Victorian gas outlet??? Any advice?

[redjam]

Sorry, I know this isn't strictly an East Dulwich topic but as there are so many late-Victorian properties in the area I wondered if anyone has seen anything similar in their house and can advise.

We have what looks like an old gas outlet on the back wall of our daughter's bedroom which we'd like to remove, but we weren't sure whether it's safe to do so. Do I just call a registered gas engineer to check it out? And is it definitely a gas outlet or might it be something else? It's at floor level so maybe electricity but it doesn't look like any electricity outlet I've ever seen!

Has anyone had any experience of dealing with something similar?

 

[Penguin68]

It is most likely gas, with what looks like a stop cock, and although the pipe may well have been isolated later from the supply you should get in a gas safe engineer to remove it. At worst it might need to be capped off beneath the floor boards. Don't interfere with it yourself. 

[redjam]

Thanks, that's very helpful to have that confirmed! Really wasn't sure what we were dealing with. Will look into a gas engineer...

[malumbu]

Call National Grid and say you have a problem with a gas pipe  0800 111 999  and with luck they will fix it for free.  Most likely my diagnosis.   Some nutter had done their own gas plumbing in my house and National Grid blanked off both a supply to an old gas fire and a wrought iron pipe in the bathroom that supplied to the old bathroom water heater originally in the house.

Extremely unlikely to be connected, may be from the days of gas lighting (mainly over by the 1920s) .  Gas connection will have long since been modernised.  If it hasn't been blanked off then just turn it on and sniff, or if you are like me light it.  This is how gas fitters did it in the past,  Although at your own risk (you are more likely to asphyxiate from natural gas, it is not poisonous, and the smell is an additive, so you can smell leaks. Chances are you are old enough to have used Bunsen burners at school.

The end of the video is great, the biggest source of gas is your boiler, and if you house hasn't blown up already......

 

[Penguin68]

Absolutely do not follow the advice to turn on and check the outlet yourself, but the previous part of the post above about contacting the gas authorities. Amongst other things it us illegal for those not trained and certified to interfere with gas supplies. Which you can only check (if it should be live) by breaking the law! 

[Spartacus]

Or maybe let @malumbu come round and test it for you, thus potentially getting two birds with one stone 🤣

[malumbu]

On 21/02/2026 at 16:20, Penguin68 said:

Absolutely do not follow the advice to turn on and check the outlet yourself, but the previous part of the post above about contacting the gas authorities. Amongst other things it us illegal for those not trained and certified to interfere with gas supplies. Which you can only check (if it should be live) by breaking the law! 

So have you never been in a house where the gas hob was turned on but not ignited?  You get a smell of gas,  You do not get an explosion when you light the flame.   You have to have a very high concentration of methane (over 4.4%)  for this to happen, the smell of the gas would be obvious half way down the street.  They add mercaptans to natural gas to give it that smell at very low concentrations.  

Gas explosions happen once in a blue moon, in places like residential homes in the basements where, if unchecked, a leak can get up to explosive concentrations.  

Back to my original comment about Bunsen burners.  You'd got 30 kids in a classroom but no explosions.  

The establishment of Corgi (now Gas Safe) and the compulsory annual testing of boilers and cookers was mainly due to the relatively high number of deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning from faulty appliances and blocked flues in rented properties.

I don't expect the OP to test it themselves, I would, but that is my decision.  But you may get Natural Grid to do this free of charge if you ask nicely.

I thought the video was hilarious.  The guy shouts don't do this yourself, call in help.  

 

Edited 1 hour ago by malumbu

[Blah Blah]

1. It looks like a tap for the gas lighting that used to be found in those homes. The little tap would regulate the flow of gas to give a brighter or dimmer lamp. It's probably not part of any gas feed now and you can check that for yourself by following the gas pipework from your meter (which should only run to the kitchen to supply a boiler and cooker). Next time you have your boiler serviced, ask the engineer to have a look for you. 

[NewWave]

I had ones like that near the skirting board and also on the wall when I lived in a Victorian terrace.

Gas guy said they were from when the house had gas lamps none were connected any longer.

[redjam]

Thanks, all. I'm pretty sure it is all fine but I've got someone coming to change a radiator who is also a registered gas engineer so he's going to check it out while he's here. Better safe than sorry.

Interesting that it's so near the skirting board - we've got one downstairs at head height which is clearly for a gas lamp but you'd think it would be too low if it's at shin level! Can't envisage how they've have used it in ye olden days. It's nowhere near the chimney breast so it would be an odd place to put a gas fire.

[Insuflo]

19 minutes ago, redjam said:

Interesting that it's so near the skirting board - we've got one downstairs at head height which is clearly for a gas lamp but you'd think it would be too low if it's at shin level! Can't envisage how they've have used it in ye olden days. It's nowhere near the chimney breast so it would be an odd place to put a gas fire.

Could be that it was for some sort of gas powered appliance, there were many types in the past. In my parents’ Victorian house, we had a gas powered fridge freezer until the late 1970s and they were still being sold new at that time. It plugged into a sort of bayonet socket on the wall with flick switch to turn the gas on and off. 

[malumbu]

If you want to change a radiator and it is the same size, pretty straight forward.  isolate by turning the two valves, one is straight forward hand twist, the other side you need to take the cap off and get an adjustable spanner and turn till closed.  Both clockwise.

Use the same spanner to undo the large nuts that fix the radiator to the pipework, open the bleed valve, get a flatish container to catch the water which is likely to be a grotty black, sheets/plastic underneath to protect floor/floor covering.  Then jiggle off, tipping as quick as you an into your water container.

Fingers crossed it will be the same back plate fitting.  If not you will have to take the old one off and fix the new one.

Replacement is a reverse, allowing the rad to refill and let the air out.

No naked flames involved.

If it is a different size I can advise on that too.

Lots on line too:

https://www.toolstation.com/help-and-advice/how-to-guides/how-to-remove-radiator?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19747119835&gclid=CjwKCAiAkvDMBhBMEiwAnUA9BR26YwBA6kOfcR4-JVxfJEjWdhRk6j0imCNcsIfu064wHN54-cs10xoCZ4cQAvD_BwE

Although this is for a pressurised (combi) system where you need to get it back to pressure.  Pretty simple.  I don't bother with jointing compound.