DANGEROUS gas leak, help?

[jay-seven]

hi all, just need some advice?

my parents (who are now retired) bought a cooker/hob from a well know retailer, they came to install it, must of been about 4.30 when they finished, later that night as my parents were off to bed, they could smell gas, after calling british gas, they quickly sent someone to have a look, he was shocked that the cooker wasnt connect properly, in his words ( the gas was ****ing out) he fixed the problem.
the next day my parents went to the retailer to complain, they said, what do you want us to do about it and said you will have to contact the people who fitted it, THE PEOPLE THEY SENT TO FIT IT.

What should we do next?

this was very dangerous, we were lucky. but what about the next time they fit someones cooker?????


JAY

 

[Jay_1981]

if the gas was not installed correctly then you can report to CORGI, HSE, and complete a RIDDOR form. The gas supply pipe should have had a tightness test performed on it after the installation (performed at the meter to check for leaks). Speak with corgi and they will give you any further advice

 

[jay-seven]

thanks, i'll contact corgi first thing monday.
i have just asked my parents about any test at the meter, they dont remember any test getting done, as the meter is in a small cupboard under the stairs, they did say the guy who installed it phoned his boss to ask would it be ok for him to connect cooker/hob up.

 

[Dave]

A gas connection pipe has to be registered with corgi for now, gas safety in april..

so they should have had a corgi number to register the appliance,,if not then they are illegal installers and want reporting....did you get their name/s....

 

[jay-seven]

will check if my parents got the names.
they where sent by a well known retailer?

 

[newbie1]

notify corgi immediatly monday morning it sounds like the retailer is using non registered /qualified installers and will now be fined hopefully and prevented from putting lives at risk for the sake of saving money 60-80 is the going rate for installing gas appliance like a hob or cooker so they are prob using an illegal contractor

 

[jay-seven]

The company that installed the cooker/hob are registed with corgi. the guy who installed it said he was corgi registered (no card was shown) but my parents said they just expected him to be corgi registered because they bought the cooker/hob from a well known retailer.

after installing the cooker/hob does a safety certificate have to be issued?????


thanks again for your replys

 

[Dave]

I know that the appliance has to registered with corgi....not sure if you get issued with a copy.....never had gas appliance fitted...

Hopefully one of the gas lads on here can confirm that for you..

 

[jay-seven]

ok, i,ll let you know how this plans out.

 

[Dave]

please do..

 

[mcmoby69]

tightness test(gas leak test) should be done BEFORE any work is done. a new cooker could be plugged straight into a bayonet fitting in theory,BUT, they usually need a hose connecting to them. you are required to be corgi registered to fit this hose but NOT to plug into a bayonet fitting. after the hose has been fitted and plugged into the bayonet fitting ANOTHER tightness test should be done. if the firm supplying the cooker are providing a fitting service THEY are responsible to ensure that the installers are registered. your parents are also responsible to ensure this but taking their age into consideration( no offence intended) that could be disregarded. corgi should be notified first thing monday morning. they will need all contact numbers of the firm you bought from and the installer. the appliance does need registering but they have two weeks to do it in. to go into more detail checks should also be done on any other gas appliances to see if the newly installed affects them or is affected by their operation too. there is more to it than just banging a replacement cooker in.

 

[Dave]

Thought so......cheers.....

 

[jay-seven]

they rang corgi monday, they have to send them all the details of what happened and the details of the retailer/installer.

they also rang the retailer main office, who said they were not happy about what happened to my parents and said that they will look into it and get back to them.
they rang back today and offered my parents there installation fee back £89,
my parents were fuming,

 

[leakylea]

i,ve been following this one, and have to disagree with the tightness test theory, you only have to do a test if you are breaking into a gas supply ,before and after. The unplugging of a bayonet fitting does not count as breaking into a gas pipe,but you should leak detcet fom bayonet to cooker.there will be more of a danger if a safety bracket or chain has not been fitted. as affecting other appliances goes its got to be doubtful but a purist will allways find a check that can be done. good luckwith it all

 

[Jay_1981]

i,ve been following this one, and have to disagree with the tightness test theory, you only have to do a test if you are breaking into a gas supply ,before and after. The unplugging of a bayonet fitting does not count as breaking into a gas pipe,but you should leak detcet fom bayonet to cooker.there will be more of a danger if a safety bracket or chain has not been fitted. as affecting other appliances goes its got to be doubtful but a purist will allways find a check that can be done. good luckwith it all

disagree, well sort of, since a bayonet can be removed without tools ie a cust can do it then yes does not need tightness test but when was the last time you installed a cooker with the flexi hose pre-attatched, I've always had to install the hose so that requires tools and since payment is given to the worker for installing the cooker that constitues 'installing an appliance' and 'work' per gas regs so a tightness test should be performed pre and post work. Would be curious to see outcome of this though it is a pretty basic cock-up as you said even if they would have LDF'd it then that would have shown the leak instantly, even after I do a tight test i still throw a quick bit of LDF on just for completeness.

 

[Mike Jackson]

The only test that needs to be done is a tightness test on the connection to the cooker. I've made up an adaptor with a test nipple that fits into a bayonet fitting. This enables me to test just the cooker connection.

There is also no requirement to carry out a tightness test before any work is carried out but it makes sense because if your test after shows a drop it could be on the existing pipework or appliances.

Mike

 

[Bagsy]

Just thought I would ask this, was a stability device fitted to the cooker. This is an area where most installers used to fall down. It is quite right what a previous member said, there is a lot more to it than just plugging a bayonet in. If there is no stability bracket/device the corgi inspector will have a field day.

Graham
www.plumbfixit.synthasite.com

 

[leakylea]

the tightness test is an issue, it has caused me some grief.
as part of my works i regulary become involved in the removal of gas hobs for others to replace work tops during insurance claims,
If a hob has been installed to current standards it will have an isolation valve on it.you simply need to isolate there and remove hob NO tightness test is required. that is a fact
If no islator is present, then suddenly i have an issue,
1- this work has been scheduled in for weeks with all trades,so the hob has to come out!
2-I have to do tightness test to cut into pipework to install isolator as required.
3- i do the tightness test it fails before i have a chance to do any work.!
gas should go off.
4Client will not or does not want leak tracing and fixing as they claim there skint , hob can,t come out, the other trades look at me like i,ve just shot there mother, there on the phone to their gaffers, client thinks i should just do it while i,m there and will not let me turn gas off and issue notices as required.
5-You go through the old routine of telling the client that transco must be informed, as its classed as an uncontroled gas leak and will have to be isolated blah blah blah.

How much crap do you need for the first job of the day!!

 

[fatoftheland]

The other trades may winge but its not them who gets slung in jail for not testing the gas properly. My friend is a bricklayer and always moans that I should be on less money than him as his is a proper trade! I point out that a bucket, trowel and a bit of string as tools and never had a day of training in his life makes me think otherwise.
FACT. If you work on the gas supply you are respnsible for it. End of. A judge will not listen to the words ' yeah I had the tools to test it all but only worked on this bit so I didn,t bother. Always tightness test and if they won,t let you turn off when the pies leaking like a sieve, call Transco, One backside covered.

 

[Jay_1981]

sorry to go off topic but does anyone else seem to spend 10min explaining to transco opperator that we have to inform them of ID situations when the cust refuses to allow us to cap off? or do I just always get the trainee