External pipe for new boiler

[maryos]

My friend is in the process of having his central heating system overhauled, including having a conventional, heat-only boiler replaced. The make of the new boiler is 'ideal.' The new boiler has already been installed and a new external pipe has also appeared, running from the gas meter outside, along the wall of the house, then through this to the boiler itself. It is a copper pipe that has been mounted to the outside wall with plastic fittings. I would guess the diameter of the pipe to be 22mm, although it appears that there is a 15mm pipe running within that.

I have lots of questions!

I would like to know why there is a new pipe, where there was none before? (friend has just spoken to plumber, who says it did in fact replace an existing pipe, which apparently wasn't big enough)
Why is it a pipe-within-a-pipe? (isn't that very expensive? - and the narrower, internal pipe looks like standard 15mm - how could it be replacing anything narrower than that?)
Is the pipe is going to stay uncovered along the outside wall or should we expect the plumber to cover it with some insulation? (it looks very odd, it would be better if it were painted the same colour as the house)
Should we just trust the plumber and let him get on with it? (he is corgi-registered, prompt, very pleasant, perfectly approachable, although leaves it to us to phone him, rather than giving updates on his progress)

Thanks very much for any feedback!

 

[ChrisR]

I doubt it's a pipe within a pipe.

Clips need to be UV proof, which restricts choices, but some plastic ones are OK.

It won't freeze ! It should be out of harms way - ie not down the side of a narrow sideway used by cars.

New boilers, generally , need bigger pipes than old ones.

It'll go brown n time - close to brick colour.

He should have agreed the route with you first - under the floor would have cost more I expect.

 

[maryos]

Thank you, that is reassuring.

Where the pipe actually feeds into the boiler it is definitely narrower (looks like 15mm - compared with what is running along the wall outside, which appears to be 22mm). The transition from 22mm to 155mm happens inside the house, just a few centimetres away from the boiler, but it doesn't seem to be a smooth, soldered transition (the 15mm pipe appears to emerge from inside the wider pipe - I will have a closer look). Is it likely that the old boiler (it was very old) had a pipe that was even narrower than 15mm?

The outside of the house is cream coloured (painted). Neighbours' pipes are same colour as house. Presumably it can be painted. It is very obvious and ugly!

It is moderately out of the way, but it does run along the underside of the back door, which is up a step. As it juts out slightly, I am worried it could be tripped over. It would have been more of a problem if there were going to be insulation wrapped around it, I suppose.

Thanks again,

 

[adwt2004]

I personally wouldn't be happy with it. pipes are better out of sight ( from aesthetic point of view). corgi's prefer it because any gas leak will be easier to locate and also less chance of a gas leak inside the dwelling. He should not be doing what he likes. It's your friends house so anything the plumber needs to do should be okay'd by him.

It probably would cost more to hide the pipe inside but i would pay the difference. A pipe outside would really annoy me

 

[stem]

It won't freeze ! It should be out of harms way - ie not down the side of a narrow sideway used by cars

You're right it won't because it has to be really cold for gas to freeze

a new external pipe has also appeared, running from the gas meter

It's not unusual to increase the pipe diameter as combi's generally have a higher consumption than traditional boilers and the pressure can drop below specification.

 

[maryos]

Thank you for all the helpful (and reassuring) comments. I hope I will be able to post something helpful to somebody else one day, but I suspect it won't relate to home improvement.

Does anybody have a view on painting the pipe, so that it matches the colour of the house? (I can't emphasise enough how odd it looks!) Presumably it has to be special paint for exterior metalwork. Or is it better to cover the pipe (if a suitable covering exists) and paint the covering?

This is probably no longer a 'boiler' question so I perhaps ought to re-post in different forum, but in case there are any ramifications regarding coating gas pipes I would appreciate any comments.

Many thanks

 

[stumpynut]

The new gas pipe will be inside a larger diameter sleeve as it enters the house (perfectly correct) and its a 15mm connection to the boiler so it sounds fine.

 

[gas4you]

This outer pipe will be the 'sleeve' through the wall

 

[maryos]

Is it usual for this outer, 'sleeve' pipe to be copper? (Isn't that a very expensive method?) And can I paint it with paint suitable for metalwork, or should it be covered first?

Thanks very much!

 

[gas4you]

Yes. The sleeve for a copper gas pipe should be of the same material that the gas pipe is ie copper as it has to be suitable to contain gas if there is a leak.

paint it with aything that is suitable for copper

 

[maryos]

Thank you very much ! I will relax now...

 

[HarrogateGas]

Yes. The sleeve for a copper gas pipe should be of the same material that the gas pipe is ie copper as it has to be suitable to contain gas if there is a leak.

paint it with aything that is suitable for copper

Rubbish, the sleeve should be plastic as not to corrode....what have you achived sleeving with copper???

 

[gas4you]

Plastic pipe is not approved to contain gas so cannot be used as a sleeve.

CORGI inspectors want to see approved material used as sleeve rather than just cheapest alternative

If copper corrodes then why are we using it with water and why for gas externally in our weather

 

[stumpynut]

We use either Never had any comebacks or complaints

 

[namsag]

Harrogate read the corgi book and see what it says what a sleeve is for and what it should be made of.. Gas4you Plastic is ok if the right kind...Maryos mind your own business you have not got a clue and from what has been said job has been done properly to standard