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  Andy Thorne December 16, 2011 at 11:42pm

  You wouldn't catch me repairing a lead water main. 

  Unless it were a very very long run I'd replace it with mdpe, get it connected under UU's lead replacement scheme - I may then be bold enough to ask for money towards it!

  On your core question - finding services can be a nightmare.  2 years ago a customer of mine had tried breaking up a concrete path and, in doing so, broke the gas main that was 4" below the surface level and against the underside of the conc he was breaking!
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  David Cox December 16, 2011 at 11:44pm

  I had a similar situation in March ( I Dont like talking about it, It smelt)

  While removing a concrete pad, a very old bit of sewer collapsed underneath where we were working It was about 2ft diamater ceramic pipe laid in a brick lined trench. It was from the customers toilet and probably over 100 years old, and was about 8ft before plungeing into the depths of the earth. IN this case it cost of about £160 in materials and we rebuild it (after a good pressure washing) and capped it off properly.

  Time wise about 1.5 man days. We took the hit as the job was large and they are an ongoing maintenance customer, and no one could have forseen this. I felt it was best to show goodwill and this has been reciprocated with referrals and considerable ongoing work.
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  Nick Hill December 16, 2011 at 11:44pm

  
  That probably should have been my first question and it would be one of my first if we were digging in the front garden. They were not aware of any pipes in the back garden until I hit this one.

  
  Gaynor @ www.witchardgardens.com said:

  Did you ask about utility pipes in the garden? 
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  Nick Hill December 16, 2011 at 11:57pm

  Andy,

  I wasn't going to leave the customer without water, It also affected another property so had to be fixed as soon as. They probably should have the lead pipe replaced but that's a totally different job.
  
  Andy Thorne said:

  You wouldn't catch me repairing a lead water main. 

  Unless it were a very very long run I'd replace it with mdpe, get it connected under UU's lead replacement scheme - I may then be bold enough to ask for money towards it!

  On your core question - finding services can be a nightmare.  2 years ago a customer of mine had tried breaking up a concrete path and, in doing so, broke the gas main that was 4" below the surface level and against the underside of the conc he was breaking!
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  Ofer El-hashahar December 17, 2011 at 11:46am

  When I did Landscaping,

  My workers and I hit not once water pipes+ once Oil/gaz copper pipe.

  I used to keep many water pipes fittings- and they saved a lot of time!

  I saw here in the UK this tape that can stop licking - and they showed me it is good for wide range of things even high temp as engine pipe.- I thought when I saw that - that it is a must for every home and for sure every landscaper. Sorry I can not remember it's name.
  
  Gary @ Acer Paving & Landscaping said:

  Bloody hell Paul ! How many mains do you hit to warrant that lot in the van ?

  In 16 years of landscaping I've hit 1 gas service, 1 water pipe and I think 1 elec. service, ( could be none). All were very shallow, on old properties and a long time ago. I don't think we've hit anything in at least 5 years, ( actually can't remember when the last incident was it was so long ago ).

  One things for sure, (in response to the original post), if we did hit/damage anything, we would foot the bill regardless.
  
  Paul @ PPCH Services said:

  In my van i carry a box  with the following:  squeeze off clamp, stopcock key, 20mm and 25mm MDPE slip couplings, denso tape,  in line BT  cable joiner, BT external junction box , couple of meters of external BT cable, gel crimps, Coaxial coupling fittings, SWA resin joint kit, 10mm compresion fittings for oil pipe..

  Total  £50 worth of bits that take very little room but Ive been glad of and would get me out of trouble with hitting  everything barr incoming mains electric suply or gas.

  The BT stuff and coaix joints have come in handy multiple times. You can get genuine BT junction boxes and crimps etc from ebay or  perhaps a friendly engineer! coaix fittings from screwfix, MDPE slip couples from plumbers merchant. Coaix will alow you to repair virgin cables, cable tv etc as well as normal aerial cable.

  If i hit lead, i would hammer it flat pronto to stem the leak and then get a  couple of lead lock fittings and chop in a length of MDPE.

   

   
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  Colin Hunt December 17, 2011 at 12:04pm

  Jeez Paul, as far as I'm concerned, you win the "Best Prepared For All Eventualities Award for 2011"!  I tend to run round in circles shouting "HELP"!

