flooding, subsidence, property damage, inaccessibility. The prospect of fixing it often results in more of the same; huge holes being dug everywhere to find the problem and fix it. PROFESSIONAL HELP You’ll be happy to know […]

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When a business owner hears they likely have a water leak, all sorts of unpleasant images are conjured up; flooding, subsidence, property damage, inaccessibility. The prospect of fixing it often results in more of the same; huge holes being dug everywhere to find the problem and fix it.

PROFESSIONAL HELP

You’ll be happy to know that the vast majority of water leaks involve nothing of the sort and are often quite subtle in how they manifest themselves. They can be difficult to identify and locate and require a detective like approach to following and piecing together the clues.

You’ll also be relieved to hear that professional water leak specialists can do just that, and can also fix the problem with minimal disruption to your businesses and its activities.

By using the latest technology and methods, and a significant amount of skill, they can pinpoint a water leak’s location without any guesswork which can result in digging unnecessary holes.

COST TO BUSINESS

Prolonged leaks and inaccurate and messy repairs cause numerous problems for businesses suffering from water leakages.

RUNNING WATER

Leaks need to be found and resolved quickly as they soon end up costing significant amounts in wasted water.

Depending on the severity of the leak, these costs can run into the thousands, particularly if your billing period is quarterly or greater. Thousands of litres could be escaping every day, and if the leak continues undetected for several months that equates to a vast quantity of water.

To provide a point of reference, a household tap runs at between eight and twelve litres a minute, which is approximately between 11,500 and 17,000 litres a day. If a leak of just three litres per minute was allowed to run for a quarter before detection, it would have wasted 394,000 litres and added £1,500 to your water bill.

On top of this, once a leak is detected you must get the problem rectified as a matter of urgency or risk facing fines for water wastage.

BROKEN GROUND

Making accurate assessments of where leaks are emanating from is crucial in keeping disruption to minimum. Breaking up surfaces and digging up large amounts of earth can be noisy and messy, which is why you need to be right first time every time.

Pipefix employs a range of techniques and technologies, each offering different clues to the engineer to assist in their assessment of the situation.

Acoustic Microphones, Leak Noise Correlation, Thermal Imaging and other tools all assist in identifying precisely where a leak is coming from. However, despite the array of technologies available to them the most valuable and effective asset our engineers have is their knowledge.

Our engineers have decades of experience and use it to good effect to determine where a leak is coming from with almost preternatural ability.

DIGGING OUT OF A HOLE

Once the leak is found, the last thing anyone wants is for the ground to be torn up and huge trenches dug, it’s extremely disruptive and only done in cases where it’s absolutely necessary.

Pipefix repairs the majority of leaks within just one day with only a single hole, due to the accuracy in detecting the leak location. This keeps the area of work as small and as short lived as possible, minimising the time and impact it has on your employees and clients.

In some instances the section of pipe needing attention may be inaccessible, often due to buildings constructed above it. In these circumstances the damaged sections can be bypassed by laying a new pipe.

This isn’t always as disruptive as it sounds; laying new pipes can be done using a mechanical mole which tunnels underground between two holes providing the ground is suitable. It enables entire lengths to be placed without having to dig up everything above its path.

In all cases, any ground that has been disturbed during work will be reinstated to its original state – including any surfaces such as paving or asphalt.

DO IT YOURSELF?

We would advise against it, and there are plenty of horror stories about those who attempted to carry out ground work themselves to back this up.

That’s not to doubt the ability of someone to dig a hole and lay a pipe in it, but where our engineers prove their value, besides finding the leak, is in avoiding the risks and pitfalls that can and usually do occur when you don’t know what to look out for.

Hitting other pipes, cables and tanks buried under ground is a common occurrence, as is using the incorrect materials and fixings for the task – resulting in the repair quickly failing, or worse, causing additional failures elsewhere in the system.

