Is this a gas pipe or water pipe?

[Tom079555]

My gas meter has lead pipes coming off it. I need some work doing, but new regulations say that lead pipes cannot be connected to copper pipes.

My boiler however has copper pipes coming off it.

So, somewhere the copper pipes must have joined the lead pipes before the law made such connections illegal.

Annoyingly, the lead pipe that comes out of the gas meter goes into the chimney breast and goes upstairs. When looking upstairs, 2 pipes come out of the chimney breast, lead and copper.

Perhaps somebody made the lead to copper join inside the chimney breast.

But how do I know if this copper pipe is actually gas, and not a water connection? Is it possible to know from an image?

The image shows both copper pipe and lead pipe side by side.

 

[ianmcd]

Run a hot and cold tap and feel the pipes see if any change temp or you can feel water flowing in them

 

[Tom079555]

My gas has been disconected so I can't run the hot tap

 

[Tom079555]

... running the cold tap doesn't seem to have made it any colder though

 

[snb]

My gas has been disconected so I can't run the hot tap

why can't you run the run the tap? the gas has been disconnected not the water. it may not run hot but you would feel if water was running through it

 

[Tom079555]

My gas is disconnected, so the water won't run hot to feel the pipe change in temperature.

 

[Madrab]

run both hot and cold, get a large screwdriver and put it against the pipe, put the other end on your ear, if it's live water then you will hear water running through it. Try it with a pipe you know will have running water through it and that will give you an example of what it sounds like.

 

[RrogerD]

run both hot and cold, get a large screwdriver and put it against the pipe, put the other end on your ear, if it's live water then you will hear water running through it. Try it with a pipe you know will have running water through it and that will give you an example of what it sounds like.

Excellent reply.
I was a trainee mechanic many, many moons ago and we'd do the same to listen for tappets etc. I still use the technique to this day with many applications, as you suggest.

 

[RayCaister]

Good old Listening Stick.

 

[Madrab]

I was a trainee mechanic many, many moons ago and we'd do the same to listen for tappets etc

Bit of old rubber fuel pipe to balance 40/45's??