  Seriously, we do attempt to trace all services before commencing and hand dig until we find them or can make sure they are at a respectable depth. If we then hit something I would get it fixed at our cost, but only if it was down to our own carelessness,
  
  Paul @ PPCH Services said:

  In my van i carry a box  with the following:  squeeze off clamp, stopcock key, 20mm and 25mm MDPE slip couplings, denso tape,  in line BT  cable joiner, BT external junction box , couple of meters of external BT cable, gel crimps, Coaxial coupling fittings, SWA resin joint kit, 10mm compresion fittings for oil pipe..

  Total  £50 worth of bits that take very little room but Ive been glad of and would get me out of trouble with hitting  everything barr incoming mains electric suply or gas.

  The BT stuff and coaix joints have come in handy multiple times. You can get genuine BT junction boxes and crimps etc from ebay or  perhaps a friendly engineer! coaix fittings from screwfix, MDPE slip couples from plumbers merchant. Coaix will alow you to repair virgin cables, cable tv etc as well as normal aerial cable.

  If i hit lead, i would hammer it flat pronto to stem the leak and then get a  couple of lead lock fittings and chop in a length of MDPE.

   

   
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  Chris Auld December 17, 2011 at 3:56pm

  Over the last couple of years weve cut through quite a few things (oli pipe, gas pipe, low voltage cable, phone line, sky cable), like Paul i just fix them myself, its quite easy. I would never expect the customer to have to pay for my mistakes however. If i came across something i couldnt repair i would foot the bill myself.
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  Melissa Morton July 23, 2012 at 3:23pm

  Rather than posting a new thread I found this old post that I'd like to add to as I have a query relating to this matter...

  We're working in a garden and the gardener told us that electric cables ran under the coping along a rill - to service the pump in the pool.  There were plants next to the rill (and coping) which needed clearing.  Whilst digging out some plants we cut through an electric cable - it had deviated from its supposed route and ran amongst the plants for a bit.  Am I right in summasing:

  1.  cutting through the cable isn't 'our fault' although we can easily rectify it

  2. if the cable had run entirely under the coping along the rill - should it still have been armoured cable or ducted someway? 

  I'd like to advise the client how best the electric cables should be laid before we complete the preparation of the ground.  Do landscapers usually put this right or do you always get a qualified NICEIC elecetrician in?

  Thanks in anticipation....

   
• 

  Colin Hunt July 23, 2012 at 5:27pm

  A couple of things here Melissa.  Firstly it is always trying to find the routing of any cables to garages, greenhouses, ponds etc before the work commences, rather than rely on a  'it goes in here, along here, then here and up there..........I think!' 

  Many old features have poor wiring and are downright dangerous, so I would think it is a good oportunity to warn your client that the wiring is not suitable and needs replacing if it is not amoured or in conduit.  This is a job for a qualified electrician. 

  
  
  Melissa Morton said:

  Rather than posting a new thread I found this old post that I'd like to add to as I have a query relating to this matter...

  We're working in a garden and the gardener told us that electric cables ran under the coping along a rill - to service the pump in the pool.  There were plants next to the rill (and coping) which needed clearing.  Whilst digging out some plants we cut through an electric cable - it had deviated from its supposed route and ran amongst the plants for a bit.  Am I right in summasing:

  1.  cutting through the cable isn't 'our fault' although we can easily rectify it

  2. if the cable had run entirely under the coping along the rill - should it still have been armoured cable or ducted someway? 

  I'd like to advise the client how best the electric cables should be laid before we complete the preparation of the ground.  Do landscapers usually put this right or do you always get a qualified NICEIC elecetrician in?

  Thanks in anticipation....

   
• 

  Melissa Morton July 23, 2012 at 5:31pm

  Thanks Colin.  Good advice.
   
  Colin Hunt said:

  A couple of things here Melissa.  Firstly it is always trying to find the routing of any cables to garages, greenhouses, ponds etc before the work commences, rather than rely on a  'it goes in here, along here, then here and up there..........I think!' 

  Many old features have poor wiring and are downright dangerous, so I would think it is a good oportunity to warn your client that the wiring is not suitable and needs replacing if it is not amoured or in conduit.  This is a job for a qualified electrician.