Corroded Gas Mains Pipe corroded.

Habbakuk

I've recently bought a property which is supplied by town gas. Where the pipe enters the property through the cellar, the pipe seems to be to be heavily corroded. I telephoned the gas people and the contacted National Grid who sent out an engineer or whatever he was. He took some pics using his computer/camera/phone and said that he would send them to his manager who would make a decision as to what will happen. He used some meter to detect excaping gas and he said that it wasn't detecting anything. Having not heard from the gas people for over a week I telephoned them on Friday and the lady said she would contact the manager and get back in touch. I telephoned again goday and the same lady said that she had spoken to the manage and that they wouldn't be doing anything until the gas mains on that street were upgraded and that all I had on the pipes were surface corrosion. How does he know that as the engineer didn't even touch let alone scratch the corroded pipe? She also said that if I ws not happy they would send out somebody to estimate the cost of a new pipe which I would be able to then pay for. I told here it was not good enough and that I'm insisiting on a new pipe. I should also add that the valve/tap on the pipe is also ancient looking. Does anybody here have any experience of something similar? How can I get them to replace the pipe? Keep phoning them and telling them I can smell gas? Make a nuisance of myself? Any seggestions? Thanks.

StuC75

Just because it looks old and worn the pipe may be functioning fine.

The engineer didn't detect any gas leaking, so are you actually smelling gas escaping? or is that to get them out..

Does that mean you have replaced all the piping in your house and re-wired the electrics because they may not be new so obviously need changing?

greyteam1959

Stop panicking for goodness sake !!!
You have done the right thing by calling the gas people.

WestonDave

If they are happy that the pipe is sound then if you want a new pipe you will have to pay for it. There is no point phoning them saying you smell gas because they will come out, test it again for leaks and if nothing is found will go away again leaving it as it is. I say that having phoned them about a leak once, had them do all their tests and go, only for us to call them back a few weeks later because we could still smell it, at which point they finally found a pipe some way away that was leaking. (Not blaming them for not finding it first time as it was far enough away that I was surprised the smell was coming from there - but once it was fixed it solved it so must just have been a strange air channelling effect)

anotherbaldrick

As the gas company said it is only external corrosion to the pipe and nothing to worry about why are you getting yourself in a twist ? If it is rusting it must black steel tube (BS1387) heavy weight , the wall thickness of this is 3.2mm so a bit of rusting is not going to puncture it.

Habbakuk

Here are the images. The second two are where the pipe is corroded and the first is of the valve.

anotherbaldrick

How did you achieve so much camera shake ? If you are going to post photo's take some decent ones. On the sweep bend fitting most of what has chipped away is paint, not metal rust.

zax47

"Town gas"? You don't mean "Town Gas" - does your town still have a gasworks? Do you live in the 1930s?

"Town, or Coal, Gas: Coal gas is no longer made in the UK. It was replaced first by gas made from oil and later by natural gas from the North Sea."

Mr_Ted

zax47 wrote: »

"Town gas"? You don't mean "Town Gas" - does your town still have a gasworks? Do you live in the 1930s?

"Town, or Coal, Gas: Coal gas is no longer made in the UK. It was replaced first by gas made from oil and later by natural gas from the North Sea."

Umm yes it is, on the Chanel Islands

DaftyDuck

Mr_Ted wrote: »

Umm yes it is, on the Chanel Islands

.... um.... which, to be really pedantic, are not part of the UK.

greyteam1959

And it's also spelt Channel.....