Gas related questions for a new build - is my builder right?

Hi, we are building a new house. We shall have gas cooktop and electric (heat pump) hot water system. We shall have bottles.

We decided on heat pump over gas continuous flow after much research. However, we want to future proof our HWS and were wanting to include a gas point / rough ins near the heatpump HWS so in case in future we want to swap over to Gas HWS we are able to do that.

Our builder suggests against it for 2 reasons
a) they can not give me a gas point near to HWS coz of regulations
b) swapping will not be as straight forward as the internal pipes are totally different for a gas based HWS, than what it is for electric. These pipes have to be gas complied etc etc. So according to them if I have to future proof it then they will have to run 2 piping system internally which we both agree is crazy.

However, I am not totally convinced. For the first one, I can have a point somewhere nearby and then it can be extended / adjusted a bit at that time by a tradesperson to bring it to the same position as current HWS and then connected to the internal piping.

And for the 2nd point, why would a different set of water carrying pipes be required!! The HWS just heats the water and then sends to the internal piping network. How does it matter what energy source it is using for heating the water!?

Anyways, I am nowhere an expert in the area, and would be keen to hear views of the members.

So I have 3 questions
1) Is my builder making sense in his objections and what could be the possible solution for that?
2) Can I really retrofit a gas HWS instead of heatpump/electric HWS later? Or is that totally non-feasible thought?
3) As a side, anyone has any views if I should also have a gas point at the alfresco for BBQ? Has it been useful to people who have done it?

Any insights would be greatly helpful.

V

I can't help with your first two questions (except to say that we chose an induction cooktop in order to avoid paying BOTH the electric and the gas connection fees forever), but for the 3rd - yes I have friends who've connected their BBQ to Natural Gas, and it means that you never have to monitor the level of your gas-bottles for the BBQ (as the system that monitors the big bottles on the side of the house do it for you) - but be aware that you do need to have the BBQ converted for Natural Gas (as it burns differently to LPG so requires different jets). I don't know that all BBQ's can be converted, and don't know what the conversion cost is (some of the more upmarket brands will sell you a new BBQ already converted, it was an option for our 6-burner Webber if I remember correctly).

Hi

here is my attempt at answering your questions:

1. your builder is either a complete moron or a liar ( ie too lazy to make the change). Internal hot water pipes would be the same size, generally either 20mm or 25mm and its only the external fittings that need changing ( unless there is some unusual non standard system you have chosen). Depending on what state you are in there may be a gas fitter on this forum who knows more about the regulations on having a capped of gas point on the external wall.
2. Off course you can, you can even run a gas system off bottles now if you wanted too
3. gas point for BBQ is a great idea

Thanks both for responseejae

SejaeD, I have posted this in another forum as well and let's see if I any gas expert bump into this post...