Should I Replace Lead Pipes During a Bathroom Refit?

Yes, in most homes you should. If any pipe that brings you drinking water is made of lead, replace it while your bathroom is already open. It costs less and makes less of a mess than doing it later.

Why a bathroom refit is the best time to replace lead pipes

Lead pipes were common in homes built before 1970, says the Drinking Water Inspectorate. One estimate says about one in three UK homes still has some lead pipe in its water supply. A bathroom refit is the best moment to deal with it. Here is why.

• The floors and walls are open. Your plumber can see the pipes and reach them with ease.
• You pay for access once. Later, you would pay again to lift the floor and open the wall.
• New tiles are about to go on. A pipe hidden behind new tiles is hard and costly to reach.
• The water is already off. There is less upset for your family.
• You can plan the pipe route. The new bath, shower and toilet can go in the right place from day one.

Think of a refit as a short window. Once the new tiles are fixed, the window closes. Lead pipe left behind a finished wall may stay hidden for many more years.

How to tell if you have lead pipes

Start with the age of your home. If it was built before 1970, it may have lead pipes. If it was built after 1970, it is unlikely.

Then look at the pipes. Find the pipe where water enters your home. It is often under the kitchen sink or in the bathroom. It has a tap on it called the internal stop tap. This tap turns off all the water to your home.

Here is how to spot lead:

• The lead pipe is dull grey.
• It is soft and bends with ease.
• Joints often look like round lumps, not neat fittings.
• Scratch it gently with a coin. Shiny silver metal underneath means it is probably lead.

Be gentle when you scratch. Water companies warn that scratching can make a tiny bit of lead dust. Wash your hands after.

Look in the loft too. Old homes can have a lead pipe that runs from the cold water tank. Some old tanks are lead as well. Lead tanks can sit inside a wooden box.

Not sure? Ask your plumber to check before the refit starts. Your water company can also test your water. Anglian Water offers a free lead test. Check your water bill to see who supplies your home.

Which lead pipes should go and which can stay

Not all lead pipes are the same. What matters most is whether drinking water runs through the pipe.

The Drinking Water Inspectorate says the only sure way to remove lead from your water is to take out the lead pipework and fit new plastic or copper pipe. Lead solder is still allowed on closed central heating pipes. It must not be used on pipes that carry drinking water.

Lead waste pipes need a note. They carry dirty water away from the toilet, sink and bath. They do not add lead to what you drink. But they are very old. If your plumber moves the toilet or finds a crack, ask about replacing them while the floor is up.

What can go wrong if you leave lead pipes in place

Leaving lead pipe behind a new bathroom can cause four problems.

• Lead can get into your water. Water that sits in a lead pipe can pick up lead. The water in the street mains is virtually free of lead. The lead comes from the old pipes it flows through.
• Children are at most risk. Babies, young children and unborn babies are most at risk. Lead can harm how a child’s brain grows.
• The refit can stir up lead. Cutting, bending or knocking old lead pipe can make the lead in your water rise for a short time. A good plumber plans for this.
• Hidden pipes can leak. A leak behind a new tiled wall is a costly surprise. If you ever suspect one, a water leak detection visit can find it.

What about joining a new pipe to an old lead pipe? Some people use a special connector and leave the old lead behind the wall. This can work as a short fix. But your water still runs through lead. And the hidden pipe can still wear out. Ask your plumber to take out as much lead as they can reach. If some must stay, ask them to explain why.

What the replacement job involves

Here is how a lead pipe job usually goes.

1. Survey. Your plumber checks which pipes are lead, where they run and where they leave your home.
2. Plan. The plumber plans a new pipe route that fits your new bathroom layout. If the pipe in the street is lead too, your water company needs to know.
3. Remove the old pipe. The water is turned off. The plumber takes out the lead pipe they can reach in the floor, walls and loft.
4. Fit the new pipe. New pipe is copper or plastic made for drinking water. Outside, a blue plastic pipe is common.
5. Test and flush. The plumber checks every joint for leaks and flushes the new pipes.
6. Clear away and record. Old lead pipe is hazardous waste, so it must be taken away the right way. Ask for a certificate or a written record of the work. Some water company schemes ask for one.

