A thing about Gas meters?

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

Is anyone on a gas prepayment meter with the idgital readout with software version "4.7.16.3"? if so have you ever turned the gas of for more 24 hours by the gas cutoff valve and then switched it back on only to find the meter is not letting the gas back through and the digi readout is saying "Call Help"?

When I am going out knowingly for more than 24 hours or more I tend to switch the gas off by the valve for my piece of mind.

I done this last week sometime and had to get transco out to resolve the problem, I'm sure this should not happen?

Thanks

-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

[Chris Bacon]

Eh?

[Colin Wilson]

It may be an attempt to stop people fiddling the gas by bypassing the meter altogether - the meter might go into a "failsafe" mode if no gas has been used.

Sounds like a real shit system though.

[zaax]

What a dangerous thing to do. Pilot lights go out. Air get in to the pipes. Joins dry out.

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

pmsl, so if the gas board come out to fix a burst main in your locality and the gas is off for a quite a few hours in your house this is dangerous?

-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

It's is possible but whats not to say people can bypass the meter on the conventional meter.

What if I decide to get a new cooker installed and the gas fitter turns the gas off? bloody stupid if this happens each time the gas is turned off, don't you think.

-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

[Andrew Gabriel]

Yes. They have to close off the gas to every house, repressurise and purge the mains, and then go to every house and purge the pipework and ensure permanent pilot lamps are relit, etc. It can take days to get the supply back on over an area.

[Mr X]

In article , The3rd Earl Of Derby writes

And the gas-fitter takes more than 24 hours?

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

As it happens I do't know the precise time the problem will arise on the meter and am not prepared to find out after the hassle I had getting transco out to remedy the fault. I gave 24 hours as it had been off that long thereabouts.

-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

[Mr X]

In article , The3rd Earl Of Derby writes

Ok, I read your post to suggest that the meter problem happened after many hours, but I agree if it happens after, say, 10 minutes, that would be even more unacceptable.

[powerstation]

If you didn't use any gas at all but left it turned on at the valve wouldn't that be the same, how can the meter possibly know the difference ?

Peter

[Mr X]

In article , powerstation writes

It would if it sensed the gas pressure on its input

[powerstation]

But unless there was a leak that pressure would be the same with the valve open or closed !

[Ed Sirett]

Quite so, they'll even endure a massively leaking main (that someone has tickled with a JCB, say) rather than shut the gas off. They'll monitor the pressure and make sure they can keep the better half of normal pressure going.

[Nick]

About a couple of years ago, a 12" (approx) very high pressure water main burst and the gas main pipeline for the town alongside it got broken / cut into as a result. The gas main got a LOT of water and silt injected into it and they had to cut off the gas supply to most of the town. It took them over two weeks ( maybe three or four) to restore gas to everybody, purging out the water and dusty silt - a friend even had his jets in the boiler and gas fire checked / replaced (he doesn't know) by the techies, as I guess all households had to, and hundreds of gas people were drafted in from all over the country - clusters of maybe 30 vans were commonplace at various places around the town as they worked on the current area to be restored - quite an amazing exercise ! I had never heard of a gas cut before to such a widespread area - I guess it was perhaps a few thousand households affected

Nick to restore service as quickly as possible

[Mr X]

In article , powerstation writes

I doubt that situation would exist indefinitely.

[tarquinlinbin]

Was this in the town of Corby Northants by any chance??

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[tarquinlinbin]

Sorry,missed the beginning of this thread,whats the problem? are we talking gas card meters??

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[Dave Plowman (News)]

Aren't gas isolation valves on the output from the meter?

[Mr X]

In article , Dave Plowman (News) writes

For the purposes of my reply to the other poster, if it is then change my comment to "It would if it sensed the gas pressure on its output"