Fitting a replacement gas hob

[alan]

I know this is a silly question, but to replace a gas hob with a new one. Do i simply turn the gas isolator valve next to the cooker to off(this is in the kitchen cabinet under the worktop below the boiler). Once ive removed the cooker which i'm also replacing, can i simply disconect the gas supply from the hob?

Ive obviously isolated the cooker circuit before doing this, but if the gas fitting on the hob is situated in a different place on the new one, can i use copper tube and compression fittings to extend it?

Ive seen people say only to use solder fittings, but is this really neccessary?

Also if I can use compression joints is there a substitute to PTFE tape?

Also when i disconnect the gas there will obviously be gas in the pipe from the isolating valve to the hob, any problems or recommendations with this?

thanks......

[Ed Sirett]

See FAQ. But if you are asking these sort of questions you need to seriously ask yourself just how competant you are to do the job?

[Huge]

The fact that you are asking these questions leads me to believe that you are not a "competent person" within the meaning of the law, and that you should get someone in to do this.

[PJO]

I completely agree. If you NEED to ask questions like this you should not be messing around with gas appliances.

The word "BANG" comes to mind.

Get a CORGI reg guy in and pay him the £50 or so he asks for to guarantee your own and, more importantly others, safety.

Aside... you'll be breaking the law if you DIY.

[PoP]

Wrong as I understand it. DIY is fine providing that the person carrying out the installation is "competent".

Though I defer to the other responses which have already been given. Asking questions about how to do the gas jobbie isn't likely to lead to a conclusion of competence.

PoP

[dmc]

Quite possibly,

When I tried this a few years ago I couldn't get anyone to do it. The only people who gave me prices both wanted over 150 quid and then never turned up. I ended up doing it myself with advice from this group.

Had it checked out 6 months later by my usual friendly corgi (who was on long term sick when I fitted the kitchen) when he did some other work for me.

If you can find a corgi to do it for 50 quid then fine.

Not going to get into that particular argument again :-)

As an aside, we had our meter changed a couple of weeks ago (BG fitting their own instead of paying transco). The letter said that a full integrity test would be carried out on my existing pipework before the new meter would be commisioned. This seemed to consist of spraying some leak detector onto the disturbed joints....

Darren

[usenet]

Hmm, in many ways asking question is a good sign as it indicates the questioner knows enough to know what they don't know.

[PJO]

Wrong. Has to be CORGI registered.

[PJO]

That's the main problem... finding a CORGI reg fitter. That's no excuse though. If, for instance, you complain to the inspectorate of the HSE they will say that you CAN find a fitter. He's called British Gas and although they agree that they are more expensibe than all the others it is an option and if it's the only option then you have to pay the price.

Wronmg I know but that's the way it is.

No argument... recent court cases have dictated that it is against the law - even if you are doing it in your own residence.

[RichardS]

Do you have the case references to back that assertion up? I have trawled through the HSE's database of prosecutions but could find no clear instance of a competent DIYer being prosecuted. Most cases appear to be unregistered work done due to moonlighting by fitters registered by fact of employment, and pure unregistered fitters doing work for profit.

Even the HSE don't go as far as saying "any DIY gas work is illegal", which can be taken as a pretty good indication that interpretations of the relevant acts posted here are correct.

under Owner Occupier FAQs, "Is it legal to do DIY on gas appliances or flues?".

However, if a court case has set a precedence, we all need to know about it.

cheers Richard

-- Richard Sampson

email me at richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk

[RichardS]

and further evidence...

226 to 235

Richard

-- Richard Sampson

email me at richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk

[Toby]

What recent court cases? I receive a summary of cases published on behalf of the Court Service, the Employment Appeal Tribunal, the British and Irish Legal Information Institute, the Court of Justice of the European Communities, and the European Court of Human Rights. Looking back through the last seven months I can't see one in any of those.

(before you ask IANAL)

[Andy Hall]

I'm sorry, but *you* are wrong.

The law in the form of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, Section 3.1 requires that that anyone working on gas fitting is "competent". It does not define competence.

Other parts of Section 3 state (to paraphrase) that an employed or self employed person be a member of a class of persons defined by the HSE. This is the reference to CORGI since that is the only approved body. Nowhere does it state that *everybody* working on gas has to be a CORGI member, the statutory instrument quite clearly refers to professional fitters for that requirement.

Refer to

you refer to the HSE site and studies on gas safety, you will find that they mention DIY gas work but do not find a pressing reason to legislate against it.

If you refer even to the CORGI site, (arguably they have the most vested interest), you will find that they only go as far as to say "likely to be illegal". That would be based on incompetence on the part of the person doing the work. If it really were illegal under

*all* circumstances, I am quite certain that they would be trumpeting it.

.andy

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[Andy Hall]

Where an earth did you get that nonsense from? This is certainly not what the HSE are stating in recent published studies.

Please supply details of said court cases to back this up.

.andy

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[PJO]

PLEASE don't ask me to go looking for the case cos I just can't be arsed. You looked quickly though considering there must be thousands and thousands of cases in 7 months (!!!)

I do know there have been three successful prosecutions though two were private landlords and one was a guy who sold a house on when the gas fittings were dangerous. All this year.

[PJO]

You know... sometimes you just know that a thread is going to go on and on and on and on and on and on and on...

Well I just can't be arsed. Let people make their own minds up.

[dmc]

different rules apply to landlords AFAIK.

So he wasn't competent. Your point was?

Darren - arghhhh

[Toby]

Case Law. Been going back through the archives - Crown Court & High Court with keywords (CORGI or gas & competent), fascinating reading. Can't find any prosecuted diy-ers.

Court Of Appeal 1997. It was upheld that both the landlord's and Corgi man's convictions for manslaughter were valid. Ex-tenant in flat complained of headache, nausea etc. Landlord engaged Corgi guy. Corgi guy invoiced for 'cleaning flue' among a host of other items. Landlord got his bit of paper. New tenant curls his toes after 14 days, but hadn't complained. Police investigation ensues, landlord waves bit of paper. Turns out he had made no attempt to satisfy _himself_ that all was A-OK by investigation or checking, hence he was also culpable. Both off to HMP.

Crown Court 1994. Two man band, co-directors. Just started up 000001AAA-Plumbing Ltd. One has individual Corgi reg, the other has C&G. Nice man from Yellow Pages designs ad for them, cheery cartoon plumber, 24hr callout, Corgi logo, you know the thing. Unhappy customer does some digging, one call to trading standards later and they are up in court (Trades Description Act) after "recklessly making a statement which is false... included the rendering of services and... the examination, approval or evaluation by any persons of any service" EH? In real words - representing the firm as Corgi registered. A big no-no when it's just the guy in the van. Slapped wrist, fine, costs (probably go broke).

[Andy Hall]

In other words, you just made the whole thing up.........

.andy

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[Andy Hall]

Firstly, please don't top post. It is bad Usenet etiquette and not in accordance with the group policy.

Secondly, it is well known that landlords are subject to specific conditions.

Thirdly, if you are going to be definitive about something, at least be prepared to justify it. Your comments above are weak. If there were thousands of cases in 7 months, I think this would have come to the attention of the HSE, don't you?

As it is, the issues, if there are any, are in the noise.........

It would appear that your signal to noise ratio, in respect of reliable information on this topic, is also quite poor........

.andy

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