Recessed Gas Meter Box inside Wooden Porch - is it safe?

[butterycrumpets]

Hi,

I am a little concerned regarding how the gas meter box is installed as it appears to be built into the porch which is made of wood and covered off with plasterboard with no bricks in sight. Is there is a potential fire safety hazard?

If it appears to be unsafe, will the DNO have to move the gas service pipe in order for the meter box to be located to a safer location.

Thank you!

 

[^woody^]

Hundreds of thousands of properties have the gas meter in the front room, the hall, the kitchen.

Why is there a fire risk?

 

[butterycrumpets]

"The Gas Installations in timber framed and light steel framed buildings procedures [IGEM/UP/7] states that meter boxes shall not be inset into a structural timber panel"

Just basing it off that

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

It wouldn't be acceptable for a new build, the idea is the gas board should have access to their pipework and their meter without having to enter the property (if the owner was out). As mentioned though many meters are internal.

 

[butterycrumpets]

It wouldn't be acceptable for a new build, the idea is the gas board should have access to their pipework and their meter without having to enter the property (if the owner was out). As mentioned though many meters are internal.

Do you think that reg is there for the fire safety aspect?

 

[butterycrumpets]

sorry, this is on the external side of the porch

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

the idea is the gas board should have access to their pipework and their meter without having to enter the property (if the owner was out).

 

[butterycrumpets]

Yes but in relation to the inset meter box within the timber panel, I don't understand why there is a rule on that.

 

[^woody^]

Because timber moves.

There is no requirement for a gas meter to be in a fire- proof enclosure.

 

[butterycrumpets]

Cheers!

 

[foxhole]

"The Gas Installations in timber framed and light steel framed buildings procedures [IGEM/UP/7] states that meter boxes shall not be inset into a structural timber panel"

Just basing it off that

Yours isn’t it’s in a plastic box.

 

[OvertonPlumber]

The issue really is building over P. E service pipe entries. If the service is plastic and not iron then in the event of a housefire well you see the problem.

 

[big-all]

General comments
regs are not retrospective, the situation will never change unless something's changes that include the meter and the set-up requiring it to be updated but never retrospective

 

[Old Salt]

I suspect the meter box was there before the porch?