Feel physically sick

[jaydebruyne]

I had this happen to me on my first gas job of all jobs. A joint that was held with a pinhole of flux (very difficult to see and in boxing up high) passed the tightness test with flying colours. I'd called Transco out to check the regulator on that job as well and it passed their tightness test too.

Led to British Gas capping off the gas supply and ID'ing it. Gas Safe Register were very pragmatic about it, the assessor says it happens fairly frequently.

Why we don't test new gas pipework to much higher pressures is beyond me to be fair. I don't know any other industry that's so safety critical where pipework would be tested just to normal working pressure.

Lessons I learned very quickly. Buy a portable mirror. Double check everything. Most importantly, keep all records of tightness tests. I actually photograph the screen and save it to my iPhone. This way they are all date/time stamped. This is your due diligence. As long as you do this you are very unlikely to be prosecuted down the line as you have complied with industry testing standards.

Was incredibly stressful though and reminds me why I won't do gas work for the same price as plumbing work!

Yeah the national grid guy told my customer that they go to these type of situations every day where a 'plumber' does gas work and doesn't realise he's got flux on the service or anaconda..

 

[Last Plumber]

I had this happen to me on my first gas job of all jobs. A joint that was held with a pinhole of flux (very difficult to see and in boxing up high) passed the tightness test with flying colours. I'd called Transco out to check the regulator on that job as well and it passed their tightness test too.

Led to British Gas capping off the gas supply and ID'ing it. Gas Safe Register were very pragmatic about it, the assessor says it happens fairly frequently.

Why we don't test new gas pipework to much higher pressures is beyond me to be fair. I don't know any other industry that's so safety critical where pipework would be tested just to normal working pressure.

Lessons I learned very quickly. Buy a portable mirror. Double check everything. Most importantly, keep all records of tightness tests. I actually photograph the screen and save it to my iPhone. This way they are all date/time stamped. This is your due diligence. As long as you do this you are very unlikely to be prosecuted down the line as you have complied with industry testing standards.

Was incredibly stressful though and reminds me why I won't do gas work for the same price as plumbing work!

I agree. In commercial we do test new installations to a higher pressure, ( strength test).
We should do the same on all installations IMO.
There would be differences of course due to avoiding damage to component parts but it is possible and would be safer. IMO

 

[billybob150811]

I did a job in Portsmouth 80 flats all meters in a communal cupboard the firm I worked for got the trained monkeys to fit the meters and me to commission them they took loads of photos for their portfolio,s but about a dozen leaked Transco guy was calm as you like just found it and fixed it I would have been livid but they see it every day there will be plenty more squeaky bum moments before your done

 

[Harvest Fields]

I try to cover the meter if I am soldering close to the meter. But sometimes it is easy to forget.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

How you doing jay, hope your well and not stressing out too much

 

[kris]

Yeah the national grid guy told my customer that they go to these type of situations every day where a 'plumber' does gas work and doesn't realise he's got flux on the service or anaconda..

I mean honestly if theyre having to visit jobs frequently then at the end of the day its there fault for using carp anacondas,, they should be using materials that can withstand chemical reactions from compounds that maybe in close proximity ie flux ,

 

[Dan]

Bloody hell that was a close one. You gain experience by making mistakes. Wont happen again i bet you.