Hi there, I'm new to this forum and hope someone can give me a bit of
advice.

My gas meter is fixed to my external house wall but within a lean-to
garage. It is not recessed into the wall, it is mounted on a steel
plate fixed directly to the brickwork at a height of 1800mm. The
incoming gas pipe comes vertically from the floor to the same height as
the top of the meter but 200mm to the right of it and connects into the
top of the meter with a 'bendy' metal pipe. The cut-off lever is at the
top of the rigid vertical pipe. The outgoing pipe comes from the top of
the meter and bends left after about 600mm then runs along the garage
wall and into the kitchen wall further along.

I want to have the garage dismantled which would leave the exposed
meter outside.

I obviously want to box the meter in securely with a lockable door for
access (I assume this is legally necessary too?).

Now, most boxes I have seen for sale online assume the incoming pipe
comes in from below and the outgoing pipe goes straight into the
brickwork rather than back out of the box. Is it possible to buy boxes
that simply slot over full meters and bolt to the wall, with a means of
cutting out holes where the piping needs to go?

Alternatively is it allowed to make your own slot-over box? It would be
no problem for me to make a secure, weather-proof, lockable wooden box
to fully enclose the meter, flexible pipe and cut-off lever which I
could fit without disturbing any of the pipework.

Or any other suggestions?

hope this makes sense, with apologies for not knowing the correct
jargon!!

cheers
Alan

On 10 Dec 2006 04:11:29 -0800, "coffeeman" wrote:

Hi there, I'm new to this forum and hope someone can give me a bit of
advice.

My gas meter is fixed to my external house wall but within a lean-to
garage. It is not recessed into the wall, it is mounted on a steel
plate fixed directly to the brickwork at a height of 1800mm. The
incoming gas pipe comes vertically from the floor to the same height as
the top of the meter but 200mm to the right of it and connects into the
top of the meter with a 'bendy' metal pipe. The cut-off lever is at the
top of the rigid vertical pipe. The outgoing pipe comes from the top of
the meter and bends left after about 600mm then runs along the garage
wall and into the kitchen wall further along.

I want to have the garage dismantled which would leave the exposed
meter outside.

I obviously want to box the meter in securely with a lockable door for
access (I assume this is legally necessary too?).

Now, most boxes I have seen for sale online assume the incoming pipe
comes in from below and the outgoing pipe goes straight into the
brickwork rather than back out of the box. Is it possible to buy boxes
that simply slot over full meters and bolt to the wall, with a means of
cutting out holes where the piping needs to go?

Alternatively is it allowed to make your own slot-over box? It would be
no problem for me to make a secure, weather-proof, lockable wooden box
to fully enclose the meter, flexible pipe and cut-off lever which I
could fit without disturbing any of the pipework.

Or any other suggestions?

hope this makes sense, with apologies for not knowing the correct
jargon!!

cheers
Alan

Could you not build a little housing made of matching brick ( matching your
house) with a metal door which can be secured with the same lock as used for
otside meter boxes to allow the meter reader to open it when he/she calls .

Stuart .

"Stuart" wrote in message
...
On 10 Dec 2006 04:11:29 -0800, "coffeeman" wrote:

Hi there, I'm new to this forum and hope someone can give me a bit of
advice.

My gas meter is fixed to my external house wall but within a lean-to
garage. It is not recessed into the wall, it is mounted on a steel
plate fixed directly to the brickwork at a height of 1800mm. The
incoming gas pipe comes vertically from the floor to the same height as
the top of the meter but 200mm to the right of it and connects into the
top of the meter with a 'bendy' metal pipe. The cut-off lever is at the
top of the rigid vertical pipe. The outgoing pipe comes from the top of
the meter and bends left after about 600mm then runs along the garage
wall and into the kitchen wall further along.

I want to have the garage dismantled which would leave the exposed
meter outside.

I obviously want to box the meter in securely with a lockable door for
access (I assume this is legally necessary too?).

Now, most boxes I have seen for sale online assume the incoming pipe
comes in from below and the outgoing pipe goes straight into the
brickwork rather than back out of the box. Is it possible to buy boxes
that simply slot over full meters and bolt to the wall, with a means of
cutting out holes where the piping needs to go?

Alternatively is it allowed to make your own slot-over box? It would be
no problem for me to make a secure, weather-proof, lockable wooden box
to fully enclose the meter, flexible pipe and cut-off lever which I
could fit without disturbing any of the pipework.

Or any other suggestions?

hope this makes sense, with apologies for not knowing the correct
jargon!!

cheers
Alan

Could you not build a little housing made of matching brick ( matching
your
house) with a metal door which can be secured with the same lock as used
for
otside meter boxes to allow the meter reader to open it when he/she calls
.

Stuart .

You are responsible for the safe enclosure of the gas meter, according to
the chap at Transco whom I spoke to earlier this year.


--
the_constructor

coffeeman wrote:

I obviously want to box the meter in securely with a lockable door for
access (I assume this is legally necessary too?).

