Lead pipe not spotted by surveyor

[IamalsoSpartacus]

I completed last week on what I thought was my lovely new house. Yesterday the plumber fitting the water meter pointed out my lead pipe. Which the surveyor didn't mention in the report. It was the Homebuyer Report, the 'middle one', and the RICS guidelines do say that lead pipes should be noted in the report if they are present.

Have I got a claim? Has anyone here successfully claimed against a surveyor for missing a serious defect?

How easily visible was it?

Is it visible?

If it was under the stairs the surveyor is not expected to empty the cupboard so may not have been able to see it.

Don't panic - it isn't necessarily serious. We had one in a house - it only came as far as stopcock and not too bad to get changed.

Contact your water co and ask them to test your drinking water foe lead content. In some cases there is a Lead Replacement Subsidy, or at least they will connect it free or at a reduced price. In a hard water area there will be a limescale coating covering the lead, but in soft water, there may be some dissolved amount.

It's worth changing, because you will get better flow through a new (bigger) plastic pipe, and it is much less likely to leak or suddenly burst than a hundred-year old pipe.

Perfectly visible, at the back of the space for the washing machine in the kitchen.

I'll ask for a water test, thanks for that.

Several of the pipes under the road supplying you house will be lead so I wouldn't worry about the last section from the road to your house. Especially of you are in a hard water area as they will be coated with a layer of limescale

at the back of the space for the washing machine in the kitchen

Was there a washing machine in place when the previous owners were there?

Our surveyor missed some damp which ended up costing us. But we decided not to bother trying a claim- in the end it was easier to chalk it up to one of those things.

Obviously if there was a washing machine there the surveyor wouldn't have seen it. Your survey probably has a mention of lead pipes being a possibility though. You can do a lead water survey yourself with an online kit. Anyway have a look on your water providers website for more info.

And is it supplying drinking water? If it's just feeding the washing machine then there's no issue surely?

if you have hard water it isn't a problem. With soft water it may be an idea to change it.

don't waste time and effort trying to do anything about sloppy surveyors. They close ranks and unless it is a huge claim it isn't worth it.

NoSquirrels - no, there wasn't a washing machine in it. Just the space - the house was sold empty.

Cacofonix - as above. If there had been a washing machine in the way I would have said "behind the washing machine" and have been more understanding of him missing the pipe.

Fleur - yes, it is suppying drinking water. It is the mains supply to the property.

Special - I think this is a hard water area but am not sure. The water company are going to come in about 10 days and do a test, that will be helpful information in terms of next steps.

The laws about lead being used for water supplies changed in 1966. There was no requirement for retrospective replacement, so if your property was built before 1966 and has never been replumbed then there is a chance that they were made of lead/concrete/asbestos (materials in common usage pretty 1966).

It's definitely lead.

For clarity - my question isn't "should I be worried" or "is it really lead." My question is about whether I have any comeback on the surveyor for not reporting it.

theoretically yes. in practice no.

You can find out the water hardness in your area on the water supply company's website - it's usually via a postcode search. We have very soft water and lead pipes in an Edwardian house. We have had sections replaced with copper and run the tap before filling the kettle or drink chilled filtered water from the fridge dispenser. Lead pipes are really common in this country.