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Uncovered central heating pipes in house.

Bryony84
Bryony84 Posts: 89 Forumite
Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
in House buying, renting & selling
Just had a look round a potential rental property and the one thing that stood out to me as odd was that all the central heating pipes were exposed, running from the radiators up the walls to the next radiator upstairs. They were partially secured to the walls with plastic fixings but some were loose.

Its not something I've ever see before so I was wondering how safe it is. These pipes get pretty hot and you could easily burn yourself on them (or other people/visiting children etc could).

Just wondered if there are any regulations with such things?
£2012 in 2012 Challenge #232 : £561.29/£2012
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Comments

  • BitterAndTwisted
    BitterAndTwisted Posts: 22,492 Forumite
    First Post Combo Breaker
    It's not uncommon especially in older properties. There should be a control on the boiler to regulate the temperature of the water in the pipes if you're worried about children getting burned.
  • Toiletduck
    Toiletduck Posts: 181 Forumite
    Bryony84 wrote: »
    Just had a look round a potential rental property and the one thing that stood out to me as odd was that all the central heating pipes were exposed, running from the radiators up the walls to the next radiator upstairs. They were partially secured to the walls with plastic fixings but some were loose.

    Its not something I've ever see before so I was wondering how safe it is. These pipes get pretty hot and you could easily burn yourself on them (or other people/visiting children etc could).

    Just wondered if there are any regulations with such things?

    They might be hot but they couldnt ever be hotter than the radiators themselves which are much easier to come into contact with! Its just a very cheap installation - landlord job.
  • G_M
    G_M Posts: 51,977 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    Toiletduck wrote: »
    They might be hot but they couldnt ever be hotter than the radiators themselves which are much easier to come into contact with! Its just a very cheap installation - landlord job.
    Or Warmfront subsidy. Warmfron installations never run the pipes under the floor nor within casing - that costs extra.

    Homebase/Wickes are selling 5 x 1m lengths of pipe insulation for £1.99. Bargain.
  • clutton_2
    clutton_2 Posts: 11,149 Forumite
    edited 26 January 2011 at 1:41AM
    ""Its just a very cheap installation - landlord job.""

    or a house with solid flooring downstairs...... landlord houses and property owner houses....
  • tbs624
    tbs624 Posts: 10,816 Forumite
    If the visible pipework is running up the walls and through the ceiling to the floor above (as described by the OP)
    it's surely irrelevant whether the downstairs flooring is solid. The pipework could still have been cut into the walls.

    It is, as others have said, an installation done on the cheap.

    If you are thinking about taking the property ask the LL to confirm in writing that all loose pipework will be properly affixed to the wall before you move in.
  • G_M
    G_M Posts: 51,977 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    tbs624 wrote: »
    If the visible pipework is running up the walls and through the ceiling to the floor above (as described by the OP)
    it's surely irrelevant whether the downstairs flooring is solid. The pipework could still have been cut into the walls.

    It is, as others have said, an installation done on the cheap.

    If you are thinking about taking the property ask the LL to confirm in writing that all loose pipework will be properly affixed to the wall before you move in.
    tbs - as I said, this is standard practice on Warmfront installations. Nothing wrong with it - just a bit unsightly.

    Apart from the loose plastic fixings which need to be re-done. 10 minutes with a rawl plug and screw driver.
  • riverboat2001
    riverboat2001 Posts: 476 Forumite
    Debt-free and Proud! Mortgage-free Glee!
    I have a slightly different point of view on this.
    (and thats all it is)


    I wonder if the person who put it in was worried about the pipes bursting behind walls.
    I don't know if this can actually happen, but you never know.

    I'm having a new shower and am selecting a wall mounted electric one to make it easier and hopefully cheaper to replace when it breaks.
    Was a 40 a day smoker for 20 years.
    Decided to give up, and haven't had a fag for 12 years.
    Halfway through losing six stone.

    Looking forward to early retirement.
  • tbs624
    tbs624 Posts: 10,816 Forumite
    G_M wrote: »
    tbs - as I said, this is standard practice on Warmfront installations. Nothing wrong with it - just a bit unsightly.
    Of course cheap doesn't necessarily mean that there *is* anything wrong with it other than the aesthetics. My post didn't indicate otherwise.

    Pretty much lines up with your own comment that its down to costs - "Warmfron installations never run the pipes under the floor nor within casing - that costs extra."
    G_M wrote: »
    Apart from the loose plastic fixings which need to be re-done. 10 minutes with a rawl plug and screw driver.
    possibly a drill too but, either way, that is the job of the LL, not the T:)
  • poppysarah
    poppysarah Posts: 11,522 Forumite
    edited 26 January 2011 at 9:32AM
    I know the council were obliged to cover them up where they could be reached by a child in a friend's house. She had to get them to do them on the stairs too (bizarre piping job there)


    It's not a huge job to cover it up with some special covers
    http://www.bes.co.uk/products/137.asp
  • Soot2006
    Soot2006 Posts: 2,162 Forumite
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Post First Anniversary
    clutton wrote: »
    ""Its just a very cheap installation - landlord job.""

    or a house with solid flooring downstairs...... landlord houses and property owner houses....

    ^this

    We bought our first house in 2009 - external pipes. Immediately called a CH company as the whole system was ancient anyway and it was explained to be the concrete floors made everything a lot harder and that almost everyone in the neighbourhood has a few pipes running up the wall in discrete corners.

    It did annoy me at first, but now they're glossed and white you honestly don't really see them.
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