Inset gas fires - query as to pipe run

[No-one]

I have an old style gas fire siiting in front of a fire surround on the hearth. The gas supply is via a chrome pipe attached to the pipe supply which exits the floor some 2 feet to the right of the fire.

I am considering getting opening up the fireplace and getting an inset gas fire. Before I decide on this, what is the likely way the pipe would be made to run from the supply to the fire, given that it would be in the fireplace proper? Would a fitter bury the pipe behind the skirting (possibly into the plaster) or run it in much the same way as it is now?

TIA

[Roger Mills]

Is it a solid or wooden floor? If the latter, it shouldn't be too difficult to re-route the pipe under the floor boards and to make it emerge inside the builder's opening where your inset fire will go - thus making it invisible.

If it's buried in a solid floor, it's not quite so easy - but may still be possible.

Roger

[David Hearn]

Ours is like your first suggestion, but the previous people built a large brick fireplace ontop of the boards it seems. Pipe exits just in front of the fire (through mortar/brickwork) - so if we needed to replace it, it might be a problem. The pipe has a slight kink in it (badly bent? knocked with the grating?) and it's not leaking or anything - but I suspect that should anyone inspect/service it, they'd notice it and it might be a problem.

So - running under floorboards is great - just done set it in brickwork afterwards!!! ;)

D

[Chris J Dixon]

When I accidentally drilled a copper gas pipe which had been buried in the plaster around the chimney breast, the gas board turned up to sort it out. When we chopped out to find the connection to the original steel pipe it was declared to be a very dodgy installation, and they insisted that the replacement pipe was surface run.

Chris

[me]

Others have answered your question but one point to note is if the fitter buries the copper pipe in either the plaster or cement make sure he has lagged the pipe.

I have taken out copper pipes from cement after 10 or so years and they are green a corroding badly, a nuisance for water but a little scary for Gas

:-)

Andy

[Lobster]

It certainly can be buried, but the pipe should contact plaster/mortar directly as it's likely to corrode. It can be wrapped in protective tape, but your best bet is to have the actual gas pipe pass through a plastic conduit if that's possible, so it can be easily accesssed and serviced in the future. Me, I don't like burying pipes (gas or water) in walls.

If you'll be paying a CORGI hourly rate to fit your fire, you might want to do the donkey work of creating the conduit, or whatever, yourself.

David

[John Stumbles]

If it runs through a wall it _must_ be run in a sleeve

Before I got my dog licence I did this for a customer I was fitting a fire surround and hearth for. I drilled a hole through from near the gas elbow (connector) back into the builder's opening and ran some 15mm copper pipe through as a conduit for the (8mm or 10mm) pipe for the fire itself (which was later fitted by a qualified dog).

-- John Stumbles

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