Gas pipe on wall outside house

Astara

The flat above me is having a new boiler fitted and today the workmen ran the gas pipe up and out of the wall by their front door. They want to take it down the steps onto a white wall which is the outside of my flat and into the gas meter cupboard. It looks awful and I've never seen a gas pipe on the front of a house before.

I've complained about it, what do you think?

Many thanks in advance!

lemontart

it is not unusual to have this but they do need permission to do it

Cardew

Depends what your lease states, but you certainly have 'common sense' grounds to object.

I assume that there is another 'routing' that the pipe could take?

Astara

Cardew wrote: »

Depends what your lease states, but you certainly have 'common sense' grounds to object.

I assume that there is another 'routing' that the pipe could take?

Thank you that's good advice, I will take a look at the lease. They could route it another way but of course it takes more time and money to do it that way.

lemontart

dependent where you are some areas need planning permission for gas pipes going up the outside from the meter so check with planning dept too as it has to fit in so to say with area and building

Astara

It's definitely a copper gas pipe. The owner who rents out the flat is back from his holiday on Monday and is coming round to look at it. Will let you know what happens!

Astara

I felt pressured yesterday to let him carry on with the work. I kept saying I wasn't happy with it but felt pressured by him and the workmen all standing there. He said he would change it if I didn't like it once the tenant moved out. It looks awful and I don't like it so have asked him to change it.

The tenant is not moving out for 2 months so do I have to put up with this eyesore outside my front door and window?

asbokid

Any chance of sharing a photo? Let posters here decide whether they agree that the pipework is an eyesore . http://www.imageshack.us

Have you thought about an alternative route for the pipework? The gas meter for the upstairs flat is on the ground floor, so how does the existing pipework reach the appliances in that flat? Is there a boxed conduit or shaft for running services, whether inside your flat or outside? Is the conduit readily accessible? If so, why isn't the landlord using it? And why is the landlord changing the pipework? Is it absolutely necessary? It's not unusual to need a bigger pipe after the installation of an uprated boiler. Is that his justification?

Astara

asbokid wrote: »

Any chance of sharing a photo? Let posters here decide whether they agree that the pipework is an eyesore . http://www.imageshack.us

Have you thought about an alternative route for the pipework? The gas meter for the upstairs flat is on the ground floor, so how does the existing pipework reach the appliances in that flat? Is there a boxed conduit or shaft for running services, whether inside your flat or outside? Is the conduit readily accessible? If so, why isn't the landlord using it? And why is the landlord changing the pipework? Is it absolutely necessary? It's not unusual to need a bigger pipe after the installation of an uprated boiler. Is that his justification?

Sorry I don't have a camera but will see if a friend can take one. The gas meters are in an outside cupboard in the basement where my flat is. There is a boxed conduit outside the cupboard but he's saying he would have to dig up the flooring in his flat and the hallway to come down into that. It is a bigger pipe as they've changed from a conventional boiler to a combi and that's why it looks even worse!

He says he can't dig up flooring while the tenant is living there and he couldn't leave him with no hot water or heat.

asbokid

Astara wrote: »

Sorry I don't have a camera but will see if a friend can take one. The gas meters are in an outside cupboard in the basement where my flat is. There is a boxed conduit outside the cupboard but he's saying he would have to dig up the flooring in his flat and the hallway to come down into that. It is a bigger pipe as they've changed from a conventional boiler to a combi and that's why it looks even worse!

He says he can't dig up flooring while the tenant is living there and he couldn't leave him with no hot water or heat.

Sounds like a bluff from a bad landlord. His workmen have bodged the job to save time and cash. And now he's fobbed you off with a phony promise to remedy their shoddy work in a few months time. It won't happen. Once the tenant is out he will want to re-let it as soon as possible.

The tenant had to put up with no hot water and heating while the boiler was installed. That was the time to install the correct pipework in the correct place.

If the pipework is fixed to your wall, without your permission then the landlord may be committing an ongoing trespass. If so, you have a right to have it removed. Don't put up with it. I hate people like that. We had a nightmare neighbour doing something similar. Did you check your lease for easements?

P.S. I bet he could run the new pipework neatly in the conduit up to his floor level. He could bring it in, for the time being, and run it at skirting level through his hallway and to the boiler. And in two months' time he can sort out the mess in his flat.

spiro

Given it has already cost him £00s to have the new pipe put in you can bet a months rent he would spend more £00s getting the pipe moved. By having it there for a couple of months he'll argue its there why should I move it.

Depending on where you live I would check with the planning department. I would say though that there have been various posts on here that when the gas mains are replaced that all new pipes are being put on the outside regardless of the old routing. I dont if this is to save time & money, provide easy access, increased safety as any leak would be outside or a combination of any/all of these.