New boiler, copper overflow pipe on external wall- is this right?

[whataboutbob]

I have had to get a new boiler for my late father's rental property, which is in probate. It also needed the flue re routing as the current setup did not meet the regs.
Thought I was doing well with a professional and well recommended local plumber. The tenant informed me that there is now a copper pipe running from below the bathroom to the ground, on the front external wall- so quite conspicuous. The plumber told me this is quite OK, they had to do it to comply with regs.
I attach a picture. Any comments? Should I insist they change the pipe/ re route it? Thanks for any advice.

Everyone round the who has had a new boiler in the last 2 years has this. It fades fairly quickly, ours doesn't stand out at all now. New regs I think

Yep it's the new thing - sticking copper outside as it's not worth demolishing internal walls to access old copper piping

As long as it isn't on a north-facing wall and freezes in winter, like ours did. It stopped the boiler from working and we had to pay to have it re-routed through the ceiling and into a downstairs sink pipe.

Thanks for posting.
So it seems there's good news (it's not that unusual and might be on the increase) and bad news (it could freeze).
It's in Kent, I believe the wall is East facing.
PigletJohn, if you are around, your opinion would be really valued!

Just bumping this as I'm hoping for some more opinions. Haven't paid the plumbers yet as I am still trying to decide if it really is an issue.

what size is it?

It might be a gas pipe. If so it should go towards the meter.

It might be a condensate pipe, but it shouldn't be. Copper is prone to freeze, and yours looks rather small and is uninsulated.

Have a look inside the house and see if you can puzzle out what it is.

But the first step is to ask the installer.

You can paint pipes to make them blend in. Thieves sometimes steal copper pipe.

Thieves came down my grabs road (terrace in Sheffield) and cut off the few inches of copper pipe from all the houses. Nearly everyone had a few inches of pipe outside. Fuckers. All that expense to fix.

*my gran's

Thank you very much Piglet. I will call the installer tomorrow and ascertain exactly what is going through the pipe and post again.
Sorry to hear about your Gran Kokusai. Maybe painting the pipe would be a good idea.

Almost certainly the pressure relief pipe. It is presumably open at the bottom?
It can be routed however you like, the only rules are it can't go uphill at any point, it has to be metal, and it has to discharge somewhere that wouldn't be a hazard or damage things.
If it goes it could be releasing boiling water and steam at great pressure.
The old boiler would have had one, but often they just discharge above head height.
Ask for it to be re routed. Perhaps it will need to go internally to the side or back of the house.

The plumber called it a discharge pipe, it's to carry any overflow whether gas or liquid, I hope this makes sense. I can't face asking for it to be re routed partly because the tenants get rather upset when stuff is done in the house. I am thinking of painting it though to deter thieves

It's what John thought.

If water ever comes out of it, there is a fault, so the boiler and/or heating system will need repair. So that pipe needs to be where it is obvious and inconvenient. Under some circumstances the water may be very hot, so the end may be turned back to discharge against the wall.

Doesn't have to be rerouted now, but if you wait until the tenants move out, you'll probably have to pay to get it moved. Painting it is also fine.
It doesn't technically have to be obvious, although as piglet John suggests it's a good idea to have it noticeable, only header/water tank overflows are necessary to be obvious. But if it goes you probably won't have any heating and hot water.