how to safely remove a fitted gas oven ?

[no$spam!delete&abuse%dave]

is a novice trying to remove a fitted gas oven a good idea? or should I get someone in? I don't have the installation instructions to refer to

[John Rumm]

It will probably have a bayonet connector, which makes it fairly simple to remove for even a novice.

Note that if it is going to stay disconnected you ought to fit a cap on the connector and not rely on the auto shut-off valve in the bayonet fitting for permanent isolation.

[no$spam!delete&abuse%dave]

Thanks - I remember them from ages back but haven't had to get involved with gas (other than using it) for a very long time - glad they still exist :)

So should I be able to just undo the screws at the front and pull the unit out to get at the connections?

[John Rumm]

Usually yes. If you think about it, without a flexible hose it would be almost impossible to connect up otherwise since once the unit is in place, you cant get to the connection.

[no$spam!delete&abuse%dave]

Thanks John - that is logical but since it involves mains gas (& electricity) I wanted to be doubly sure before I started undoing things.

[no$spam!delete&abuse%dave]

ah, just a thought... might the pipe work have perished (assume the cheapest choices will have been made - this was fitted for show not longevity) - would it be a good idea to turn the gas off first (slightly inconvenient)?

[John Rumm]

Its unlikely. The biggest pain is when the bayonet socket has not been well supported. Then it is harder to undo the hose (which requires a reasonable push toward the socket as you turn the locking ring) one handed while supporting the oven in the other.

[no$spam!delete&abuse%dave]

Having undone the two screws the oven came out half way but no further. Looking behind it using torch & mirror I can see that the gas pipework is all copper tubing and it's been soldered in place. :(

How safe is gas piping to work with? I assume I'll need to turn off the supply, open the taps and wait for a while (how long) before I can start cutting the pipe?

Thanks again John,

[John Rumm]

What right into the oven? Unusual if it has. Can you get there to work on it?

Assuming you turn off the gas, then it is generally safe to work with in a domestic situation (i.e. the volume held in the pipes is small).

You would need to ideally uncouple a pipe rather than go cutting straight away - unless you are planning to remake the pipework anyway. I would be even more surprised if the pipework is actually soldered to the oven - I would expect female BSP threaded socket on the oven. The intention being that one would screw the non bayonet end of a flexi hose into it. However it would be possible to screw a 15mm compression to

1/2" BSP taper union in, and then pipe it in copper (daft, but possible).

See if you can feel where the pipe joins the oven, and if you can get a spanner to it should there be a nut on it.

[no$spam!delete&abuse%dave]

the pipe bends horizontal into a slot at the top of the oven - I couldn't see any connection the ~3" I could see inside with the torch & mirror

I'll see if I can remove the top in some way...

A lot of things I find in this house are daft, so I can't really trust anything. I was patching up the sides of a ventilation hole with water base filler a few years ago and was suddenly thrown back by sparks flying off the spatula. The previous owner had left the ends of live mains wiring sitting in the wall going nowhere & unmarked.

Willdo. :)