Steel Gas Pipe and New Boiler

[newnhambolton]

We are having a new condensor boiler put in and our plumber who is gas safe registered said that due to the latest legislation, he cannot connect the boiler to the existing gas pipes because the incoming gas pipe coming out of the gas meter is steel. The house was built in the 1950s if that is any help.

Is there such a legislation? If so, can anyone point me in the right direction? Is the plumber taking the mickey?

 

[Biggles..]

as long as the gas pipe is correctly sized i dont see a problem with steel.

Lead and you've got issues.

 

[kevplumb]

Is there such a legislation? If so, can anyone point me in the right direction?

never heard that one

Is the plumber taking the mickey?

probably

 

[Razor900]

He probably can't get the right size push fit for it

 

[newnhambolton]

The steel gas pipe is about 1 inch in diameter. Definitely steel, checked it with a magnet. The boiler on the other hand is going to be about 11.5 metre away from the gas meter. Would this be a problem for the gas pressure?

 

[namsag]

Although its inch leaving the meter does it drop down to half inch where boiler is to be fitted ,this is what he could be talking about or does it pass boiler position in inch

 

[Razor900]

Thats a different question, answer to your first is that it's fine to connect to a steel pipe, would have to know Kw of new boiler and how many bends, other appliances, size of pipes etc to have any chance of answering 2nd question.

 

[newnhambolton]

Forgot to mention that it is 1 inch steel gas pipe from the gas meter and then somewhere under the kitchen floor the pipe connects to a 15mm cooper gas pipe. The new boiler is going to be connected to the existing 15mm gas pipe. Would this be all right?

It's just our plumber said he couldn't connect it because it is steel back at the gas meter.

 

[newnhambolton]

The boiler is going to be a Worcester 30CDI and the only other gas appliance in the house is the gas fire.

 

[kevplumb]

15 will be undersize anyway

the steel aint an issue as long as it can carry enough gas for the total load

 

[newnhambolton]

Had another look at the pipework. What's happening is from the gas meter is 22mm cooper pipe (approximately 0.2m), which then joins onto the old 1 inch steel pipe (that was originally in the house), then somewhere under the kitchen floor it becomes 15mm cooper pipe, onto which the old boiler used to be connected.

I'm guessing somewhere under the kitchen floor is a tee for the fireplace.

Now the plumber says he can't connect to the existing 15mm copper pipe because of the old steel pipe in the house because of new legislation.

 

[newnhambolton]

Okay if the 15mm is too small, can the plumber connect from the steel pipe under the kitchen floor instead, which I think is still 1 inch in diameter.

What size should it be for a Worcester 30CDi boiler?

 

[namsag]

As i thought you have prob mis understood him he will have to connect back at meter to get correct size pipe to boiler 15mm is no use.

If you want to chop holes all over your floor to find a tee then that will prob be ok

 

[Razor900]

And the old pipe is 1"OD not inch pipe it's only 3/4" internally.

New gas pipe time

 

[kirkgas]

where the pipe changes from steel to copper under the floor cannot be a compression fitting as it will be inaccessible unless you create a duct in the floor, best option is to bite the bullet and get a new copper supply from the meter, to fire connection then to boiler, size of the pipe depends on route and length taking appliance requirement into consideration, not really sure why plumber said new legislation doent allow connection to steel, best to clarify what he meant, perhaps it was something to do with compression fittings under the floor