Can I cut off dead gas pipe?

[tomsavage]

I have a redundant 2'' steel gas pipe sticking up about 1' out of the ground in my kitchen. It's totally in the way of our new kitchen cabinets and I want to cut it off nearer the ground and pour some concrete down it to seal it off. Any problems with this?

Some more information: we're in a ground/first floor maisonette and the gas for the maisonette above runs up through our kitchen and bedroom. Last time the gas board were round, they said the pipe emerging from the ground used to supply our place and upstairs, but that probably there was a leak somewhere between our house and the gas main, and so they disconnection this run of pipe and brought the gas in from outside for both of us.

You can get a rough idea from this picture:

Sorry the scale is not great, but if you look at the left-hand middle of the pitcure, you can see a) the piece of 2" pipe emerging from the ground, b) the pipe coming in from outside then bending up into the verticle run of steel pipe, and c) the pipe that comes in for our supply.

The cap on the pipe in question is just loosely screwed on a couple of turns, and it just came off in my hand. There is no gas in the pipe, as it would no doubt have been cut off at the other end. My plan is just to use an angle-grinder to cut the pipe off and then pour some concrete down it to seal off the residue gas smells.

I guess my one fear is that one day, someone, somehow could connect up the other end of the pipe again. I cant see any reason to do this, or if its even possible, but if the worst happened, would the concrete seal it off?

Probably asking some stupid questions here, but any pointers helpful. I have had both a Corgi-registered plumber and the gas board look at it, and both agree that it must have been disconnected becuase of a leak, but without tracing it back to the main, and checking it all our there, I'm not sure theres much more they can do. As it is not a live installation, I dont see it needs a Corgi-registered person to simply cut it off?

Thanks!

 

[2face]

yes chop it off .. bung some cement down it .. this will stop the odd smell coming up .. good luck with the kitchen .. u have a long way to go me thinks ..

 

[toasty]

Careful mate,

I had a similar issue in my hallway, an old iron gas pipe was blanked off in a cupboard that I wanted to remove.

I had the pipe cut back, but capped off again under the floor.

I'm not sure just pouring concrete down it is a good idea.

If it were me, I'd want it properly capped off and maybe then covered over with concrete.

Unlikely as it seems, should it ever get reconnected for whatever reason you run the risk of a leak.

 

[tomsavage]

Thanks for the speedy response. Will get chopping

PS The kitchen is a little further on than the photo...but not as much as I'd like!

 

[tomsavage]

oops, didnt see your response toasty. I take your point, but given the low pressure of gas in the pipework, I would hope that in the worst case scenario (ie a reconnection) a big concrete plug would seal it. I might be wrong of course. It would be madness for anyone to reconnect it anyway, my guess it's been fully decommissioned the other end.

 

[2face]

there is no reason to reconnect an old gas pipe in the street and if for some crazy reason they did a test would be applied to the pipe as a matter of course..

 

[tomsavage]

Thanks for the input. I have now cut off the pipe and sealed it up with concrete. Now I've got the piece of pipe off, I can see that it is in fact a T-section, and had a completely open hole! So if anything I'm safer now.