Tracing gas leaks

[diamondgas]

Maybe something more from the past. Yesterday I had to trace and repair a gas leak! Years ago it was the norm, nowadays though its more of a rarity!

I had a 8 mbar drop on a modern E6 meter! Thing is I smelt it when I walked on the passageway & the custard had a friend mention the same!!!!

3hrs later I crawled under the floorboards of a bungalow and replaced a compression elbow with a soldered one!!!! This, I hope will give those who haven't had to trace a gas escape some kind of guidance!

First of all I registered the drop - 6mbar.

Then isolated the gas boiler and fire to test the interior pipework! Still the same! Not what you want on a Saturday..... AND I HATE LAMINATE FLOORING!!!!

So where next do you go? My advice, quizzing the custard can help pinpoint the area of first investigation (not always helpful)

Test and check anything and everything above floor level is first thoughts, isolate the gas meter and test it first! You then know it's on pipework if the test is sound!

On this job I tested all I could with soap solution and a gas leak electronic detector! Nothing found! I then had to start lifting carpets and floor boards. My best advice is to isolate, where possible, anything in the vicinity of where the customer most strongly smells the gas! In my case it didn't help. I lifted two 'traps' and isolated the gas in the passageway where the gas was smelt to no avail. Turned out I found a compression fitting under the floor of the kitchen leaking! Replaced with a solder elbow, job sorted! It's been at least 10 year since I've had to crawl under floorboards!!! Flippin heck! :lol:

Anyhow I wanted to set this thread in motion for others to maybe give best advice to those GSR wanting advice on tracing gas escapes.

Yesterday's job was a process of elimination, isolating pipework until you hone down the area where the escape is!! It's been over a decade since I've crawled under floorboard! I needed three boards up, gutted!!! LOL

 

[Barry98]

And if you can't isolate cut and cap , saves plenty of time even when making good.

good read diamond cheers

 

[Simon F]

It's been over a decade since I've crawled under floorboard! I needed four boards up, gutted!!! LOL

bit open ended as to what type of boards.:grin:
I recently quoted a customer to repipe a leaking gas pipe under concrete floor. The national grid guy had spent a couple of hours checking the leak and determined with his posh tester that it was after the meter and under the floor. I didn't do the job because in the end she had an insurance that covered it and sent someone out, turned out to be leaking at the meter washer, taught me to check myself and not trust to much what your led to believe.

 

[diamondgas]

bit open ended as to what type of boards.:grin:
I recently quoted a customer to repipe a leaking gas pipe under concrete floor. The national grid guy had spent a couple of hours checking the leak and determined with his posh tester that it was after the meter and under the floor. I didn't do the job because in the end she had an insurance that covered it and sent someone out, turned out to be leaking at the meter washer, taught me to check myself and not trust to much what your led to believe.

My first life training was to eliminate the meter! Only because anything beyond was chargeable'....

 

[Mike Jackson]

The other thing to check is your hose.

Some years ago one of our employees was trying to trace a gas leak without success and I called round to give him a hand. I walked in and squeezed the end of his rubber hose and the drop continued. A new hose and the leak was cured.

I always carry a spare with me so I can swap over to confirm.

I've also got one of those little caps with a test point that fits into a meter union so that I can test pipework without the meter in situ.

 

[diamondgas]

Nice one Mike! Yeh I checked the gauge too! Kind of automatic, never gave it a thought to share as the 'obvious' before facing lifting floorboards

 

[Barry98]

I wouldn't of laughed too much if you'd forgot and then realised after lifting all the boards , then again would you have told us , me thinks not

 

[zeebeedee]

First appliance I disconnect is the cooker. I've found that 9/10 its always the cooker.

 

[Dotty]

I wouldn't of laughed too much if you'd forgot and then realised after lifting all the boards , then again would you have told us , me thinks not

Had a hose leak on me once. Drove me near insane looking for the leak. Now I change hoses annually, when my fga goes in for a service, and I carry a spare.

Lesson learned

 

[dave1]

First appliance I disconnect is the cooker. I've found that 9/10 its always the cooker.

Or the bayonet seems to be a favourite for leaking.

 

[Mike Jackson]

I always used to carry orange hoses for NG and black for LPG because the orange rubber ones go over the test nipples easier. The trouble is I'd forget and use the orange on LPG and a couple of weeks later it would be leaking. I now just carry black ones and put up with it being a bit more difficult to push over the nipple.

 

[diamondgas]

I wouldn't of laughed too much if you'd forgot and then realised after lifting all the boards , then again would you have told us , me thinks not

I've had it before where the hose had split. It took me a trip to the yard and a replacement meter before i realised Always check it now if i get a leak detected