Capped 15mm gas pipe stub, in a strange location

[Harry Bloomfield]

I've spent a bit of time in our understair cupboard over recent weeks. I'm out of closet now

The entire house had a total, back to brick, refurb in the mid 80's, including all pipework. At the back of the cupboard, is an outside wall, a cavity, then the outer wall, which includes gas and electric meter cupboards, alongside my drive. Feeding all the gas appliances in the house, is a 22mm copper, going straight down from the meter, it then shoots at right angles to the wall, to cut across the cupboard. A small section, of the 22mm bend, is visible, just as it begins the cut under the concrete floor, of the cupboard. Other than that, it is buried in the wall, or the concrete. In the 22mm pipe, between meter and the bend into the concrete - there is a short stub of 15mm pipe, with a soldered on cap. Obviously a 22mm T, with 15mm.

Has anyone got any idea why this stub of 15mm pipe might have been put there?

 

[blup]

Maybe to a gas heater in another room

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Maybe to a gas heater in another room

That makes no sense, it's just a stub, poking out of the plastered wall, under the stairs. The main 22mm, goes on to feed the living room fire, then the kitchen oven, kitchen CH boiler, then finally another capped stub, in the kitchen, for 'something else' (maybe a gas fridge). What gas appliance, might anyone possibly want to install, in an understairs cupboard?

 

[CBW]

Maybe there was a wall heater, or maybe it was capped feeding a previous appliance that then needed a larger pipe?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Maybe there was a wall heater, or maybe it was capped feeding a previous appliance that then needed a larger pipe?

No, it has never, ever fed anything at all, there have never been any changes to the pipe installation since it was all installed.

No reason for a gas wall heater, certainly not in a cupboard, because CH was installed at the very same time.

 

[Madrab]

How old is the house, meter was possibly there originally?

 

[blup]

That makes no sense, it's just a stub, poking out of the plastered wall, under the stairs. The main 22mm, goes on to feed the living room fire, then the kitchen oven, kitchen CH boiler, then finally another capped stub, in the kitchen, for 'something else' (maybe a gas fridge). What gas appliance, might anyone possibly want to install, in an understairs cupboard?

Maybe that was the only fitting the installer had at the time to join two lengths of copper.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

How old is the house, meter was possibly there originally?

1955, but absolutely everything was ripped out in 1985, for a total, back to bare brick, refurb. Both meters were relocated, from inside, to outside wall meter cupboards, new main feeds, all new pipe work.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Maybe that was the only fitting the installer had at the time to join two lengths of copper.

No, it was a well planned and laid out job, involving the refurb of several houses. There would be no shortage of components to do the job properly...

I was just thinking along the lines of the stub of pipe being there, for some special purpose to do with gas/not for an appliance, but which was not obvious to me.

 

[blup]

Maybe a picture?

 

[denso13]

No reason for a gas wall heater, certainly not in a cupboard, because CH was installed at the very same time.

People make mistakes and do things at the time which seems strange now. Does it really matter why it is there?

 

[CBW]

Does it really matter why it is there?

Baiting exercise? Seems question asked then give answers for the against argument?

 

[roguetrader]

Gas safe register do list a few clairvoyants in your area.

 

[ChrisJP]

If the OP keeps shooting down in flames every explanation offered, then there seems little point in replying any further!

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

If the OP keeps shooting down in flames every explanation offered, then there seems little point in replying any further!

I am genuinely trying to find an explanation why a Corgi (at the time) gas installer, might have put a capped off T in such a very strange location. The 'shooting down', is a matter of the suggested reasons seem not to fit the circumstances. A picture will not help, it is just a stub of 15mm capped off, poking out of a plastered wall, and it obviously T's into the main 22mm supply pipe.

To be honest - many years ago, I built a shoes rack against the wall, which completely hid the stub. I rediscovered it on removing the rack temporarily, in the process of fitting a new consumer unit. Shoe rack is now back in place, once again hiding the stub.

As explained - I am just curious as to why anyone might specify the need for an outlet in such a very strange location? There is another similar capped off stub, hidden behind one of our kitchen units, but the purpose of that is more obvious - a connection point, to add a gas fridge. Gas fridges, I understand, were more common back then, though we never had one.