What about the outside part? The pipe from your boundary to your house may run under a garden or drive. Plumbers often use a method called moling. It pushes the new pipe through the ground, so there is no big trench. Your plumber can tell you if this will work for your home.

Who pays for what, including Anglian Water help

Two owners look after one pipe, so two people may be involved.

• You own the pipe on your property. This runs from your boundary stop tap into your home, including the underground part. The boundary stop tap is a tap near the edge of your property.
• Your water company owns the pipe in the road. This is the pipe from the water main to your boundary. It is called the communication pipe.

Many water companies replace their lead section free or at a lower cost when you replace yours. Anglian Water says you may qualify to have its side replaced free of charge or at a reduced cost, if the pipe from its main is lead. Rules apply. Anglian Water may ask you to pay first, then refund you in full once the work is done and lead is confirmed. Check the latest rules on its website before you book.

Here is a tip most guides miss. Contact your water company before the refit starts. Some schemes need weeks of notice. If you wait until the new bathroom is finished, your plumber may need to open up finished work.

How much does lead pipe replacement cost

Costs depend on your home. These are typical UK ranges, not quotes.

Checkatrade lists lead pipe replacement at about £600 to £1,500.

What changes the price?

• How long the pipe run is. More pipe means more time and more cost.
• What the pipe goes under. A driveway or patio costs more to cross than a lawn.
• How easy the pipe is to reach. Hidden pipes take longer.
• Whether your water company helps. It may cover its own side.
• When you do the work. Inside pipe work during a refit usually costs less than a separate job, because the floor and wall are already open.

Always get a survey before you get a price. The price over the phone is only a guess.

How to keep lead out of your water until the work is done

You may not replace the pipes this month. Here is how to lower your risk until you do.

• Run the tap first. Run the cold tap for about 2 minutes before you drink or cook. Do this first thing in the morning, or after you have been away.
• Use cold water. Take water for drinking and cooking from the cold tap.
• Do not disturb the pipes. Do not knock, bend or scrape lead pipe more than you must.
• Get a test. Ask your water company for a lead test. Anglian Water offers a free one.
• Take extra care at home. If you have a baby or young child at home, or someone is pregnant, tell your water company and ask what to do.

Flushing helps in the short term. It does not fix the cause. Anglian Water says the best way to remove the risk is to replace the lead pipes and lead solder at your home.

How to choose the right plumber for lead pipe work

Lead pipe work needs care. Here is what to look for.

• Ask if they are on the WaterSafe register. Water companies advise using an approved plumber from this register for lead pipe work. These plumbers know the Water Fittings Regulations, which protect UK drinking water.
• Ask for a written quote. It should list the lead pipe work, not just the bathroom.
• Ask what happens to the old pipe. It should be taken away the right way.
• Ask for a certificate. Keep it with your house papers. Some water company schemes need it.
• Ask how the new pipes will be flushed. They should be flushed before you use them.

Dynamic Plumbing & Maintenance has more than 20 years of plumbing experience and fits complete bathrooms across Milton Keynes. We have 215 reviews on Checkatrade with a rating of 9.93 out of 10. Tell us about your plans and any old pipes you can see, and we will explain the next step.

Plan your refit: what to do before work starts

Use this list before you order a bath, tiles or a new suite.

• Check the age of your home. Homes built before 1970 may have lead pipes.
• Look for dull grey, soft pipes near the stop tap, under floors and in the loft.
• Ask your plumber to check the pipes at the survey, before you order anything.
• Find out who supplies your water. Ask about lead pipe schemes.
• Contact your water company early if you want its help.
• Ask for the lead pipe work to be listed in your written quote.
• Plan the new pipe route together with the bathroom layout.
• When the work is done, flush every tap as your plumber advises.