Hi Guys,
What is showing in the below pictures is a tiny bit of mystery to me.
Basically it is installed next to a weatherboard house.
The wall where this pipe thingy is installed on the ground is an old shop front area(the side wall of outside)
of the house, which is no longer a shop.
From the outset it looks like a water plumbing termination to me, then I wonder the is the purpose of the copper wire nicely wrapped around it!!!?
The red pipe next to the copper pipe is an electrical extension to the outside from the inside of the old shop, so no issues with understanding that.
It can't be a gas pipe(LPG bottled gas used with plumbing to the cooker & heater) because there is no gas pipe need for that side, and besides the gas copper pipes are slightly thinner.

What is it? Any thoughts? It is in Australia(Melbourne).

Thanks

 

Well, it certainly looks like a gas pipe or possibly fuel oil? The valve and clamp are obviously new. Perhaps there used to be NG service that has been disconnected? Or could it be an old buried tank?

It's exactly what I would expect to see for an abandoned (but could still be made active) gas service line. Except for what appears to be a plastic rain cap? Normally it would be closed with a pipe plug or cap.

 

I looks to me like the valve is open????

 

In the States... that would be a water service or future water service.
I've never seen a utility here use copper for gas.

Down there it could be a future water or gas service.
It's utility installed as it has a tracer wire on it.
Definitely not an active gas line or it would have a lockable handle on it.

 

Ahhh, the markings on the valve through me since it's G and F...I was assuming Gas and Fuel. But duh on me I didn't note it was open.

Why would they put tracer wire on a steel pipe?? I understand for poly and such, but steel? And it looks like plain steel...for water? Wouldn't that normally be galvanized..or copper?

 

That's not steel..... it's copper. It's greenish colored.

 

Jeez...I don't see any green at all! Different eyes, different monitors I guess. I better go back and check my car stereo adapter hookups though....lol.

 

:Yes, it is copper. Here in Australia they use copper pipes for natural gas/LPG and hot water connections.
:However, there is no natural gas connection to this property, nor has it connected to the street sewerage system either. It uses bottled LPG and connected to the indoor heaters and stove via copper piping.

 

It is not a gas pipe I think( i can be wrong). I am not sure what fuel oil connection it can be, but I doubt it.

 

I don't think it matters whether the stopcock is open or shut, 'cos the pipe is terminated at the top with a screwed in cap with teflon.

 

The plug(cap) in the end that terminates it is copper, not plastic.

 

If that was on my property, I would close the valve, take off the cap & give it a sniff. If the sniff didn't reveal anything, I'd slowly crack the valve open to see what comes out. And I'd have some teflon handy to put the cap back.

 

That is what I am planning to do tomorrow. It is a Sunday, so not a bad day to take a chance with a pipe out of the ground.

 

I had this exact same thing at my house (mid-Atlantic U.S.). Mine was used to connect large LP tanks to the house heater. Back in the 70's in this area it was very common to use copper in these applications.

 

Thanx guys. A plumber has advised me it is the natural gas connection pipe. The gas company places it in the property. There is no meter yet 'cos they haven't connected to natural gas(yet). Apparently turned out bit expensive to connect the natural gas 'cos it demanded an upgrade of all the LPG plumbing in the house to suit natural gas. Appliances aren't or weren't a problem 'cos plumber can change the valve/regulator inside the appliance(water heater, cooking stove, wall heater etc) to suit natural gas from LPG.

I think the copper wire around the pipe is to protect is from catching fire from a combination of a gas leak & a lightening?