Gas Main replacement - indoor meter.

Andy_WSM

Has anyone had their gas main replaced to plastic pipe recently? My area is currently undergoing replacement works with my street due to start next week. I have heard people say that if your meter is currently indoors that they will want to install it outdoors and run new pipework to meet the internal gas pipes. Can anyone confirm or deny that is the case? Really don't want a gas box and associated pipes on the front of my property and the path down the side isn't wide enough to have a box stuck out 9-12" from the wall. The information we have been provided with so far neglects to mention the issue at all but covers non-issues like "noise" & "parking" whilst the works are going on.

House_Martin

Andy_WSM wrote: »

Has anyone had their gas main replaced to plastic pipe recently? My area is currently undergoing replacement works with my street due to start next week. I have heard people say that if your meter is currently indoors that they will want to install it outdoors and run new pipework to meet the internal gas pipes. Can anyone confirm or deny that is the case? Really don't want a gas box and associated pipes on the front of my property and the path down the side isn't wide enough to have a box stuck out 9-12" from the wall. The information we have been provided with so far neglects to mention the issue at all but covers non-issues like "noise" & "parking" whilst the works are going on.

Yes, I can confirm that. I ve seen it a few times when the( then National Grid )replaced all the old cast iron mains up to the properties and installed new boxes outside, free of charge.If its not convenient they will place the box to suit the occupier. They prefer the shortest route but the ones I ve seen they have placed the new boxes conveniently for the occupier when one or two objected to front or side so they placed gas box at the rear.

boliston

i wish i had an indoor gas meter - i have just spent half an hour clearing frozen snow from the top of my outdoor meter box

CashStrapped

Interesting, they did this recently for a family member. But, all they did was run the new plastic pipe inside the existing pipe. No digging had to be carried out apart from the main junction areas in the road. They just terminated the new plastic pipe at the connection with the existing meter at it's current location, which was inside.

Andy_WSM

CashStrapped wrote: »

Interesting, they did this recently for a family member. But, all they did was run the new plastic pipe inside the existing pipe. No digging had to be carried out apart from the main junction areas in the road. They just terminated the new plastic pipe at the connection with the existing meter at it's current location, which was inside.

That's what I'm looking for really! I just don't want a gas box and associated pipework outside the property anywhere, front, side or rear. They look unslightly and the indoor location hasn't been an issue for the nearly 50 years the house has been here, so I don't see why it should suddenly be now.

If push comes to shove I'll just have the gas supply terminated and go out and buy an electric cooker.

Robin9

My own experience was the same as Cashtrapped.

Indoor meter and the replacement service fed inside the old pipe. No work on my property whatsover.

The overall project for my road of 50 houses took about a month. Several short bits of excavation but no trenches the length of the road.

Cardew

The gas main in our road, and pipes to the houses, was scheduled for replacement in early January - they still haven't started!

My gas meter is in the garage and I was told verbally by the firm's representative it has to be moved outside; a battle to be fought methinks.

C_Mababejive

It depends entirely on what the current situation is and it is impossible to say on here what will be done. Ideally the service is replaced using insertion techniques, i.e pushing a new plastic pipe up the old one. Sometimes this cant happen for various reasons in which case, the meter has to be re-sited.

fly-catchers

My piping was renewed this week with new piping going through existing pipe to my meter which is in the hall. Much swearing as they had great difficulty undoing the existing switch indoors to repace that part and gain access to this new pipe. But two hours later I had gas back on. Only annoyance was the splintered wood cover that had to be broken that was covering much of the pipe work in the hall. They did say it would be made good but no sign yet!

Smodlet

Our gas main was replaced either last year or the year before, I can't remember. They did have to dig up the path by the side of the house but made a very good job of putting it right. It turned out we had been sharing a supply pipe with our next door neighbours but now we have one each.

I don't remember any outside box though and the meter was not moved; it's still in the pantry.

Andy_WSM

Thanks for the responses. The works have started this week and at the moment it looks like the meter can stay where it is - which is good otherwise I'd just have had it removed entirely.

In other metering news, yet another (3rd) smart meter replacement appointment missed yesterday. Yet another £30 credit against my account...I wonder what the record for missed appointments / payments is?!