I visited some relatives at the weekend and looked at the work they had done which included fitting a new boiler. However I was concerned that the plumber had run the gas (in a copper pipe) through an external wall up the outside of the house and then into the bathroom to the boiler rather than taking up the bathroom floor and running the gas to the boiler that way. apart from the shoddy workmanship, my main concern is how safe the external gas pipe is. Should I be worried?
there are no causes for concern patelfreman as long as there is a sleve on the pipe passing through the wall there is no problem. i wouldnt have been happy if it was my house though as i think it would look unsightly
this sort of thing is done every day by gas plumbers inc B.Gas all over the country.it does,nt look good but is safe
have you heard of or know someone who has ever had a problem with this type of supply pipe? i don,t but if they did it would be easier to access and put right rather than lifting floorboards
This is a well used practice and is actually a preferred method as it keeps the pipe runs to a minimum resulting in the least frictional loss of gas rate to the appliance. Just as long as it is well clipped to the wall using stand off clip's though as no part of the pipe should be touching any masonry. The pipe as it passes through the wall has to be sleeved and also the annular between the pipe and sleeve has to be sealed so in the event of an escape of gas it cannot fill up the cavity.
as gasman mentions this is perfectly acceptable but does have advantages/disadvantages. i.e. it is easier to install and therefore should be cheaper, if it does leak its going to leak into the atmosphere and not your house. but, it can look unsightly (but no worse than drainpipes, waste pipes) and if alongside a drive it could be potentially damaged by careless drivers.
I know this is an old post now but wanted to say the council houses in my area have had gas central heating installed by contractors and to my horror it was done this way.
I have just this week had a new central heating boiler installed and the gas supply has been put along the drive and under the back door step on the outside. It looks terrible and I am concerned about the risk of damage by cars. Anyone had any problems with this sort of thing? I cannot believe it is acceptable to put gas pipes in such a prominent place.