Old gaslight lines?
Do not assume the old gas pipes for lighting are unrelated to the gas pipe used for cooking. Trace the latter back to the source and make sure you can see the whole line and that it is separate. We cut our lighting pipes, mostly on the parlor floor, during an electrical upgrade and inadvertently destroyed a gas line on the floor above. We now use an electric stove in that kitchen.
cate
in Brownstoner Renovation 9 years and 7 months ago
8
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8 replies
mario71 | 9 years and 7 months ago
We are in the process of doing demolition and re-framing for a gut reno of our 1910s row house in Bay Ridge. The second floor bedrooms were probably untouched for the last 100 years, and now that we are back to the bones the pipes in the pictures have come to light, and I’m wondering if they were gas pipes for interior gaslight back in the day? And if they were later used as electric boxes by some cheapo? (see the flexible conduits also going into the boxes). The pictures are dark but I hope it’s visible that there’s a whole network of pipes crisscrossing the cockloft between the ceiling and the roof beams. Any clues or input greatly appreciated. BTW the current kitchen is on the other side of the house, so those pipes have nothing to do with any current gas configuration.
mario71 | 9 years and 7 months ago
I’m sorry, the pictures did not upload. Here they are.
daveinbedstuy | 9 years and 7 months ago
Yes, there were probably interior gas lights and they may or may not have been used to run electric wires later. They should all be cut off nowfrom any gas supply now. You can leave them all in place and work around them or remove them as needed.
Rick | 9 years and 7 months ago
_**Yes, you have it right, at one time you had gaslight and the photo looks like an old sconce. At a later date someone added the electric box to be able to use a fixture in the same location. By now you should have had all the old gaslight removed from the basement meter.**_
Rick | 9 years and 7 months ago
How do I delete my post?
Lurker | 9 years and 7 months ago
Caution!! Even though logically they would be cut off, I’ve lived in two places where they were still live, at least in part. Many old buildings in NY were gas, and then often they capped them and then put a sort of adapter on the end that allowed you to screw in a light fixture (and an outlet or junction box was screwed on too) when electricity was retrofitted. I don’t know all the technical terms. But in our old apt (and our neighbors) these turned out to be partly live as the main branches weren’t cut and capped in the basement back in the day. So don’t futz with these and have a plumber look at them. In our current place we noticed a minor gas smell that turned out to be in the wall and it was a leak in a current/modern gas line that somehow intersected with the old gas line. Obviously this is the kind of thing that can take down buildings if you aren’t careful.
snowman2 | 9 years and 7 months ago
I found several live gas wall sconces in my 1880 house over 30 years ago. The network of gas pipes throughout the house was intact which scared the hell out of me. I cut the gas supply in the cellar where it came out of the meter and ran new gas to the kitchens and laundry room. I abandoned the old, now dead gas pipes in the walls. There is no reason to go through the expense and mess of removing them.
thetinkerswagon | 9 years and 7 months ago
be careful, while they do not have gas in them at the opening shown in the pic, that does not mean there is not a capped or valved section back in the house someplace. I have run into pipes in houses with gas still active. they did not always cut it off completely as they had already had gas cooking appliances. I would guess that there would be nothing wrong with running wire through the old pipe so long as if it has a break from the main, it is grounded with a cold water ground. I have seen this done with wire coming out of ceilings and lamps hung on gas pipe. Steve