Piping Regulations

[DavidNiven]

I recently had my kitchen redone. Unfortunately the tiling and plastering was a mess so we had to strip it off and get a builder in to review the work. In the process they found

1: part of the internal wall removed to fit the drainage pipes for sink/washing machine which was from a supporting wall
2: Water pipes hot and cold set into the wall running alongside an electricity supply cable
3: Copper Gas piping set into the wall and plastered over (supplying the cooker)

The new builder has said:

1. it is illegal to run the electiricity cables next to the water pipes without extra insulation/protection
2. It is illegal to plaster over the copper gas pipe in the wall without extra protection/casing for the piping
3: the gas pipe from the mains which splits to feed the boiler and cooker is only 15mm and the gas engineer should have installed a larger pipe from the mains to allow the range cooker and boiler to work properly.

In short I have paid the previous installers to do work the new builders have said is unsafe/illegal.

I am trying to clarify the regulations/legality of these issues.

Please can you comment regarding the above 3 points?

Thanks in advance.

David

 

[doitall]

Cables should be run in certain area.

Copper pipes should be protected from cement, plaster etc, not a legal requirement..

If the gas is new then you need to get whoever installed it back as it's undersized.

 

[mysteryman]

It is a legal requirement to protect copper pipes and cables from cement, plaster etc. Plus all sorts of other detrimental factors. Look at the building Regs.

 

[plumbplumb]

Undersized gas supply can affect the operation of an appliance.
A boiler and a range cooker off 15mm. You beans will take ages to warm when the heating's on

The installer of the supply (if gas safe registered) should rectify his work for nothing. He should have read the novel on correct sizing of pipework like we all had too.

Pipework in plaster can be installed but should be either kuterlex type pipe (plastic coated copper) or normal copper wrapped in an appropriate material.

Again the GSR installer should have known this

 

[Onetap]

Again the GSR installer should have known this

Possibly the installer didn't know it because he wasn't Gas Safe Registered; it is an offence to work on gas if you're not GSR.