|
|
Saturday 17th Mar 2007 12:23:03
Pipes you see, pipes you don't
 
I got an album by these people. In fact, I think I have the only album by these people. Seems appropriate, for today I have been looking underneath floorboards, trying to figure out where the pipes that I (ordinarily) don't see meet up with the pipes that I do see, and whether these are one of the same. I should say now, these pictures and indeed this entry is pretty much for my sake more than anyone else's - a record of what I've learnt.
So this pipe (top-left picture) used to deliver gas to the back boiler but has been capped off in the chimney. I'm thinking it could be capped off anywhere along this length here. This view is from the entrance into the living room, looking towards the right of the chimney stack.
| 
This view taken from the left of the chimney stack, looking back towards the doorway. The copper pipes visible against the wall, coming up through the floorboards, feed the radiator.
| 
The picture on the left is taken again from the doorway, but this time looking towards the left of the chimney breast were those two strange pipes (wrapped in some kind insulation and therefore presumably once carrying hot water) would have once gone to/from the back boiler. Note the water line. We're still not entirely sure where this water is coming from; we just know it is not to be concerned about. The water could either be ground water or originate from leaky lead pipes (in which case the water would gradually disappear). The pipes feeding the combi-boiler get from ground floor to the first floor via the corner of the room to the right of the radiator (facing the radiator), so I've no idea
what these insulation-clad pipes do, if anything. They obviously used to carry water, as the stop tap leaks water when turned on slightly and there is various signs of corrosion (green, oxidised copper) around some of the joins. The picture to the right, I'm by the doorway, looking left along the wall where the radiator goes. I'm convinced that all of these pipes going up the chimney breast then go into our bedroom directly above, around the skirting board (where they've been boxed in) and would have once gone into the bathroom (kinda makes sense - the back boiler heats the water, takes it to the bathroom) but have now been terminated (un-capped) in the cupboard where now resides our combi-boiler.
| Update
Well, this is all very odd. Those pipes clad in some kind of horse-hair insulation actually carry hot water down from the boiler (via a rather convoluted path), into the three radiators on the ground floor. So why the boxed-up pipes in the other corner? What do they do? They must be for gas and cold water. How odd. Now I am confused.
|
|
|
|
Add your comment (or not):
|
|
|
