Question for gas safe engineers - what would you do...

[Lusi83]

Hi
Just seeing if anyone else has come across this and what you have done/think about it...

House I have bought has had gas meter moved outside. The old pipework has been left sticking out of the cupboard floor under the stairs. I want these pipes moved under the floorboards - they are in the way.

My plumber (gas safe reg and seems like a good guy) said he could move one but couldn't touch the other one...and to call the gas network.
They came out and did a 'live or dead' check (v. technical -unscrewed cap and stuck a screwdriver in there - and said if had been live the screwdriver would have been blown out! )
Said it was dead and the plumber could cut it off and cap it under floor....
Now Plumber is still refusing to touch it -said something about it being turned on by accident and threads for the cap etc etc...he will only touch it if I get a disclaimer or something from the gas network ...
Gas network at the moment won't do that - that it could never be turned back on by accident...but then when I jokingly asked their engineer (with the screwdriver meter!) if I could just cut it off myself -he told me to get it capped properly 'just in case'....

So what can I do

 

[Agile]

Well it seems obvious to me that you already have all the advice!

The regulations do say that it has to be capped even though its dead.

Its hardly worth doing that but you should to comply with the regs and your guy is quite correct in doing what he should.

In all probably if screwed steel there is an elbow under the floor where a plug could be fitted!

Tony

 

[simond]

In reality there are duff gas service pipes left all over the place, especially on the network side where the old ones are just smashed up in the road during mains renewals.

As Tony said, easiest way is to get a big pair of stillsons, unwind it and fit a cap yourself. A few turns of gas PTFE round the thread first would be good.

Its a tricky one for an RGI because we need to ensure a gas tight joint but there is no way to check. So you would have to do it.

 

[Lusi83]

So Tony as a RGI would you do that for me?
or as Simon says - I should do it myself?
I want to be safe (and am a little worried that someone might turn it on by accident) but I understand why my plumber won't do it...

Currently trying hard to get a disclaimer from gas network as I would rather the plumber did it and did a good job...

Just thought must be a pretty common problem ...

and the gas network should get rid of these pipes when they move/take out a meter...

 

[Dan Robinson]

I wouldn't.

And neither should you.

 

[Lusi83]

Just an update for anyone else in a similar situation...
It took a lot of pushing and determination (like asking the call centre people if I could talk to their superiors - not rudely - I think they are given a line and actually it isn't fair on them...) and repeating pointing out the contradictions in what they were telling me - (pipe is dead and will never be turned back on -but it had to be capped properly and I couldn't do it myself)....eventually I got someone from our local gas network depot out to look...

If I make the access hole a little larger by removing a few more boards, get a earth bond (MEB) removed - and let them know when a gas network engineer is in the area they will come and cut it off and seal it....
They want me to dig down around the pipe a bit further to see if I can find the elbow but if I can't they will just cut it and cap it....

So result - although the engineer did say that part of the reason they would do it was that it was never labelled as dead -and it should have been ....

 

[Biggles..]

Seems odd in honesty, if you've got an external meter fitted its more than likely that the pipe has been cut outside anyway, and then had PE inserted through it to where the new meter box is fitted.

Not known an old iron main be reinstated, normally it would have PE.

Most would have just cut it, let alone go through all the hassle you have to cap it. If they were ever totryand reinstate they have to check both ends anyway prior to gas being fed through it.
They'd soon realise their error.

 

[mickyg]

cut it, fill it with silicone

 

[Lusi83]

When I suggested taking my electric saw to it ...the gas network engineer had a fit - he said that there could be residue gas in it and it could explode!

Said that people do get hurt taking saws to gas pipes all the time - but I got the impression they had just assumed it would be dead

 

[OwainDIYer]

cut it, fill it with silicone

I've just uncovered one that was filled with expanding foam.

 

[mickyg]

cut it, fill it with silicone

I've just uncovered one that was filled with expanding foam.

expanding foam is too expensive

 

[calorific]

Decorator's caulk is cheaper. Plus it has the advantage that you can paint over it when it's gone off and make a feature of it

 

[Blooflame]

So Tony as a RGI would you do that for me?
or as Simon says - I should do it myself?
I want to be safe (and am a little worried that someone might turn it on by accident) but I understand why my plumber won't do it...

Currently trying hard to get a disclaimer from gas network as I would rather the plumber did it and did a good job...

Just thought must be a pretty common problem ...

and the gas network should get rid of these pipes when they move/take out a meter...

Don't know why we have to think about it? Get another RGI to cap it