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Plumbing

Should plastic pipes have been put in an attic in the countryside

Anonymous user 09/03/2024 - 3.15 PM

We live in a 17th c house the middle of the countryside (our house is 1 mile from the road up a track surrounded by woods). We had all the plumbing and heating redone. Plastic pipes were used throughout the house (including the attic). We've now had one leak due to a mouse chewing into a pipe in the attic. When I look around the attic I'm seeing a number of mouse attacks on the pipework -- including angle/elbow connectors. While we are working on our mouse problem realistically there is no way we will ever be able to make the attic 100% mouse free. Looking at the literature for JG speedfit it explicitly states "speedfit products should not be used in vermin infested areas". While we never explicitly stated anything about mice for the quote, we often mentioned mice to the plumbers on-site in reference to closing up holes and sealing things off. My question is given where we live, was it reasonable for the plumbers to use plastic piping and connectors in the attic?

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2 Answers

Anonymous user

It lacked foresight, ‘flora and fauna’ are mentioned in many statutory documents and regulations as recommended to be taken into consideration. They should, if supplying a product also have made sure it is suitable and certainly ensured it was installed to manufacturer specifications. This is also in statutes as well as statutory documents, and regulations. Hope they insure themselves to provide warranties, they should be paying out for all of this. If they haven’t given a warranty on the installation, then contact Trading Standards, your Local Authority Building Control and a solicitor. ——— Please ignore D&R, normally I agree with most things he posts but on this one though, he is over complicating a very simple issue.

Answered23 October 2020

D & R Property and Plumbing Maintenance

Rating: 4.9 out of 5

New Romney

they should as installers know of this problem with rats and mice, though it may be in manufacturers literature,it does not say anything about this on the product wrappings or delivery notes,as you new of the problem you should have written it into any contract you signed ,if as you say you were having the problem sorted out and knew that the problem was going to be ongoing you should have insisted on a different kind of pipework in loft,it will be hard to apportion blame as no one can know what the future will hold.

Answered23 October 2020