External gas pipe

It is not unusual for gas pipes mounted externally to be just bare copper after all there is nothing to freeze in them well certainly not at UK winter temperature. The only pipes that are sleeved are the main service pipe to the meter or on the consumers side, pipes going through walls. We have an external meter cupboard and the service pipe is sleeved but the pipe into the house is not until it reaches the point where it disappears through the wall and inside under the floor.

I presume the pipe you are posting about has come from your meter probably under the floor internally before externally going to the fire. It should not be coming up through the soil which suggests your ground level is too high. The sleeving you are seeing is probably to protect the pipe from spade damage. It could be that the pipe is run underground due to the position of the meter but it is not something I have seen. I have only seen gas pipes on the consumers side exit walls go along external walls before going back through the wall never from underground.

Richard

plastic covered copper pipe is ok for underground work.

It is corrosion resistant. My plastic covered oil oil pipe has been inderground for 25 years now

Above ground it needs no special treatment. Neither oil nor gas will freeze at UK winter temperatures. Mine is painted to match the house

Thanks both for the reassurance, it just looked a bit vulnerable. I'll replace the broken clips.

Oh it certainly is, especially 10mm...support it and paint it and never ever touch it

My neighbour has an external gas supply pipe made of bare copper and it looks very vulnerable.

Especially as it runs across the front of their house at a level where it would be crushed by the bumper of a car parking on the hard-standing if it went too far.

It couldn't have been too hard to box it for the few metres that has this exposure.

Presumably it was fitted by British Gas and passed their regs.