Pipefix engineers pride themselves on their professionalism and quality of work, and we guarantee our work to last. The price quoted is the price you’ll pay, regardless of any additional obstacles that might crop up during the work, and we have never encountered a leak we couldn’t resolve.

If your business has a problem with leaking water, trust the professionals to do a professional job. Trust Pipefix.

If you would like further information on tracing water leaks or believe you may have damaged piping yourself contact Pipefix today..

 

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Death of the Soakaway https://www.pipefix.co.uk/death-of-the-soakaway/ https://www.pipefix.co.uk/death-of-the-soakaway/#respond Tue, 04 Sep 2018 15:50:23 +0000 http://www.pipefix.co.uk/?p=2723 Back in 2015 new rules came into force concerning the discharge of treated sewage to the ground, but a surprising number of our clients still ask us to install a soakaway to dispose of the discharge. Soakaways are cheap to install and can run without trouble for many years, but unfortunately they do not have […]

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Back in 2015 new rules came into force concerning the discharge of treated sewage to the ground, but a surprising number of our clients still ask us to install a soakaway to dispose of the discharge. Soakaways are cheap to install and can run without trouble for many years, but unfortunately they do not have sufficient surface area to promote the final bacterial colonies which feed off the final discharge and neutralise it. For this reason a new set of guidelines was produced.

Rules for existing and new discharges

New rules came into force on 1 January 2015. If your system was installed and discharging before 31 December 2014 you have an ‘existing discharge’. If your system was installed and discharging on or after 1 January 2015 you have a ‘new discharge’.

You must use a septic tank or small sewage treatment plant to treat the sewage and then discharge the effluent (treated liquid) to ground via a drainage field.

A septic tank is an underground tank where the solids sink to the bottom, forming a sludge, and the liquid flows out to a drainage field.

A small sewage treatment plant, also known as a package treatment plant, works in a similar way to a septic tank but uses mechanical parts to treat the liquid to a higher standard before it goes to a drainage field.

A drainage field, also known as an infiltration system, is a series of pipes with holes placed in trenches and arranged so that the effluent can trickle through the ground for further treatment.

You cannot use a soakaway (designed for draining rainwater), well or borehole for discharging effluent to ground. Instead you must either upgrade to a drainage field or apply for a permit so that the Environment Agency can assess the risk of using this sort of system in your location.

 

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What’s Involved in Repairing A Water Leak? https://www.pipefix.co.uk/whats-involved-in-repairing-a-water-leak/ https://www.pipefix.co.uk/whats-involved-in-repairing-a-water-leak/#respond Tue, 04 Sep 2018 09:11:04 +0000 http://www.pipefix.co.uk/?p=2716 Water leaks are costly and damaging occurrences that often cause businesses disruption and inconvenience. When made aware of leakage it only natural to want the problem resolved… and fast. Acknowledging exactly what goes into the process is usually less of a concern. But it should be. Ignorance can give rise to expense. Indeed, failure to […]

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Water leaks are costly and damaging occurrences that often cause businesses disruption and inconvenience. When made aware of leakage it only natural to want the problem resolved… and fast. Acknowledging exactly what goes into the process is usually less of a concern.

But it should be. Ignorance can give rise to expense. Indeed, failure to seek out trusted experts – those with a set plan and experience on similar sites – may lead to bigger problems (and costs) down the line.

To help guard against that, we have laid out our typical plan of action, one that has held Pipefix in good stead for more than two decades no less…

Tracing Leaks

Companies that specialise in water leaks will first seek to identify the nature of said leak. Responsive repairs often begin with a series of questions being posed over the phone. The purpose of such inquiry is to ascertain how long leakage has been apparent, whether or not it is hazardous and – crucially – what effect it is having on the business.

Determining if a water system is usable is also important before work can commence.

Once an overall picture is built-up that is then re-laid to servicemen out in the field, in our case via Asset Management Software. Having received job sheets electronically, operatives arrive prepared for the task at hand, with information about the site and the appropriate tools and repair fittings to undertake the repair.

