Hi,

Situation is a 1st floor flat which has a (ceramic tiled) suspended
wooden floor over concrete, and which has a steel (or iron?) gas pipe
running horizontally in the "void" between the concrete floor and the
wooden floor.

Question is, it it permissible to seal around the gas pipe where it
exits vertically from the floor?
My feeling is probably no...but cooking smells and yucky cigarette smoke
smells are coming up through this gap from the flat below and sealing it
would be an easy way to tackle this problem.

I realize that finding out where the smells are getting into the void in
the first place is the proper thing to do, but neither the owner nor
freeholder of the other flat is interested - and pursuing it is not
likely to get anywhere

Lee
--
Email address is valid, but is unlikely to be read.

"Lee" wrote in message
...
Hi,

Situation is a 1st floor flat which has a (ceramic tiled) suspended
wooden floor over concrete, and which has a steel (or iron?) gas pipe
running horizontally in the "void" between the concrete floor and the
wooden floor.

Question is, it it permissible to seal around the gas pipe where it
exits vertically from the floor?
My feeling is probably no...but cooking smells and yucky cigarette smoke
smells are coming up through this gap from the flat below and sealing it
would be an easy way to tackle this problem.

I realize that finding out where the smells are getting into the void in
the first place is the proper thing to do, but neither the owner nor
freeholder of the other flat is interested - and pursuing it is not
likely to get anywhere

Lee
--
Email address is valid, but is unlikely to be read.

I have just a few days ago asked a similar question on this NG regarding the
enclosure of a gas pipe in a partition wall. The advice I was given was that
pipes can only run vertically in a partition wall ( Why I have no idea,
unless it is a matter of convection and ventilation ) and any such pipe
needs to be 'enclosed in building material'. For example, , placing the gas
pipe behnd plasterboard is OK if dot and dab adhesive is used to form a
closed channel around the pipe when the plasterboard is put into position,
or wooden battens are used to form a channel for the pipe, then plasterboard
applied on top. In other words, there seems to be a requirement to minimise
the volume that the pipe is enclosed by, in case a leak occurs. I take it
that there must be some form of ventilation to open air for this pipe
enclosure otherwise a gas leak would find a way to force itself out of its
enclosure into to the partition wall/floor space. I imagine then that the
pipe should have a clearance hole around it where it exits a
wall/floorspace.

This is all supposition for pipes enclosed in the floor: my old combi gas
pipe ( c. 1988 ) was enclosed under the first floor floorboards with no
attempt at ventilation.

Andy.

When the pipe was layed it was a normal suspended floor, so as long as rules about notching or drilling joists were observed there were no other requirements. Especially no requirement to ventilate.

Now the floor is tiled you should re-interpret the rules for your own safety.. Effectively you have a pipe in a horizontal duct. Ducts should be ventilated to outside air to ensure that any gas escapes do not become unsafe. Size of vent is dependent on cross sectional area of duct. 0.05 to 7.5 msqrd vent is .05 msqd. duct exceeding 7.5 msqd vent 1/150th of duct area. The gas pipe as it enters from the flat below and as it emerges through your floor is better sealed to provide a 1/2 hour fire stop. Ventilation should be to outside.

There is an environmental health issue vis a vis smells from the flat below reaching your flat. Maybe the two dwellings are not fire stopped and sound insulated up to current standards. If you are unhappy with the response from the responsible person for the flat below talk to the environmental health department. Be awar that they will take an interest in as whole load of other things once you let them in.

Personally I would re-run the gas pipe above a tiled floor in tiled boxing ventilated to outside.

It also occurs to me that there is a fire prevention issue in ventilating the sub floor between two flats, which may over rule what I have said. To that end I would go and talk to your local fire brigade about it and ask them along to advise. This points towards geting that gas pipe out of there and making a new duct (boxing it in) outside of the space between flats.

Actually I hate gas pipes which are run inside dwellings, for your safety it is always best to run them externally as far as possible.

Paul Barker wrote:
It also occurs to me that there is a fire prevention issue in
ventilating the sub floor between two flats, which may over rule what I
have said. To that end I would go and talk to your local fire brigade
about it and ask them along to advise. This points towards geting that
gas pipe out of there and making a new duct (boxing it in) outside of
the space between flats.

Thanks, lots to think about.

Actually I hate gas pipes which are run inside dwellings, for your
safety it is always best to run them externally as far as possible.

I tend to agree and it may yet come to that anyway, probably use it a
good excuse to get the meter relocated outside along with the pipe.
There is only one appliance (combi), so it won't be too involved and the
meter is taking up useful space.

Lee
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Email address is valid, but is unlikely to be read.