De-butchering the gas

[i_am_fubar]

RigidRaider, I agree with you... BUT you stipulate 'stupid amateur'. I don't know if you are simply limiting your argument to stupid, un-trained people. Or are implying I am stupid for considering what I'm wanting to do.

Either way, I don't feel it is right to class a person as stupid, simply because they are an amateur. In-experienced, possibly. Un-trained, yes. But not stupid.

 

[i_am_fubar]

Done a bit of external reserch and I will be making sure that pipe is to BS EN1075 and all flux is non-acidic and rated for gas.

 

[Agile]

You dont seem to have realised that the gas reg person whom you say you may call ( and we dont usually believe that when we see it stated on this forum ) may not be happy to connect up pipework which you have installed.

Its not just the pipe but the PERSON who has fitted it to be considered!

Tony

 

[RigidRaider]

RigidRaider, I agree with you... BUT you stipulate 'stupid amateur'. I don't know if you are simply limiting your argument to stupid, un-trained people. Or are implying I am stupid for considering what I'm wanting to do.

Either way, I don't feel it is right to class a person as stupid, simply because they are an amateur. In-experienced, possibly. Un-trained, yes. But not stupid.

I meant any stupid person, not you! You actually come across as a clever amateur!

I'm on your side in this argument; I got the same sucking of teeth and dark mutterings about legionella when I started on my DIY solar water project (see Your Projects). The so-called "professionals" don't like amateurs encroaching on their territory - with reason because they've paid a lot of money to get a piece of paper with their name on it.

A qualified gas installer will inspect your work, form a judgement about you, your ability and the quality of your work and then carry out all his checks and tests before opening the final valve. If he sees anything which is dangerous or substandard in his opinion he will quite rightfully refuse to connect. You being unqualified doesn't mean he has to blank you on an advice forum and refuse even to discuss the subject.

 

[i_am_fubar]

I understand that may be a problem. But does that mean that a gas engineer will never connect gas unless they installed all the piping themseves? Seems a bit of over-kill when you've been hired to fit a new hob.

Likewise for electrics. A sparky will IR and continuity test the existing cables. They won't rip up floors and walls to re-wire the whole house if they're task is to add a kitchen socket.

I imagine historic installs are the bane of profesionals. But they can't be expected to do more than perform all possible tests and decide from those tests if the pipes are safe (thus performing their due dilagnace). As I won't be boxing the pipes in before they're tested and charged, a visual inspection would also be posible.

Fubar.

 

[i_am_fubar]

Ahhh, in defense of profesionals. I imagine many have had to suffer making good DIY 'repairs' made by your 'idiot DIYers'. I've encountered these myself and fully support their opinion of those types of people.

However, I would expect that they tar all DIYers with the same brush. Assuming the un-trained had the same amount of knowledge they did prior to training (which could be nothing). Rather than accepting that there are DIYers who have taught themselves to professional levels without the bit of paper at the end.

 

[RigidRaider]

Hooray.

To use a different example; I've been riding, building and repairing bicycles all my life; a newspaper reporter might call me an "expert" cyclist or bike mechanic. However I haven't got a qualification and wouldn't want one either. Yet Joe Bloggs aged 16 can go and get a simple qualification as a bike mechanic and a job at Halfrauds but I bet I've forgotten more about bikes than Joe will ever learn.

 

[Dan Robinson]

hut off and discharged. I am not paying a call out charge for someone to un-screw a fitting and put another in. The gas pipe WILL be re-connected (by a gas safe installer), so it is only temporary.

I WILL be taking this old fitting off.

Dan whilst I don't agree with illegal gas work, a pipe is just a pipe!
He can run what he likes, who ever connects to the gas becomes responsible.

True, but it is a gas pipe by the op's own admission. I can't remember (although I know I should) but the GSIUR have a line about fittings used to convey gas?

Will have a look later.

 

[i_am_fubar]

Ok, two points are being discussed here.

Firstly, I need to remove the old pipework. The ol' hole in the wall will need plugging to stop debris getting into it. I would like to use the correct blanking plug for this.

The second issue is the pipe work that will be laid through the house along with hot, cold, feed and return. The connection of this to the boiler and said hole in the wall will be done by a profesional prior to testing. As such, the blanking plug would be taken back out again by the pro.

 

[Biggles..]

hut off and discharged. I am not paying a call out charge for someone to un-screw a fitting and put another in. The gas pipe WILL be re-connected (by a gas safe installer), so it is only temporary.

I WILL be taking this old fitting off.

Dan whilst I don't agree with illegal gas work, a pipe is just a pipe!
He can run what he likes, who ever connects to the gas becomes responsible.

True, but it is a gas pipe by the op's own admission. I can't remember (although I know I should) but the GSIUR have a line about fittings used to convey gas?

Will have a look later.

Only becomes a fitting to convey gas when connected to a gas appliance, gas meter or other live gas pipework.

Do you ask in the merchants for copper pipe for gas,
Or is it the same as the pipe you buy for water?

The op could fit it, change his mind and say its for a cold feed to whatever, makes no odds till its had something put init.

As for clipping etx, and being suitable, the water regs and plumbing rules of BS6700 far out weigh the stuff in BS6891, so if you fitted it suitable for water which needs no qualification it will out do what's required for gas at 20-37mbar.

A boiler for example is a gas fitting/appliance by the nature of what it achieves, pipework is just pipework till you connect one end.

As for doing it professionally etx, there's people that post in the CC that shouldn't be let loose near a blow lamp, but there stuff ok because of doing a course!
Some guys in there can work on gas but couldn't make a decent job of plumbing a sink, do presume because your a pro you do it any better than anyone else!

 

[Biggles..]

Decommission if connected to a live gas meter would need an RGI.

 

[i_am_fubar]

LeeC,

Thankyou. I had always assumed that gas would need a higher grade of pipe, but then, it's at lower pressure than water. I assume what I've read about needing heat activated, non-acidic flux still stands? But that there are no special requirements for solder. As such, solder ring fittings would still suffice.

Don't suppose you could advise on the thread size of those blanking plugs? I would have thought 3/4 or 1in BSP. Or do they do the whole reverse thread thing too?

Fubar.

 

[Agile]

What are those blanking plugs going into?

 

[i_am_fubar]

I imagine they are the original black iron pipes in the floor slab. 3 points in the kitchen. One is right behind the stove, but instead of using that, mr. previous DIYer ran the stove pipe from the boiler through at least 5 bends

Won't be touching either of the other two though.

 

[Biggles..]

If your taking about blanking the new, all you need to do if your not actually livening the pipework is cover the ends, this can be done with tape or what ever.
Fitting plugs etc would lead me to think your going to connect something!