Cables touching gas pipes inside a lock-up frame
The 25 mm gap between wiring and gas pipes, and why lock-up is the only time to check it.
In short: Two trades work in the same wall a few days apart. Unless someone looks before plaster, nobody checks where the cable ended up against the pipe.
The rule
Above ground consumer gas pipes need at least 25 mm of separation from electrical cables and conduits. Water pipes, hot and cold, have clearance rules of their own.
What we recorded
On a Fraser Rise lock-up, cables were run straight across and against copper gas pipes in more than one wall, with no separation at all.
Why it matters
Rubbing and heat over the years can damage cable insulation. Next to gas, that is a risk worth a few cable ties to avoid.
Other lock-up items in the same walls
Top plates notched deeper than allowed to pass services, and sewer pipes left uncapped for debris to fall in.
Timing
Lock-up, after rough in and before plasterboard. A week later the walls are lined and the answer is unknown.
Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Fraser Rise. Licensed building practitioners, Building & Plumbing Commission registration CDB-U 53425.
