Description
KOBUS Services were asked by WC Plumbing & Drainage to run a trial on a copper pipe replacement on a private domestic property situated in a suburban area of Chelmsford, Essex. The main water supply pipe entering the house possessed several leaks thus a full replacement was required.
The pipe required for replacement was a 15mm copper pipe, 14m in length. The pipe ran from the outside of the property, underneath the garage to the stop tap at the pavement at the front of the property.
Interestingly, two supply pipes were present in the ground. A leaking galvanised steel pipe (that supplied the property with water) and a copper pipe (previously used for providing supply but now redundant). In order to minimise disruption for the property owners, works were undertaken on the copper supply pipe to ensure the property was supplied with water for as long as possible.
As a rental property being prepared for the marketplace, the owners had placed strict instructions that minimal surface damage was to be caused. This eliminated the use of excavation as it would have involved removal of the garage flooring. The Pipe Puller was chosen for its ability to perform quickly whilst minimising surface damage and disruption, as only two small holes are required for complete pipe replacement.
Outcomes
The redundant copper pipe was removed and replaced with an MDPE pipe between the back of the house and the stop-tap at the front of the property in 346 seconds. No excavation was needed between the two ends of the pipe, thus the garage floor remained untouched.
As the galvanised pipe continued supplying water to the property throughout operation, the supply was cut off for just 10 minutes: the time required to reconnect to the newly installed pipe.
Utilisation of the Pipe Puller for the copper pipe replacement allowed for complete installation of a new pipe in under 45 minutes, including pull set-up and pipe replacement.
To watch the Kobus PIpe Puller KPP300 in action – go to our Video Gallery