Service Engineer iPad

Engineers can upload the likes of photographs, notes and details on the types of materials used as they oversee repairs, which can then be fed back to the client as required.

Identifying the source of a leak is critical and the process is aided by one of a number of technical tools. Depending on the surrounding material an engineer may utilise some the following:

Acoustic Microphones

Ultrasensitive, these devices are invaluable when it comes to picking up sounds synonymous with damaged pipe. The use of microphones will enable workmen to differentiate background noise from that of a leak itself – thus pinpointing the area in question.

Leak Noise Correlation

This method involves the placement of two sensors, one at either end of a pipe containing a suspected leak. Audio is then measured, with the distance taken for sounds to travel between markers helping to highlight the exact position of a leak. 

Moisture Meters

Deployed to gauge the level of damp in and around a particular area, moisture meters can be taken using radio frequencies. For those places that are harder to reach meanwhile, a small hole may be drilled to allow for further inspection.

Thermal Imaging

Invaluable in the search of hidden issues on hot water systems, thermal cameras record heat as light – indicating pressure points and by extension leaks. The latter typically creates a warmer surface area – triggering red where you would expect to see green. Again, this helps focus attentions on a particular area of pipe.

Once the exact location of a leak is established repairs usually take one of three forms. Depending on the nature of the leak operatives will seek to replace damaged sections of a pipe, create a bypass or apply a temporary repair…

Repairing Leaks

Replacement

Before deciding to replace piping, engineers will first judge whether a wrap round repair clamp can be added to it, removing the need. Should that prove problematic, they will instead isolate the affected section, cut away the surrounding pipe and install a replacement.

It should be noted however this involves the displacement of damaged pipel solely, not an entire pipeline.

Emergency Bypass

Occasionally a leak will prove impossible to reach and alternative tactics are therefore required. One such method is the introduction of a bypass section, one that ushers water in a different direction but – crucially – keeps it flowing. A slight detour is nothing if it reinstates water supply to a factory or office block.

Temporary Repairs

Though most operatives carry a range of fittings with them there will be certain repairs that require additional resources stored back at the yard.

So as not to inconvenience the customer, the best companies will oversee what is known as a temporary repair in order to get water running again. They will then return to complete the job in a planned and organised fashion, safe in the knowledge they have restored supply in the meantime.

The aforementioned scenarios are typically associated with responsive repairs, which differ somewhat from the planned equivalent. In those instances where greater time is afforded a consultation will take place, wherein an engineer meets with the client to assess the damage, requirements and likely cost implications. A brief is duly compiled, along with an estimate for the work. In reality these jobs take on more of a project feel and are particularly suitable for industrial and commercial sites where it is unlikely that excavation can be made or water turned off without prior notice and consent from all departments affected.

Minimise Disruption

Fixing a leak is by no means the end of the matter. More often than not a degree of upheaval is required to reach problem areas – usually excavation is required which will inevitably disturb the ground. Experienced companies such as Pipefix will set about restoring the surfaces – relaying tarmac, concrete, paving slabs and more.

Indeed, what distinguishes the best engineers from their competition is a commitment to completing their work with as little downtime as possible.

Elsewhere, to demonstrate added value further services may be offered once a leak is repaired. These can range from advice through to actual repair work. Sure enough, Pipefix have been known to oversee the following whilst still on-site:

  • Replace damaged or worn control valves and stop taps
  • Repair damaged chambers and covers
  • Install or upgrade control valves and meters
  • Trace and map services
  • Produce condition reports

Maintenance of this kind can reduce the risk of failure within any water system, and allows control to be maintained in the event of a leak in the future.

And there you have it. Leak detection and repair is an involved process and one not totally understood by those requiring it. Having some knowledge of the procedure however should help customers make an informed decision when it comes to hiring suitably qualified and experienced help.

If you would like further information on tracing water leaks or believe you may have damaged piping yourself contact Pipefix today..

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