Octopus have turned my gas off
Discussion
I finally succumbed to the smart meter, booking for the meters on both utilities to be replaced on Friday 1st.
After installation the engineer detected a gas leak around my old gas fire with a sniffer, and also found measurable pressure loss in the system despite trying some things to rectify it, capping off the fire etc. Capping the fire reduced the loss considerably but there was still measurable albeit reduced pressure loss and sniffer action around the fire afterwards. It being 6pm on a Friday he had no option but to isolate the supply at the meter and tell me to get a gas safe engineer out to find and fix the leak.
Now, a relative has told me that British Gas will come out for free and fix it which seems like B.S. to me- any truth? Octopus supply both of my utilities and I have no cover etc with British Gas.
I guess I need to get a gas safe engineer in and pay obviously.
Sod’s Law it’s a bank holiday weekend of course. The immersion isn’t looking too clever- note the missing nut and scorched cables.
It would obviously be very foolish to turn the gas back on, wouldn’t it, even if temporarily to get some hot water in the tank- although whatever leak there is is of a very low order, and much lower than it had been for the years before the engineer visited. I don’t know if anybody can interpret these. Does it mean it’s losing 0.27 millibar between readings? I guess the problem with turning it back on is that I am re-inventorying the system, which will then be losing gas albeit at a reduced and very low rate…
After installation the engineer detected a gas leak around my old gas fire with a sniffer, and also found measurable pressure loss in the system despite trying some things to rectify it, capping off the fire etc. Capping the fire reduced the loss considerably but there was still measurable albeit reduced pressure loss and sniffer action around the fire afterwards. It being 6pm on a Friday he had no option but to isolate the supply at the meter and tell me to get a gas safe engineer out to find and fix the leak.
Now, a relative has told me that British Gas will come out for free and fix it which seems like B.S. to me- any truth? Octopus supply both of my utilities and I have no cover etc with British Gas.
I guess I need to get a gas safe engineer in and pay obviously.
Sod’s Law it’s a bank holiday weekend of course. The immersion isn’t looking too clever- note the missing nut and scorched cables.
It would obviously be very foolish to turn the gas back on, wouldn’t it, even if temporarily to get some hot water in the tank- although whatever leak there is is of a very low order, and much lower than it had been for the years before the engineer visited. I don’t know if anybody can interpret these. Does it mean it’s losing 0.27 millibar between readings? I guess the problem with turning it back on is that I am re-inventorying the system, which will then be losing gas albeit at a reduced and very low rate…
Oh and at this moment I have a tank full of hot water. I don’t really understand how the system works. Is there a way I can run it down without it being diluted with cold water? I.e. if I have a shower does the level of hot water in the tank just reduce as I use it, or will it top itself up with cold? Is there a valve I need to close to prolong this 140 litres of hot?
Has he only turned the gas off at the inlet valve by the meter, or via the valve and the meter itself?
You won't be able to re-activate the meter without knowing the pin.
Go buy a replacement immersion element.
They are easy to fit.
You will need to shorten the cable or replace it.
Otherwise it's fire and kettle time.
1920's anyone?
You won't be able to re-activate the meter without knowing the pin.
Go buy a replacement immersion element.
They are easy to fit.
You will need to shorten the cable or replace it.
Otherwise it's fire and kettle time.
1920's anyone?
I have just had a look in the meter box and it has been positively isolated with a sealing disc. Also there is no display on the monitor so I guess it has been disabled. Probably for the best.
The immersion I have never tried, but the telltale light comes on on the old toggle switch on the wall, it stays activated and it makes a ‘boiling’ noise?
Obviously the wiring looks like a fire hazard so I wouldn’t trust it unattended.
Replace or re-terminate the wiring to the immersion and carry on?
The immersion I have never tried, but the telltale light comes on on the old toggle switch on the wall, it stays activated and it makes a ‘boiling’ noise?
Obviously the wiring looks like a fire hazard so I wouldn’t trust it unattended.
Replace or re-terminate the wiring to the immersion and carry on?
If its a gravity system then the cold water tank in the loft will be needed to feed the bottom of the cylinder to push the hot water out of the top. Oh and if you do decide to change the immersion (it may just need a new flex/thermostat or both) if in the unlikely even you can undo it, if you don't first empty the tank in the loft or bung it (or maybe find the correct isolator if there is one) you will have several gallons of water spewing out of the immersion hole with no way of stopping it.
In theory hot water rises, so the cold entering the bottom of the tank shouldn't make much difference to the hot water at the top I wouldn't have thought, not 100% on that though.
In theory hot water rises, so the cold entering the bottom of the tank shouldn't make much difference to the hot water at the top I wouldn't have thought, not 100% on that though.
A new flex for the immersion is not expensive.
The tank (cylinder) fills with cold from the bottom and the hot water largely floats on top and only cools slowly.
If the cylinder is well insulated you should get a quick warm shower tomorrow.
It's special flex for the immersion I think, fat cores and heat resistant, but I think Screwstation and toolfix sell it in sensible lengths.
I'm not sure what size the missing nut would be, or whether it's even metric. If there's not a huge queue in Toolstation, they might find some thing that fits?
If your immersion circuit is protected by a residual current breaker of some sort, you might be forgiven for using it, with caution about people/kids accessing the cupboard. Might be the lesser evil if you are not familiar with electrics.
The tank (cylinder) fills with cold from the bottom and the hot water largely floats on top and only cools slowly.
If the cylinder is well insulated you should get a quick warm shower tomorrow.
It's special flex for the immersion I think, fat cores and heat resistant, but I think Screwstation and toolfix sell it in sensible lengths.
I'm not sure what size the missing nut would be, or whether it's even metric. If there's not a huge queue in Toolstation, they might find some thing that fits?
If your immersion circuit is protected by a residual current breaker of some sort, you might be forgiven for using it, with caution about people/kids accessing the cupboard. Might be the lesser evil if you are not familiar with electrics.
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