Minor damage to gas pipe

[jhs14]

Hello all,

Posting this in hope of peace of mind more than anything

A while ago in true DIY style I managed to make the rookie mistake of hitting a gas pipe embedded in the wall with a drill. Usual story - hit metal where I wasn't expecting to find any so I stopped and wondered what it could be. Then came the dawning realisation that this was the other side of the wall to where the gas meter in the garage is located. I excavated the plaster around the hole and found a vertical 1" steel gas pipe. I'd hit it right in the centre. (quite well aimed I thought)

There is some very minor damage. We're talking about a drill head indentation of a fraction of a millimetre - prodding around with a bradawl you can barely detect it at all.

The pipe is magnetic so I assume steel, and it looks to be 1" diameter. Am I right in thinking that damage in the order of a fraction of a millimetre isn't going to be a problem? There's certainly no penetration, no gas leaking. Any concerns would be around the pipe being thinner/weaker rather than being compromised. But a tiny indentation in a 1" pipe? If it wasn't gas then I wouldn't give it a second thought.

I appreciate that you'll probably say it needs looking at, and I think I will get the gasman to have a look, but am I reasonable to think the pipe will be ok, presumably the walls of the pipe are fairly thick?

 

[big-all]

mmmm never a good idea
was it a masonary bit or a metal bit??
where you drilling for ages [a few mins] or seconds??
the pipe wall will be around 3mm ??
you can never actually tell but if it was some time ago and nowt has happened theres a fair chance its ok but not gteed
its up to you really 95% chance its ok but iff your worried get someone in to repair

 

[jhs14]

This was a couple of months ago. Masonry bit, but I have a feeling that in a moment of madness I swapped to a metal bit and tried to continue, being so confident that nothing important should be there. For about two seconds when I thankfully came to my senses and stopped.

I'm 99% sure it's ok - surely even if I'd penetrated the 3mm wall of the pipe by 1mm (which is far deeper than I have) it would still be stronger than a 22mm copper gas pipe. As is aid if it wasn't gas then I wouldn't have given it a second thought.

 

[footprints]

Chances are a pair of pipe grips will cause that amount of damage just assembling the pipework, but if you are worried call an engineer for an opinion, worth the cost to put your mind at rest.

I did the same thing in my own home using one of those "drill anything" bits hit the cooker supply in the wall (one of those I can't find my wall tester Oh well sure it will be OK just this once days!) luckily it was an old pipe and disconnected.
Never used them since, at least a masonry drill gives you some warning!

Oh and being a gasfitter it was a mite embarrassing too