Disconnecting gas cooker in Suffolk - help!

[Bob Eager]

The house clearer is actually the British Heart Foundation - volunteers with a van I think.

[Bob Eager]

That's what I told her!

[Bob Eager]

Bad wording, but that's what I meant (and what she was doing).

[ARW]

I like your thinking.

Now does Mrs E have an angle grider or suitable tool with her to "split or abrade" the hose?

[spuorgelgoog]

nail file or swiss army knife in the handbag?

Owain

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

He fought for his country. I buried him 10 years ago. Your father?

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

As it does not sound like she is council house excreta, I doubt that she has.

[Bob Eager]

Pretty well nothing - the house is virtually empty.

She couldn't undo the washing machine connectors either. I suggested she go and get a hacksaw to cut througfh the plastic ring but she wasn't keen.

She called a plumber in the end (cheaper than original guy). He had a struggle with the gas connection himself, and as for the washing machine connector....that gave him a LOT of trouble. I think a saw was involved in the end - those hoses had been on for at least 20 years.

She feels slightly better about it all now that she's seen the struggle he had...

[Jonno]

Mr Pounder Esquire scribbled

You knew he put it around then.

[newshound]

Glad you got a result.

[Brian Reay]

The bayonet connectors have been around for a lot more than 15 years. The first house we bought in 1982 had one and the house was several years old. It was almost certainly original.

[Chris French]

A quick Google turned up this: (it a word doc.)

Research from a paediatric dept in Australia (where not all stoves have to have anti tip brackets - or at least didn't when this was published).

Children tipped over stoves mostly either from one or more standing/sitting on a open horizontal door, or from children pulling at the stove.

Whilst not a common accident, the injuries can be nasty if pans of hot water are on the stove.

[John Rumm]

There is a risk with electric cookers but its smaller. Since there is no danger that the cooker falling might ruptures the gas pipe or hose, and there is no naked flame involved and attendant fire risk.

The gas fitting BS docs include specific measures to mandate stability devices, whereas BS7671 (wiring regs) do not include specific measures for electric cookers. However the manufacturers installation docs for electric cookers almost always do.

Chances of winning the lottery are vanishingly small, and yet someone wins that every week.

The injury risk from a cooker is far higher than the chance of winning the lottery. So while the risk is small in absolute terms, it happens frequently enough to make it worth mandating stability devices.

[John Rumm]

IMHO the chain is not as good as the bracket mounted at the base.

If kept short, and the the cooker is also restrained in a gap (i.e. unable to twist freely) then they can work OK though.

[John Rumm]

You need to push and turn...

[Bob Eager]

She knew that...it didn't want to do either. It was apparently a bit seized for some reason.

Anyway, all sorted now. Thanks for the advice.

[RJH]

I've been quite able to move a free-standing gas cooker about quite easily by myself. What do they weigh - 50KG? Even given that you're not strong enough to move one, it's perfectly possible for to tip it over in the manner mentioned above. So take care!

[Tim Streater]

Yes, if it happens it's obviously murder.

And that's obviously murder too.

[charles]

There was a bayonet connector for a Gas Poker (remember them) in the house we bought in 1964.

[spuorgelgoog]

According to comment on this page, gas bayonets were fitted in new builds i n the 1930s:

My parents moved into their 1936-built Laing home in Wemborough Road in 193

2. Town-gas (coal-gas) entered the house through a 1" main under the stairs. Every room, including the bathroom, was skeletoned with steel gas piping su pplying a gas outlet (which, in our house, were all capped-off). The two d ownstairs living rooms also had bayonet connector outlets Tee-ed off below the room's capped-off outlet. Bayonets were intended for gas pokers and po rtable gas appliances and mounted on the skirting boards. But we didn't us e any gas appliances.

Owain