Well it certainly needs nothing other than the standard triangular
lock/key that the gas-meter readers carry; whether you're allowed to
leave it totally unlocked I don't know. If it's on your land away from
the public footpath where vandals could wreak havoc, I expect it's
probably OK unlocked.

David

On 10 Dec 2006 04:11:29 -0800, "coffeeman"
wrote:

Hi there, I'm new to this forum and hope someone can give me a bit of
advice.

My gas meter is fixed to my external house wall but within a lean-to
garage. It is not recessed into the wall, it is mounted on a steel
plate fixed directly to the brickwork at a height of 1800mm. The
incoming gas pipe comes vertically from the floor to the same height as
the top of the meter but 200mm to the right of it and connects into the
top of the meter with a 'bendy' metal pipe. The cut-off lever is at the
top of the rigid vertical pipe. The outgoing pipe comes from the top of
the meter and bends left after about 600mm then runs along the garage
wall and into the kitchen wall further along.

Your best option would probably be to engage your joinery skills and
make a wooden weatherproof box yourself. Fiddling about trying to fit
a standard surface monut meter box would be too much trouble as the
connections arent right and they would need alteration which means
££££

joe

thanks for all the suggestions, my preference would definitely be to
build my own box which I would be competant to do - just wondering
whether there are any regulations about meter boxes that I would need
to work to?

I would look into fixing a standard recessed meter cover onto my box so
it locked with a normal meter-reader's key. Any thoughts?

thanks again

Alan

Psst wrote:
On 10 Dec 2006 04:11:29 -0800, "coffeeman"
wrote:

Hi there, I'm new to this forum and hope someone can give me a bit of
advice.

My gas meter is fixed to my external house wall but within a lean-to
garage. It is not recessed into the wall, it is mounted on a steel
plate fixed directly to the brickwork at a height of 1800mm. The
incoming gas pipe comes vertically from the floor to the same height as
the top of the meter but 200mm to the right of it and connects into the
top of the meter with a 'bendy' metal pipe. The cut-off lever is at the
top of the rigid vertical pipe. The outgoing pipe comes from the top of
the meter and bends left after about 600mm then runs along the garage
wall and into the kitchen wall further along.

Your best option would probably be to engage your joinery skills and
make a wooden weatherproof box yourself. Fiddling about trying to fit
a standard surface monut meter box would be too much trouble as the
connections arent right and they would need alteration which means
££££

joe

On Sun, 10 Dec 2006 13:20:11 -0800, coffeeman wrote:

thanks for all the suggestions, my preference would definitely be to
build my own box which I would be competant to do - just wondering
whether there are any regulations about meter boxes that I would need
to work to?

I would look into fixing a standard recessed meter cover onto my box so
it locked with a normal meter-reader's key. Any thoughts?

thanks again

Alan

Psst wrote:
On 10 Dec 2006 04:11:29 -0800, "coffeeman"
wrote:

Hi there, I'm new to this forum and hope someone can give me a bit of
advice.

My gas meter is fixed to my external house wall but within a lean-to
garage. It is not recessed into the wall, it is mounted on a steel
plate fixed directly to the brickwork at a height of 1800mm. The
incoming gas pipe comes vertically from the floor to the same height as
the top of the meter but 200mm to the right of it and connects into the
top of the meter with a 'bendy' metal pipe. The cut-off lever is at the
top of the rigid vertical pipe. The outgoing pipe comes from the top of
the meter and bends left after about 600mm then runs along the garage
wall and into the kitchen wall further along.

Your best option would probably be to engage your joinery skills and
make a wooden weatherproof box yourself. Fiddling about trying to fit
a standard surface monut meter box would be too much trouble as the
connections arent right and they would need alteration which means
££££


Ask the owners of the meter what they would be happy with.
Whilst the enclosure is the freeholders responsibility its requirements
will be set down by Transco.

It would be a straight forward job to reroute the outlet gas pipe to suit
the box.



--
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.
The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk
Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html
Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html
Choosing a Boiler FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/BoilerChoice.html
Gas Fitting Standards Docs he http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFittingStandards

[top post corrected]
coffeeman wrote:
Psst wrote:
On 10 Dec 2006 04:11:29 -0800, "coffeeman"
wrote:

My gas meter is fixed to my external house wall but within a
lean-to garage. It is not recessed into the wall, it is mounted
on a steel plate fixed directly to the brickwork at a height of
1800mm. The incoming gas pipe comes vertically from the floor to
the same height as the top of the meter but 200mm to the right of
it and connects into the top of the meter with a 'bendy' metal
pipe. The cut-off lever is at the top of the rigid vertical pipe.
The outgoing pipe comes from the top of the meter and bends left
after about 600mm then runs along the garage wall and into the
kitchen wall further along.

Your best option would probably be to engage your joinery skills
and make a wooden weatherproof box yourself. Fiddling about trying
to fit a standard surface monut meter box would be too much trouble
as the connections arent right and they would need alteration which
means ££££

I would look into fixing a standard recessed meter cover onto my box
so it locked with a normal meter-reader's key. Any thoughts?

Try this lot: they may have a box to suit, or I note you can even buy
the locks (and other parts) separately:
http://www.meter-boxes.co.uk/content/home.asp

David