permissible drop

[acslad]

acs put back till friday. two lads from my regiment said it was fine but just curious about one thing. no smell of gas 4mb drop is permissiable with cooker connected but not permissiable on pipework. whether a 4 mb drop is on pipe work or connected appliance. cant see how one is acceptable and one isnt. surely a gas drop is gas drop??

also heard that a tightness is not a legal requirement on landlords certs? surely this cant be right????

many thanks

 

[namsag]

just one of the quirks on what drops are allowed and on what sort of meters all to do with volume of gas in installation

 

[spacethegas]

yep, both right.

 

[grahamderek]

"with appliances attached" assumes that any small leak on an appliance will find its way out via the flue. Or if on a flueless appliance like a cooker, will show up as a smell of gas.
A classic example of writing rules around existing situations.
As far as the landlords gas safety check is concerned, I always do a drop test. That's my rules! Sod CORGI and the HSE and the government.
There's only one way to do the job right

WOW, I've been censored for writing s o d.
should have said screw

 

[kirkgas]

Permissible drop of 4mb with appliances connected was to take into account mcroscopic leaks on old gas taps cookers and fires which were so tiny there was no smell but "harmless"

If not allowed the old gas board boys would have had to shut off thousands of appliances.

No drop on pipework only is sensible as there aren't the taps and valves to leak, a technicality but true: if you fit a new cooker and pipework today no drop is allowed, but if i have to alter the pipework tomorrow i could test and identify then leave a 4mb drop as it is existing , (if the leak was existing and caused by you)

In reality i wouldn't leave if I knew the job was new yesterday but i could. Not one I agree with but another one is as above on existing you find up to 4 mb drop, you can record and leave, but if you shut off the appliances and confirm the drop is on the carcass you can't leave it, so should you not shut the appliance and say it is on either?

 

[spacethegas]

just to make it clear to acslad.

4mb relates to U6 meter.

i would guess you understood that to be the case anyway.

 

[Agile]

Imagine a carcass and a cooker.

If you measure a 4 mB drop you can walk away and leave it if no smell of gas.

If you disconnect the cooker and find 2 mB drop on just the pipework then you have to cut off everything !

Its not really logical but you can see above how it has evolved from simple practical situations.

Tony

 

[spacethegas]

i worked for someone who's policy was that if a leak was found within pl. don't isolate & test carcass.

 

[Agile]

i worked for someone who's policy was that if a leak was found within pl. don't isolate & test carcass.

I usually explain the situation to the customer and will often use a leak detector around the cooker and if thats activated then I recommend they replace the cooker.

If its not activated than I use it around the meter. What I do not do is to isolate the cooker and test the carcass unless instructed to do so by the customer after I have explained the consequences.

In reality the level of leakage is usually just 1 mB or less. If its much more I advise the customer that the situation is best fully investigated and corrected.

Tony

 

[wiggikins]

"Unless instructed to do so by the customer", WHAT sort of Gas Engineer are you then, one who can't decide his own responsible actions

 

[namsag]

Tony why replace the cooker have you never heard of greasing tap barrels even some oven thermostat barrels can be greased.
Not unusual for screws that hold taps to rail to un do.

 

[BigBurner]

i worked for someone who's policy was that if a leak was found within pl.

What is pl?

 

[BigBurner]

i worked for someone who's policy was that if a leak was found within pl. don't isolate & test carcass.

I usually explain the situation to the customer and will often use a leak detector around the cooker and if thats activated then I recommend they replace the cooker.

You would recommend changing a cooker because there is a leak around it?

 

[Gastel]

What about an E6 meter, your allowed an 8mb drop with no smell of gas!! Never been ok with that rule, it plays on the conscience!

I have a question for the engineers here, if youve done a tightness test on an E6 meter and noticed a 9mb drop in 3 mins.....then investigated further & found when you isolated (Gas on) boiler (only appliance in house) the drop was only 3mb in 3mins.....what would be the next course of action?

 

[Corgigrouch]

I always make a point of doing a tightness test before doing any work, so

a) I can inform the customer that the job will be bigger than first anticipated, they can then decide if they can afford to have it corrected, failing that I simply cap off and bill for that
b) I know that there were no leaks before I start work and I know to expect no leaks when I am done
c) The customer knows that I am not responsible for any leak that has just been discovered