protect a Gas pipe in screed

[JontheClient]

I am having a kitchen installed (by a supposed reputable company). We are having an 'island' which has the cooker in it. a channel has been cut in the floor to house the extractor duct, and also carry the services. As of Friday the ducting was in, and a plastic pipe containing the electric feeds. When I saw it Friday afternoon, the concrete had been poured in. Poking out from each end of the channel was 15mm pipe (copper, copper coloured) for the gas supply (and one extra electric cable not in the plastic pipe, but wrapped in duct tape.

The gas pipe does not appear (from the bit I can see) to have any wrapping. I thought (and I claim NO specific knowledge here) that gas pipe had to be protected agains corrosion in concrete.

The floor is due to be covered next week with insulating board, electric wire and then screed, so I can see a situation where the 'gas safe' man who comes todo the connections would not be in a position to know if the regs had been compromised, and sign things off.

I guess I need a 'gas safe' man to give me an opinion, but should I contact 'Gas Safe' directly. I don't want to be fobbed off by the company that all is well when it is not. BTW I don't think the guy that put the (as yet unconnected) pipe in is gas registered - does that matter?

 

[Yarn]

Sounds like your builders put the pipe in without any gas knowledge. You are right that the pipe needs to be protected from corrosion. If you cant see any protection around the exit from the concrete then it could corrode at that point even if they say it is protected underneath. Even a water pipe would not meet building regs done this way. I would Insist that it is taken up at their expense and done properly. Please note i am only DIY, not a gas person, but when i did all of this (as the original poster on this thread), even my water pipes were inspected by BCO to make sure that they be protected in the concrete. Sounds like BCO not seen this before concrete? Its your house,and at the end of the day you need to be happy with it. Regs or not.

 

[doitall]

For a start unless they have changed the rules recently, the gas pipe cannot go in the sub-floor, so they just as well cut it off each end and lay a new one under the screed, and get it tested prior to any protection and the screed going down.

For what it's worth I would have said no services can go in or under the sub-floor, certainly water cannot.

 

[Agile]

I assume subfloor means below the dpc.

Tony

 

[Andygasman2010]

Could gas/services go within the kingspan? Or is that what you mean by subfloor? Confused!

 

[doitall]

Normally a floor is made up, DPC membrane, then say 150mm Concrete oversite.

The services, insulation etc are next with the screed as the final finish.

The services cannot go in or under the concrete. (don't know about the electrics but would doubt it.

JontheClients post was a little confusing, but I think they cut a channel in the oversite and concreted over everything.

 

[JontheClient]

Guys,

Apologies for the unclear details in the post. There is the blue PVC (?) membrane, on top of which is a layer of polystyrene, and then 100+mm of concrete on top. There used to be a flooring on top but this has been removed.

The object of the exercise was to enable an extractor to be fitted in an island, with ducting below floor level to near the outside wall, where the ducting was to come upwards and then vent through the wall. The channel was cut, exposing the DPC. The extractor duct was laid into this, as was a plastic pipe containing cables for the cooker and electric points in the island. No gas pipe was in the channel (although there needs to be gas to the cooker

Last Friday I observed that the concrete had been poured, and as well as the ducting and plastic pipe with the electric cable in, there appeared to be another cable which had been wrapped in duct tape) in the channel and also the gas pipe -which appears at one end (only) to be wrapped in some sort of cloth, but 'naked' at the other.

Thanks for the advice, I hope my post lowers the confusion level

 

[doitall]

If the cables are ducted then it should be ok, I would check with the building inspector.

The Gas is still an issue, if as you say it has been chucked in the oversite chase and concreted over. and in any case it can't be covered up until it is inspected and tested by an RGI.

Needs one of the guys with the up to date regs to comment.

 

[JontheClient]

Hmmm, seems like tomorrow will be fun. I had a chat with the nice man at Gas Safe this morning, and he says that the install of that pipe, since it is specifically for gas, should have been done someone with registration, and it was not.

Point 2 is that the 'lagging' that was wrapped round it (identified by a friend - a qualified plumber) is something called 'Hair Felt Lagging' which I have never heard of before. The Gas Safe man had though, and he said it was 'verbotten'.

I have 'invited' the Gas person from the kitchen company to attend - he is coming first call tomorrow - so that he can comment on the situation.

I suspect an interesting meeting is in prospect

 

[doitall]

Never realised hair felt lagging was forbidden.

Do let us know what they have to say.

I would be interested in the extract duct and what provision to drain the condensation are being made.

 

[JontheClient]

DoItAll,

In a dry climate such as ours (West Midlands) why would you need any provision for condensation ?

OK, Ok....In know the weather is er..er..not brilliant

 

[JontheClient]

DoItAll,

Apologies, I forgot to thank you for raising a very pertinent point, for which I am grateful.

jon

 

[doitall]

DoItAll,

In a dry climate such as ours (West Midlands) why would you need any provision for condensation ?

OK, Ok....In know the weather is er..er..not brilliant

I assumed the extract was for a cooker hood, so steam and condensation will be present in large doses.

If the duct is dropping into the floor and rising the other end, what stops the duct from filling with water and how does it get out, apart from into the floor.

 

[JontheClient]

DoItAll,

I take your point entirely, it is very valid.

I see that you quoted my 'first' response - I hope that the the apology does not escape your attention - I did not seek to belittle a very pertinent post, for which I am grateful, and trying to get clarified.

Thanks again for the help....jon

 

[doitall]

Something I used to do so am aware of condensation problems.

Apology not needed, I should have made the point clearer.