Is this a water tap, and how old?

What I would do (this is a DIY forum) is:

PS the cap was in case you aren't able to unscrew the pipe from the elbow, in which case you can remove the tap and fit the cap. If the pipe is dead and in the way you could saw it at floor level, but I prefer to cap/plug old pipes.

In message snipped-for-privacy@news.individual.net>, at 09:03:24 on Sun, 15 Mar 2020, Tim+ snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com remarked:

I'd hoped to hear from people who would say things like "I haven't seen that kind of tap in any post-war house, and they were different again before the 1880's"

In message , at

There isn't any.

In this house what they would have done was install North Sea gas for the very first time, from new piping in the street.

I won't be doing it, but need to identify the right kind of plumber.

Would have been more helpful (in terms of potential re-use) had it turned out to be a water pipe though.

It's definitely not downstream of either the current water or gas taps.

Perhaps someone could tell us when they last used steel pipes fof domestic gas installations. If they can tell us also when they stopped routinely using lead then that will probably tie it down to within a century or so. The tap is less useful, it could probably be have been fitted any time in the last 150 years.

My house was built in 1984. It has steel gas pipes (inside and incoming).

(Yes 1984)

Somehow I suspect Roland?s house is a LOT older.

It'd be news to me that they've stopped.

In message <1onb4m6.8lbpr9iotao2N% snipped-for-privacy@hayter.org, at 12:45:11 on Sun,

I'd be astonished if the town here had a gas supply before 1830.

I'd be a bit disappointed to find a gas tap like that fitted in my lifetime. But others can perhaps comment.

The pipe is one-inch external diameter, by the way.

Why? It?s almost exactly like the tap on the supply to my hob and tumble dryer. (Which were fitted in the last 10 years).

Tim

In message <r4l92f$eu2$ snipped-for-privacy@gioia.aioe.org>, at 13:03:11 on Sun, 15 Mar

It's not on maps in the late 20's (just an empty lot in between houses considerably older), but is built to an exterior design that everyone looking at immediately says "Victorian". Interior features say to me "30's". Unfortunately, now that the Land Registry has gone digital, the original deeds are no longer in circulation [a massive bit of cultural vandalism, but I digress].

The Gas Works is shown on 1887 maps, the oldest I can easily find.

The size for one thing. It's about the size of a fist. And without a meter anywhere, would it perhaps be the primary gas tap for the whole house (gas for just the scullery)?

I don't think they'd have been fitting gas lighting in 1930's build.

One of the interesting internal architectural features is that upstairs the room [and hall] lighting is near the windows rather than central, which aiui was intended to replicate daylight (and its shadows).

I can?t help thinking you?re making a helluva mountain out of a molehill.

From what you?ve told us, it?s almost certainly a dead gas pipe. If you?re nervous about the tap not resealing unscrew the whole fitting slightly. If you want to play extra safe, turn your household gas supply of first, slacken it a bit and then turn it on again (or get someone else to do it).

Don?t be surprised if it smells of gas, the stenching agent lingers for years in iron pipes. It doesn?t mean it?s a live gas pipe. Test with soap for bubbles or just unscrew it more and listen for any hissing.

Once you know it?s dead, cut the end off. Job done.

Or, get a man in who?s been mixing regularly with the corona virus infested public and give him lots of your money. Take your pick. I think this is riskier than doing a spot of DIY. ;-)

Tim

I don't think he is, I think he wants it moved and just wants to know who to get in to move it.

I don't think Roland is a 'DIYer' (perhaps I'm wrong) and is looking for advice. That seems sensible.

It?s not unusual in industrial settings especially workshops to fin d gas pipes made of steel any self respecting gas safe plumber should be ab le to deal with it. If I recall even Screwfix up till a while back stocked some steel pipe and fittings. Back in the late eighties I installed a hob a nd ended up having to join two male threaded fittings, the local plumbers m erchant in the absence of a brass fitting gave me a threaded steel coupler to do the job.

As for the gas c*ck you have being old, does this look familiar?

Sizes might be different other sizes are available.

This discussion has gone round and round and the only way you are going to find out if the pipe is live is either you uncap it and try the valve or ge t a gas safe plumber to do it, at least with the latter if anything goes pe ar-shaped you have the guy on site to fix it. Once you establish the status of the pipe you can then discuss what to do w ith it. If you are concerned about paying plumbers rates for chipping out a concrete floor you can always offer to do the spade work and leave him/her to do the gas work.

Richard

Did houses have sculleries in posh Cambridge ;-)

I would think unlikely at best although I was recently told/reminded an old relative of mine still had gas lights in the late 50s/early 60s. I recall the flat but not the lights. It wasn't in the countryside, it just had never been updated.

We had a house, originally built in the 30s, which was like that. It had been extended in the 60s and in some rooms, the idea had been maintained.

In message , at

Even for the tap between the gas main and the consumer?

Yes, that's the clear line for further enquiry.

I agree in principle, apart from the fact the household gas supply is completely and utterly somewhere else with very simple, quite modern, identifiable copper plumbing.

Let me see, what?s the name of this group?

It?s a simple task, not rocket science.

Never too late to learn, especially when you find out how hard it is to get a tradesman in for a 5 minute job.

Tim