Gas Meter

The only gas appliance that I have in my house is a Baxi boiler.

After receiving a =A3400 quarterly gas bill (which contained a litte graph telling me that my average daily consumption has doubled over the last year) I decided to have a good look at the readings on my meter.

I had discovered that even with the boiler switched off, the numbers on the meter still increment - not as fast as when the boiler is on - but enough to notice after an hour or so.

When I use the isolator valve to shut off the supply the numbers stop incrementing.

So I either have a gas leak, a faulty meter or a boiler fault?

Does anyone have any idea what BG will say if I report a faulty meter? Will they just insist that the meter is ok and that I have a gas leak or a faulty boiler?

What is the chance that I could have had a gas leak for a year and never noticed?

Mark.

Reply to
mark.hannah
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Or a pilot light in your boiler?

Chris

Reply to
Chris J Dixon

Not the pilot light - boiler is completley off.

Reply to
mark.hannah

It does not seem very likely that you would have a leak to the degree to register on the meter and yet not be able to smell the gas escaping. Therefore worth contacting the gas distribution leak phone number - not your supplier. In my experience they come quite quickly especially if you phrase you enquiry as "I think I have a gas leak". They have ultra sensitive leak detection equipment.

Bob

Reply to
Bob Minchin

The fact that the meter stops when you isolate the gas rules out a meter fault, doesn't it? As you say your pilot light's off, I can't see how this can be anything than a gas leak (by which I'd include a boiler fault, if the leak's within that.

If you can detect a change in the meter after only an hour, I'm surprised you can't smell anything! Have you sniffed around the boiler flue outside, after it's been off for a bit?

David

Reply to
Lobster

Lobster coughed up some electrons that declared:

Not necessarily - the c*ck is before the meter. Though as the OP has been near the meter I would have thought he'd have smelt gas if it was that leaking. However, the weak point is the "anaconda" flexible pipe used to couple up the meter - those can become holed.

Also, is there any external pipework, or pipework in voids where gas meay not be easily smelt from withing the house?

Cheers

Tim

Reply to
Tim S

Stupid quesion - but is the isolator on the gas company side of the meter or the consumer side? I guess it must be the gas company side to allow them to change meters etc?

Mark.

Reply to
mark.hannah

What do you mean by "off" though?

Is that "off" as in, "have shut the gas supply off to the control valve" or "off" as in "turned the boiler off at the timer"?

Just that if it's the latter, and it's an older boiler with a pilot light, the pilot will still be alight even with the boiler power turned off.

If it's the former then you've got a leak.

Tim

Reply to
Tim Downie

One of the failings of a multifunction permanent pilot gas valve is a sticking pilot valve section so the pilot gas does not shut off when the light goes out. Its not common but it does happen. As any subsequent leak is in a flue draught there is virtually no chance of noticing a smell. Beware the attention of the gas emergency response team as their standard reaction is to turn off your supply ande put a prohibition notice on your appliance. I suggest you get a registered gas installer in urgently who will be able to attend and urgently fix the problem if one so exists

Reply to
cynic

thats what I was about to post. I had a leak, not noticable in the house, but one day while right in the back of a kitchen lower coner cupboard I smelt the faintest leak. Turned out to be the cast irom pipes in the cavity. All capped off and copper replacements sorted this nice and quickly.

Reply to
Vass

Do you have an isolator on the boiler it's self (Sometimes it is just a screw head you turn 90 degrees) If you do, then isolate the boiler, at the boiler, and this will tell you if there is a problem between the boiler and the meter.

Also, can you actually see the pilot light on your boiler, if so, can you see it go out when you turn the boiler off? Do you have to relight it manually when you turn the gas off art the meter, or does it light it's self?

A boiler model number would be useful...

Toby...

Reply to
Toby

snipped-for-privacy@totalise.co.uk coughed up some electrons that declared:

^^^^^ :)

Yes - it's always like that, irrespective of supplier.

Cheers

Tim

Reply to
Tim S

What is the chance that I could have had a gas leak for a year and never noticed?

Was this your house?

formatting link

Reply to
Michael Chare

If it was, then don't expect a reply

Trevor Smith

Reply to
Trevor Smith

On Wed, 29 Apr 2009 03:12:42 +0100, "Trevor Smith" had this to say:

installing decking :-)

Reply to
Frank Erskine

Yes, you quite obviously have a leak somewhere. Get a gas man in asap, they will test for leaks before starting. If there is a leak over a certain level, then they have no choice but to turn off the supply, or get the gas board to turn it off, so be prepared for the bill to sort it.

If there is a leak, then as Vass says, it may well be in the iron pipe in the ground, so the gas isnt detectable in the house. Or, maybe, the boiler is faulty, and the gas is going straight out of the flue, even when turned off.

Alan,.

Reply to
A.Lee

My experiences of gas leaking out an old iron pipe was that I could smell it quite badly... And when they found the leak, it was tiny.

The pipe was about 2' down and outside my house. (This was the gas main going down the street) The smell in one corner of the house where I knew we had no internal pipes was quite bad.

Good luck finding it...

Gordon

Reply to
Gordon Henderson

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