Transco pipework

[OldRedNeck]

Trying to buy a house but a gas pipework problem was found by Transco. Current owner (now deceased) has a partbuilt conservatory that now encloses the gas meter. It used to be outside. Transco serviced the meter and issued a safety notice about the rising pipe--it is plastic and should have been metal once the meter became enclosed inside the property. And-yes-the plastic pipe is now buried in concrete and the joint below can't be reached without major excavation. Obviously my solicitor is working in the blind (comes with the territory I think) and may screw up the deal. Anyone out there have a good answer. Thanks for your help.

[Mike Harrison]

Might a solution be to enclose the meter in a sealed enclosure vented to the outside ?

[Chris Vowles]

This must happen all the time, my friend has their gas metre inside a single story extension on the side of the house ..... their gas pipe DID leak and cause a minor emergency while transco dug up the ground to find the leak which turned out to be outside the extension

[Peter Crosland]

The vendor (presumably the executors) should either pay the work to be done before completion or they should offer a reduction of rather more than the cost of getting the work done. In your case as the buyer you have the all the cards!

[e-mail]

[Rick Dipper]

Why don't you dig up the ground outside the house/conservatry to find the pipe, at some pint it must come out from under the buildings. Then move the meter to the correct location, fit new pipes, leaving the existing stuff unused.

Transco should be able to give a quote, which you knock off the price. When I buy a house, any work like this has to be done, and is fair game for knocking off the price. Once the vendor or agent is informed of a problem, they are under an obligation to disclose to subsequent buyers if asked.

If can find some law or regulation that makes the house with a fault worthless unless its fixed, you are onto a winner. You may have to formally ask permission to do investigations / get quotes, cause the existing owner may get upset by the answers.

My house had no legally usable sewage, which put me in the driving seat when doing a deal.

Rick