Enclosing gas pipes

[ban-all-sheds]

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/2451/regulation/19/made

My existing kitchen has a gas pipe running along one wall, a foot or so above the floor. It runs behind base units and supplies a gas cooker and a boiler.

We want to turn the kitchen into a utility room and a shower/WC, and would rather not have the pipe on display in the latter. What options do we have for boxing it in?

If that's not allowed, what cosmetic stuff can be done? I'm not a great fan of painted pipes, but as it's going to have to be worked on anyway (yes, by a qualified registered person) could it be over-sleeved with a stainless steel or similar looking pipe, or would corrosion be a risk?

I know that what's done has to be the call of the guy doing the work (removing the tee for the cooker, extending the pipe to the new kitchen etc), but we need a few ideas of what's feasible before we can draw up plans for builders.

 

[bengasman]

You can box it in, just leave the ends open for ventilation.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The boxing in would run between two walls through which the pipe would pass. If these holes were not sealed would that be sufficient ventilation?

 

[bengasman]

Not sure what you mean with running between walls

 

[Bahco]

Pipe cover will look ok.

Lookee here

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Not sure what you mean with running between walls

Hopefully this plan will clarify:

So the Q is, if the holes where the pipe passes through the walls are not sealed, would that provide enough ventilation?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Pipe cover will look ok.

Lookee here

Possibly.

Prefer this - looks better, IMO.

But what I really want is for it to be tiled over to match the rest of the room.

 

[snoopy101]

you can box it in and seal the ends at the wall. You will need to ventilate the boxing with some type of penny vent. The amount of ventilation you will need depends on the volume of the boxing.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

penny vent.

The amount of ventilation you will need depends on the volume of the boxing.

Around 0.02m³, I quess.

I'll leave that detail to the builder and his plumber to sort out - I'll have more than enough to do with the electrics...

 

[bengasman]

I'll leave that detail to the builder and his plumber to sort out - I'll have more than enough to do with the electrics...

The builder won't have a clue, only gas installers do this stuff.

 

[kirkgas]

the gas pipe will only require to be vented inside boxing in if the cross sectional area is more that 0.01m2 and has a volume of more than 0.035m3 so keep the box close to the pipe and you will be fine, you will prob need to drop the pipe to floor level to ensure you dont exceed 0.01m2, it will however require to be sleeved through the walls

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Yo.

I'd want the pipe dropped as low as possible anyway, to avoid the boxing looking like a shelf.

Plus on the wall it runs along will be the WC, so it'll have to be below the soil pipe.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The builder won't have a clue, only gas installers do this stuff.

Yo - I meant that I'd have the builder box in the pipe, having had his gas chappy do his thing to re-route the pipe and spec any vents etc,

 

[Heat4input]

can you run it on the outside wall?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Well, yesno?

The wall it runs along is an external one, so route-wise it could go outside, but I'm not a fan of pipes & cables on the outside of houses. But I'll give it some consideration.

What do regs and best practice say about mechanical protection? It would be running along what in theory is vehicular access to my and my neighbour's garages. In practice it's not used for that, but you gotta figure that it could be one day.