Old Downpipe Problem

[spring91]

Hi

The bottom half of the downpipe from my roof gutter needed replacing as it is still the old zinc (iron?) type which had split causing it to leak into the wall.

I thought this would be fairly straightforward to replace the bottom section with plastic pipe. The problem I have is connecting the different sizes, 68mm to 76mm (3 inches in old money).

As a temporary measure I put in a 68mm connector upside down and filled the gap with plimbers mait. This did not work as it started to rain in the evening and water was spurting out of the joint.

This morning I phoned my local plumbers merchant who had nothing in stock but gave me the number for a plastics company. I spoke to them and apparently I was the second person with this problem this morning but they reckon there is nothing available to solve it.

I would really like to avoid having to replace the whole lot at the moment. Does anyone know if a connector/reducer is available or how I could join the two pipes and make it watertight?

Thanks in aticipation

[htg engineer]

Are you sure the plastic pipe with a socket on the end, will not fit the old cast iron pipe ? if not you could

1) Heat the end of the plastic pipe with the socket on the end and the cast iron pipe should fit inside it now.

2) You could renew a pipe from a little bit higher up, this way you could use a hopper head. The plastic pipe would go up from the gully with a hopper head on the top, any water from the gutters would come down the old iron pipe into the hopper head. Make sure the cast iron pipe is adequately supported.