Are gas fitters allergic to gas tightness testing?

[Tim Watts]

Just wondering - because I've never seen a registered fitter do a manometer drop test. I've only seen the use of leak spray occasionally too.

[John Rumm]

I have seen some do a drop test. Occasionally even seem one test before work. Don't think I have ever seen one go as far as test the test nipple with leak spray after completing the drop test though!

[Andrew Gabriel]

Watched one using a manometer last week, although that was to adjust the burner pressure. I did wonder if he scaled the reading up by 1.41 to allow for him tilting the manometer back by 45 degrees.

[Andy Cap]

The guy who recently fitted my hob did do the test. However he was wrong in saying it couldn't be connected with a flexible, so you win some and lose some !

Andy C

[Tim Watts]

Now that's a classic!

I blame GCSE physics...

[Bob Minchin]

My gas safe bod who commissioned my DIY installed boiler made the final gas connection as he requested, used no sealing jollop, and did the drop test at the meter. No use of leak test spray though. He even complemented me on the installation and knocked 20% off the bill as everything went smoothly. £80 + vat for the whole job incl boiler registration cert.

Gas meter changed last week - no test whatsoever and did not fire up the boiler to purge the air either. It took me two failed ignition and reset cycles to get it to go.

I guess he was on piecework rates and was grumpy as the new meter had unions at different spacing to the old one. So I've go an ugly bit of flexi-pipe bodged in now.

[JTM]

The BG guys seem to check as part of our annual boiler maintainance test most years (and no - we didn't take out the contract)

John

[dennis]

The last four I have seen did a drop test. You need to find better gas fitters.

[dennis]

I have.

[Tim Watts]

These dudes are highly rated on Checkatrade,

Which goes to show - most of the general public don't know about leak testing...

[Andy Cap]

Which is exactly why they employ a 'professional' !!

[RobertL]

He should have scaled it (down) by 0.707 not (up) by 1.41 He was measuring along the hypotenuse but it was the vertical distance he needed.

Robert

[GB]

I can't believe that stayed uncorrected for over 12 hours.

[docholliday93]

The ones who replaced my meter certainly were quite grumpy by the third or fourth visit... This was the largest domestic meter I've seen - one of the old type made of what looked like soldered tinplate, but all the dimensions (including the diameter of the unions) were about 50% larger than the ones I'd seen elsewhere. Although I'd reminded tham when setting up the date that the meter was a bit unusual it took some time to find parts - I ended up with about two reducers on each side...

[Rick Hughes]

I installed my CH system & boiler and had a CORGI guy come to do the gas connection ... He didn't use a manometer .... had a bit of smell of gas the next few days, he came back and did a leak test by running his cigarette lighter over the joints ... found the last compression Tee as it enter boiler was leaking .. puff of flame ... Tightened up ... job done.

In his opinion perfectly safe as long as gas is left switched on.

[Tim Watts]

[Tim+]

Why? Because you think it's unsafe or because of the inevitable arguments that will follow? ;-)

Tim

[Tim Watts]

Because it's SLOPPY from a profession that likes to crow on about everyone else being unsafe.

It used to be like that with some electrical work in the old days - "switch and bang" testing was the order of the day.

Now any decent electrician will test and fill out and EIC or MWC.

I fail to see why gas fitters think they are exempt from the basic principals of methodical testing at the end.

Clearly in the PP case, the lack of testing was a deficiency - it he had done a drop test or sprayed leak spray on every joing he'd touched it would have come to light immediately.

[ARW]

The bloke that swapped my gas meter said "You have a combi so no need for a test it as will not have a pilot light" and f***ed off.

[Andrew Mawson]

When I did my Corgi training, admittedly many years ago, a whole system drop test, and a main gas valve 'let by' test were both mandatory if any pipe work had been disturbed in any way

Andrew