Gas Pipes Entering House

Jimbo_5

The gas company recently swapped gas meters from inside the house to outside the house. And they did all the piping. My question is this: Shouldn't they have used some sort of sleeve where the piping passed through the brickwork? There seems to be a white lime-like formation spreading around the pipe where it touches the brickwork and cement they filled around it with. I noticed that where they penetrated the basement wall separating the two houses, they used a PVC-like sleeve around the 1" pipe. It's got my curiosity about eventual failure of the piping.

Tim P._3

Above- or below ground

In most of the US a sleeve is required if the pipe enters the basement below ground.  If

it penetrates above ground, it should be wrapped or sleeved.



See

G2415.4 and G2417.7 of the IRC,  There are similar requirements in the commercial code (not sure of your scenario , as you mention "between houses")



Tim

Jimbo_5

Firewall between attached houses

The gas line runs from one house into the next one, through the firewall and is sleeved there. The pipes running from the gas meter into the house, through the 100-year old brick, is simply a hole with the pipe and then completely filled with cement. I suspect there is a chemical reaction taking place between the new piping and the cement or brick. Since it is on MY side of the meter, if or when there is a problem it will fall on me to fix/repair the problem THEY created.

Jimbo_5

Pipes Entering House

Here is a pic of the pipes entering the brickwork. I am not too pleased with the amount of threads showing on the pipe to elbow on the left. Am I over-reacting to this or is a problem looming?

Tim P._3

Depends on the codes your area uses..

Where I live, the pipe needs to be coated or wrapped with an inert material where it passes through the wall (or it can be sleeved).  I am not sure what you have there.



The system should have been pressure tested, so all joints should be fine.

Jimbo_5

We're in Monmouth County, Nj, Neptune to be exact.

The bare pipe comes through the wall and both sides were then sealed with cement. I do not really deal with gas piping, but some jobs I have been on the inspector insists on a minimum and maximum number of threads showing. Seeing that many threads, I have to wonder how long the threads were cut . . . or is it tight with only 3 threads into the elbow. I guess they don't want it run all the way home, buried, or not enough threads holding. The white on the pipe after such a short period of time makes me wonder.

Jimbo_5

We're in Monmouth County, Nj, Neptune to be exact.

The bare pipe comes through the wall and both sides were then sealed with cement. I do not really deal with gas piping, but some jobs I have been on the inspector insists on a minimum and maximum number of threads showing. Seeing that many threads, I have to wonder how long the threads were cut . . . or is it tight with only 3 threads into the elbow. I guess they don't want it run all the way home, buried, or not enough threads holding. The white on the pipe after such a short period of time makes me wonder.

Jimbo_5

We're in Monmouth County, Nj, Neptune to be exact.

The bare pipe comes through the wall and both sides were then sealed with cement. I do not really deal with gas piping, but some jobs I have been on the inspector insists on a minimum and maximum number of threads showing. Seeing that many threads, I have to wonder how long the threads were cut . . . or is it tight with only 3 threads into the elbow. I guess they don't want it run all the way home, buried, or not enough threads holding. The white on the pipe after such a short period of time makes me wonder.

Jimbo_5

I have NO idea what just happened.

xxxx

Ironman

Sleeve

Whether it's in the local code or not, it should be sleeved to prevent corrosion and stress to the pipe from settling. The national gas code requires it.