Acceptable routing of gas pipe?

[chapeau]

The previous occupiers of current gaff had garage converted into living space and extension added about 10 years ago.

Was stripping this wall (which has the meters on the other sides) and had always assumed this bump was just another rubbish plasterboard joint which was in fitting with all the other cowboy jobs the builder obviously did. However when the paper came off there was a little yellow bit of plastic there and underneath a piece of metal.

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• chapeau
• 16 Aug 2009
• 1

Nice of them to put the warning 'GAS' on the wall - and then to immediately cover it up with paper.

So I am assuming this is something that needs to get sorted out?

 

[Agile]

Many people would just paper over it!

The question that arises in my mind is exactly what is the pipe!

Yellow plastic is only normally used OUTSIDE to supply the gas meter.

I wonder if the extension was built wider that intended and the gas supply from the street was not moved as well.

OR the meter was in the garage before and the gas supply comes under the old garage floor ( not correct either! ) or possibly the floor of the garage was raised for the extension.

Tony

 

[chapeau]

Thanks for reply.

It's a 15mm copper pipe with yellow plastic tape wrapped around it. It appears to be in exactly the right place to be a continuation of the pipe which goes from the meter and into the wall.

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• chapeau
• 16 Aug 2009
• 2

I've seen the pipe under the floor and it is wrapped in yellow tape there too. They added an inner block wall with 50mm cavity (or that's what the plans required) so must have extended the gas pipe - a bit too far. It then descends vertically and turns right to continue along the wall, under the raised garage floor.

Wouldn't it be safer for this vertical part of the pipe to be visible on the external wall, then enter the house proper at a level that places it under the floor? Are there regulations for minimum depth of copper gas pipe in walls/under floors?

 

[simond]

It is considered good practice when concealing pipe in a screed or wall to use plastic covered pipe, to protect the metal against a chemical reaction with concrete and plaster.

The plastic coated copper should be yellow when used for gas, so this is probably what you have found.

Plastic pipe cannot be used internally without a metal inner due to the risk of a fire melting the pipe with interesting consequences.

The pipe should have been set further in the wall and some protective capping would not have gone amiss if soft copper was used. However if it is not damaged I would leave well alone.

 

[Legion]

Anyone noticed anything about the gas pipe passing through back of meter box? Do close up.

 

[powell30]

...not sealed.

 

[chapeau]

Thanks for all your comments. Well, something has to be done as it's making a mess of the mrs' flat wall. I don't like something around that could be dangerous if pierced by a nail. Will excavate carefully around it and see what appears.

 

[gas4you]

If that is 15mm copper off the meter, then it will not be supplying enough gas if you have several appliance connected to it

 

[chapeau]

My mistake, on closer inspection it turned out to be 22mm.

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• chapeau
• 17 Aug 2009
• 1

Just called heating engineer to come in and take a look and shift it.

Thanks for all advice given.