Chasing gas leaks - what do you do

[bacon_sandwich]

Well, i dont know if i am unlucky but its happening too often.

Serviced boiler in cellar of a large old building on Saturday. Incoming enters cellar below ground but head height in cellar, straight into meter, a couple of meters of steel pipe and into boiler, shortest simplest run ever. No other gas pipes or appliances. Tightness does not move for over 5 minutes (got bored waiting).... sprayed boiler gaskets around venturi and into burner area , no visible leaks, sniffer broken so no use today. I went in Sunday to do other work no gas smell. Client comes in Monday morning reports gas smell in reception which is one flight up and quite a treck through 3 doors from cellar. client cannot smell gas in cellar....... i went back tonight tested everything again, cannot smell gas anywhere, but my nose is useless now.
This has happened before at a warehouse again simple gas run, tightness better than anything...... what the 8uck do you do of the client keeps reporting gas smell and you for the life cannot find the slightest leak.

Ahh feel better now

 

[Deleted member 32524]

Do you have an analyser with a printer?

 

[DGT plumbing]

If you are confident of your tightness test tell them to ring Cadent. It may not be in there building. It could be travelling.

 

[Scott_D]

Gone off food under a cupboard smells of gas

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Get the networks out could be leak supplier side

 

[bacon_sandwich]

Do you have an analyser with a printer?

Yup - how will it help?

 

[bacon_sandwich]

If you are confident of your tightness test tell them to ring Cadent. It may not be in there building. It could be travelling.

Was my thinking - today some said they could smell it some said they couldn't. Its a very old building and i dont know the external route of incoming only it enters the opposite end of the building to the reported smell. BTW 100% on the tightness, i installed the boiler and all pipework 3 years ago )

 

[gmartine]

Replace the sniffer asap, more reliable than leak spray.

 

[townfanjon]

“Disc”the meter , rules out the house .

 

[Deleted member 32524]

Yup - how will it help?

Yup - how will it help?

As tangible evidence there is no gas leak on their installation

 

[bacon_sandwich]

“Disc”the meter , rules out the house .

Like it... not domestic, company HQ, would cool down pretty quick.

BTW - i am not trying to prove i am right or anything, they take my word for it . Its how you deal with some people smell gas, some dont, i cannot smell it and i have no leakage i can measure. BUT I DO Believe them,

 

[Old Account]

Gone off food under a cupboard smells of gas

Mice or rats too

 

[Old Account]

I recently had a low carbon steel pipe being corroded under the floor. The entrance and living room had wooden floor boards and the kitchen had those old red tiles. The low carbon steel pipe was buried underneath the red tiles and when used my sniffer it was the right location to dig something up. Once gas was off I pulled gently the gas pipe between hallway and kitchen ... you won’t believe what I had find - a loose disconnected ( because of corrosion ) steel pipe pumping full gas in the property for ages. Never seen something like this dangerous if you imsg8 e the amount of gas passing through unburned.

 

[Deleted member 32524]

I would get out SGN, if my responsibilities on the gas line are sound. This is one of those, where shutting off the ecv does not get rid of the unsafe situation. What else can you do if your side is gas tight and there is still a reported smell of gas.

I would hang around while the Engineer did his stuff, until I had a definitive conclusion. Hopefully then it turned out to be their responsibility and you can go home and sleep tonight.

 

[bacon_sandwich]

Well, still smells today. Going to take super sniffer out today, then its 0800 111 999, have run out of options

 

[Gasmk1]

dead animal under the boards ?

talking of food, chopped onions gives of same smell as gas

 

[bacon_sandwich]

Went out with super sniffer, as expected not a single beep, swept boiler room in cellar, all corners of reception where the reports were coming from, found gas T connection in pavement, ran sniffer in drains and any holes i could find, nil,
Rang gas leak line and cadent out within 15 minutes, repeated the same exercise and declared no leak, no problem and left.
OK - so now what, tell client to look for rotting meat and veg ? - lol

 

[townfanjon]

Went out with super sniffer, as expected not a single beep, swept boiler room in cellar, all corners of reception where the reports were coming from, found gas T connection in pavement, ran sniffer in drains and any holes i could find, nil,
Rang gas leak line and cadent out within 15 minutes, repeated the same exercise and declared no leak, no problem and left.
OK - so now what, tell client to look for rotting meat and veg ? - lol

Cant do any more

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Tell them you've been out also gas supplier has check no leak

 

[Deleted member 32524]

What now? Get the invoice in!! Lol.

