Domestic gas supply pipe replacement?

Question

My mother (86) has had a boiler service and a "survey". The engineer reduced her to tears by telling her the supply pipe (in situ for 16 years) was the wrong size. Cost to replace £400.

Does this sound kosher?

Answer 1

This is common on older piping.

Appliances may have been added in that 16 years or  the original installation was undersized to begin with and the requirements were not adhered to by the gas co. or just missed.

Maybe you should ask them to verify the sizing again in case the engineer has miscalculated.

Also there may be an alternative to use different regulators to overcome the pressure drop.

The gas companies insurance companies are the ones driving the push for proper installations and are requiring these new surveys.

Gas line sizing hasn't changed and proper installations are a safety requirement.

Good luck

Answer 2

does depend on lots of facts ( most of which not stated),the engineer might be totaly correct or he could playing it safe,wrong pipe sizing in gas terms is very important,he should have at least givien you a warning notice " not to current standards" none has to carry out this work but it has to be noted..

but to justify any work needed you need to know details ie pressure drop as for £400 i dont know how long run is needed so could be cheap given the price of copper and how oftern it is stolen.

Answer 3

It was probably the right size when it was first installed.

There is no legal requirement to change it unless the whole system is being upgraded.

Sounds like the service person is just trying to drum up some work. (Report it to BBC "Rogue Traders")

Answer 4

I'm a gas engineer of 30yrs standing and agree with Glenn. If the d**n things been working for so long and theres no safety issue been bought to light, then carry on and ignore the pratt. ( he's trying to drum up work!)  

Answer 5

I often go to new installations and have to tell customer pipe sizing is wrong . Regretfully engineers just seem to use rules of thumb rather than proper calculations. Went to 38KW Nett boiler the other day put in with 22mm pipe all the way to the gas meter from back of the house to the front and across a room. I knew it would be wrong before I tested it. 6mb drop in fact when 1mb is allowed drop.  

Unfortunately many boilers were put in by firemen and other chancers on their days off 16 years ago as extra bunce . They  had scant knowledge of the British Standards or what they meant and probably didn't care.

On the other hand unless there was a danger noted by the engineer which should have resulted in an appliance being turned off then it would be not to current standards. The problem would then be deferred to when an appliance is to be replaced.

Answer 6

If the engineer has done his job correctly then he will have capped off the gas supply and issued her with an advise/warning notice.If he hasn't then tell him to sling his hook,if he has then seek a second opinion.

If the pipework has been in for 16 years feeding the same appliances then its highly unlikely that it is dangerous.

If you have had any new appliances fitted or added then the pipework could be inadequate.

400 quid does sound a bit steep,but without knowing whats involved its impossible to say.

Answer 7

If it is a long run of pipe from the meter to the boiler and it is only small diameter (15mm) then it may need replacing. However this depends on how many other gas appliances she has (cooker,fire etc) But £400 does sound very expensive to me unless it is a very long run.

Just re-read your question and there is no mention of her replacing the boiler,so if its been working fine for 16 years,whats the problem?

sounds like a bit of scaremongering to me,tell them to pi55 off.