Had a new fire surround and marble hearth and back panel installed on Friday and had our existing gas fire fitted at the same time. I agreed a price in the shop for all for pipework to be hidden under the hearth and floor, but the existing gas feed to the chrome tap next to the fireplace was found to be lead. The fitter said he is not allowed to connect copper to lead under the floorboards anymore and a complete new pipe would have to be fitted back to either existing copper or to the meter. This was going to cost a lot extra so we compromised and left the tap and had a short 8 (or10mm) pipe inserted through the skirtingboard and through the chimney breast to behind the fire. Can anyone advise if the fitter was correct and that you cannot connect to lead anymore?
Lead gas pipe to copper
- Thread starter pellow
- Start date
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no he wasnt and yes you can
having it renewed is the best option tho
having it renewed is the best option tho
Whilst lead meter tails are sometimes seen and can be left in position its questionable what to do about other lead pipe.
Certainly it can be left in use if its in good condition.
He may be confuding soldering to lead because that is NOT allowed for water anymore.
Or he may have been considering that a soldered joint for gas is not an approved "gas fitting".
Or he may have been unhappy at leaving a soldered joint under the floor.
You say a "lot" extra but assuming it can be done with 10m of 10mm tube it should not be very expensive ( in my vocabulary ) as long as access to pull the tube is available and you have not covered all your floors with dreadful laminate.
Tony
Certainly it can be left in use if its in good condition.
He may be confuding soldering to lead because that is NOT allowed for water anymore.
Or he may have been considering that a soldered joint for gas is not an approved "gas fitting".
Or he may have been unhappy at leaving a soldered joint under the floor.
You say a "lot" extra but assuming it can be done with 10m of 10mm tube it should not be very expensive ( in my vocabulary ) as long as access to pull the tube is available and you have not covered all your floors with dreadful laminate.
Tony
he may not have wanted to do it
he may not know how
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Thanks for your fast replies. He wanted an extra £130 to replace with copper with me removing several floorboards to feed 15mm pipe through. I would have to remove the skirting board which has been drilled through for the connection to be made and hidden. My worry is that the dining room must also be lead and is probably tee'd off the lounge pipe. We've just decorated the dining room and had a new carpet laid so that would all have to be disturbed and of course be extra again. I think I'll just accept what has been done and negotiate a reduction in the fitting price, after all thay haven't done what was contracted to do.
stop flapping theres nothing wrong with lead as long as it's sound
and seeing as your "fitter" did a soundness test your ok
if he didn't ask why ?
as for a reduction personally i would get him back at his expense to rectify it
and seeing as your "fitter" did a soundness test your ok
if he didn't ask why ?
as for a reduction personally i would get him back at his expense to rectify it
N
namsag
Existing lead is perfectly ok to leave but 90% certain not allowed to connect copper to lead anymore on gas .
So its a case of renewing back to an existing bit of copper
So its a case of renewing back to an existing bit of copper
N
namsag
Cheers Lee.
Soz for doubting you kev But thought i remembered something from last ACS about not allowed now
Soz for doubting you kev
But thought i remembered something from last ACS about not allowed now
no probs mate i thought the regs might have been amended
sure you wern't thinking you can't install lead
sure you wern't thinking you can't install lead
N
namsag
Although we had to do wipe and branch joints as part of gas apprenticeship never had to fit any lead in all my time .
Remember pulling a bit of a coil of it out from under floor boards in a victorian terrace for it to suddenly stop even after afew good tugs . It was still connected to the gas lights
Remember pulling a bit of a coil of it out from under floor boards in a victorian terrace for it to suddenly stop even after afew good tugs . It was still connected to the gas lights
Thanks for all your replies. We've decided to keep the tap as it is and not paint the copper pipe. The skirting board profile is not available (1930's house) and if damaged when removing will cause problems. Going to the shop today to negotiate a reduction.
E
expertgasman
As a matter of interest, were you quoted "all in", or was the installation charge a seperate item. How much was it, and what was the general standard of work?
Fitting of the fire surround hearth and back panel to my already prepared hearth and chimney breast and fitting my existing living flame gas fire was £320 inc VAT. The surround has been fitted well, nice and central and level (almost, about 1-2mm over 48"). The hearth was bed on mortar as the floor sloped gently away from the breast. I'm not sure if the bottom of the fire was sealed as the mortar in the opening must still have been wet. The whole job took about 2.5 hours.
Lead pipe "in good condition" is OK to reuse.
It sounds like the connection would be under the floor, so it's the connection which could be his problem.
We aren't allowed to use Compression (as in copper to copper) fittings under a floor, though some types of compression fittings (made for gas, which I've only seen in industrial sizes) are allowed to be buried below ground.
As for soldering lead to copper, I've done it for gas and don't see a problem, but I think it's dropped out of the regs because it's not taught any more. Maybe there's a "Corgi" tech bulletin? - I'll have a look.
If the lead pipe has got some sort of fitting already on it with a screw thread, he CAN use that.
It sounds like the connection would be under the floor, so it's the connection which could be his problem.
We aren't allowed to use Compression (as in copper to copper) fittings under a floor, though some types of compression fittings (made for gas, which I've only seen in industrial sizes) are allowed to be buried below ground.
As for soldering lead to copper, I've done it for gas and don't see a problem, but I think it's dropped out of the regs because it's not taught any more. Maybe there's a "Corgi" tech bulletin? - I'll have a look.
If the lead pipe has got some sort of fitting already on it with a screw thread, he CAN use that.
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