Any Gas experts lurking about?

[timhoward]

Where I'm working there is this old capped gas supply which is royally in the way for the kitchen fitters. The gas meter is the other side of the wall and there's a new above-ground supply into the house further along.

The customer is not getting anything very useful from the gas engineers that have been there doing other work. I said I'd ask this fine bunch of people that I know.....
What are the prospects of getting it capped again lower down or removed entirely?
I'm assuming there must be a gas equivalent of a DNO to ask about this sort of thing....any experiences or advice?

 

[SparkyChick]

I think the people to talk to are the network company. Here in South Wales that would be Wales and West Utilities. Based on a recent enquiry I made about something which would be a similar job I guess (to prepare the existing supply pipe for an external meter - currently the pipe comes up out the ground and through the wall into my shed - isolator and meter on the inside) I suspect it would be quite pricey if they need to do anything to it... they quoted me £900 for what I wanted... £800 if I did the excavation of the service valve on the main. Can't recall if that was inc. or exc. of VAT.

 

[timhoward]

I suspect it would be quite pricey if they need to do anything to it... they quoted me £900 for what I wanted... £800 if I did the excavation of the service valve on the main. Can't recall if that was inc. or exc. of VAT.

Thank you. You've shoved me in the right direction - I think this house would be National Grid Gas Distribution.
Yes, I had the same sense regarding likely costs!

 

[ipf]

We used to call it The Gas Board.

Try the British Gas website, maybe.
I wouldn't think it would be cheap, though

 

[davesparks]

I've got a feeling the gas equivalent of the DNO are required to disconnect old supply pipes like that when they are made redundant.

If a gas meter is removed permanently then they are required to disconnect the supply pipe at or outside the boundary within 12 months and I've got a feeling something similar applies here.

 

[littlespark]

All depends on whether its still connected to mains gas at other end. It might have been cut off and just left for some reason...

Go on..... drill a hole in it!

 

[timhoward]

All depends on whether its still connected to mains gas at other end. It might have been cut off and just left for some reason...

Go on..... drill a hole in it!

I won't be touching it!
But there is a lever ball valve and cap, so in theory 'someone' could see if they could convince it to move and find out if it is connected. But finding that someone without involving the network operator is going to be a tall order. All of my gas-safe mates understandably don't want to touch it!

If a gas meter is removed permanently then they are required to disconnect the supply pipe at or outside the boundary within 12 months and I've got a feeling something similar applies here.

That is interesting to know, thanks. This particular house does not have a good track record for complying with anything and it would take a lot of trust to bank on this having happened!
I wonder if the network operator would have any helpful records.....

 

[brianmoooore]

Needs to get damaged by persons unknown. If it hisses, then let the gas authorities deal with it.

 

[Markyd]

just ring them and say its leaking

 

[OnlQQker]

I've come across this numerous times.

Have a look in the gas meter and see if the outlet pipe is 22mm copper. It's usually the norm to run a new supply from the meter if you're saying a new run has been added. This pipe will then more than likely be redundant, but let a gas bloke check it if not confident.

It's not a big job to cap it further down in the floor, the pipe will unscrew from the knuckle bend and a cap is then screwed in.
If the hole is opened then a gas fitter would charge around 90 quid for a job which is only 10 mins long to cap it off.

Just make sure whoever does it performs this test

 

[UNG]

Had one a few years ago where there was a steel gas supply pipe capped off under the floor, while I was pulling some new cables in it got snagged and a little while later there was a smell of gas so got onto the emergency number and they came out and found that it was quite an old pipe that was perforated they dug a hole in the garden just outside the house to expose the pipe and did a temporary cap on the pipe they came back some weeks later and capped it in the road

 

[telectrix]

All depends on whether its still connected to mains gas at other end. It might have been cut off and just left for some reason...

Go on..... drill a hole in it!

kitchen fitters will do that anyway.

 

[Intoelectrics]

I'd be having a go see if the valve is free to start with, then if so I'd pop off the cap and see if the pipe is live or not. Worse case is it starts to leak and you have to call in the gas board as an emergency at which point I'd just claim it was already leaking and then it got knocked during works (ignorance is bliss).
But this is me and what I'd do, being a bit of a maverick and all, to anyone else my advice would be to contact the local gas authority and seek their advice.

Tin Hat On

 

[davesparks]

If the hole is opened then a gas fitter would charge around 90 quid for a job which is only 10 mins long to cap it off.

Just make sure whoever does it performs this test

A gas fitter won't touch it as that is an old supply pipe and not a part of the customers installation.