 

[king of pipes]

Get cadent out they should attend within a couple of hours and do a through check of the property being a basement it may be a external problem dont wait get it done . Kop

 

[bacon_sandwich]

Get cadent out they should attend within a couple of hours and do a through check of the property being a basement it may be a external problem dont wait get it done . Kop

See #17 - all done

 

[king of pipes]

Sorry bud missed that better to be safe than sorry cheers kop

 

[firemant]

Well, still smells today. Going to take super sniffer out today, then its 0800 111 999, have run out of options

You have taken a masssive risk. When you had first report of gas escape, and you tested and found downstream of ECV sound, your very next move should have been to contact 0800111999. There may have been a massive street leak entering the property. By delaying, you put folk at risk.

Why DID you not report it straight away.?

BTW, now you have established there is no gas leak (assuming SGN got it right), why are you fussing over what to do next? If there IS a dead cow in the basement, it is not your problem.

If they phone again, refer them to SGN, or, better still, phone it in yourself.

 

[bacon_sandwich]

Fair questions,
Smell nowhere near any source of gas , client side of meter.
Smell nowhere near street or incoming service
It made no sense, whatsoever.
I could not smell gas and most staff could not smell it, just a couple of employees could.
Massive risk ? - Not in my professional opinion
Op was about how other professionals deal with no detectable smells.
It seams we shrug our shoulders and say not my problem.

 

[firemant]

Fair questions,
Smell nowhere near any source of gas , client side of meter.
Smell nowhere near street or incoming service
It made no sense, whatsoever.
I could not smell gas and most staff could not smell it, just a couple of employees could.
Massive risk ? - Not in my professional opinion
Op was about how other professionals deal with no detectable smells.
It seams we shrug our shoulders and say not my problem.

Wrong. A smell if if gas was reported to an RGI. You tested and found no leak after ECV. Do you not understand the nature of an external gas escape? The smell can come and go depending on ground conditions. Just because you could not smell it at the time of visit does not mean it was not there. You acknowledged as such when you returned at least once .

 

[bacon_sandwich]

Yes i do, thanks

 

[firemant]

Yes i do, thanks

So why did you not get SGN involved? You do not have the kit that they do to detect outside escapes. Sorry, BS, but the level of proffesionalism in this trade is appalling. You took a massive risl in that, as an RGI, you did not, or did not know how to, handle the report properly.
You say your post was about how do pro. guys handle undetectable smells. Everyone (should) knows the answer. Contact the ES. Simple.

You chose to visit at least once after having a zero drop. Only a "couple" of employees could smell it. Are you mad?

Smell nowhere near any source of gas , client side of meter.
Smell nowhere near street or incoming service
It made no sense, whatsoever.
I could not smell gas and most staff could not smell it, just a couple of employees could.

It made no sense, because you clearly do NOT understand how gas can travel a long way before being "nose detectable"

 

[bacon_sandwich]

Are you a troll ??

 

[bacon_sandwich]

Mods can you close this thread now please. Have put firemant on ignore list and it does not make sense when i look at it now.
thx

 

[firemant]

Yes i do, thanks

Mods can you close this thread now please. Have put firemant on ignore list and it does not make sense when i look at it now.
thx

No. I am properly qualified. And I don't lie about people on ignore list. You are clearly of the hard of understanding persuasion. My advice is to listen to those who do know. You may then be better able to meet your professional obligations.