The box that surrounds my gas meter has got half full of water, which has now frozen solid around the supply pipe and on/off handle (quite why the box doesn't have a drain hole in it, I have no idea)
Consequently, I now have no gas supply into the flat.
But that can't have frozen the gas, can it? The ground may be covered in snow, but it's only 1 or 2 degrees below zero out there.
(Gas board contacted, will be here within the hour - impressive if they are)
I don't think even the Beast from the East will achieve that :-)
Wondering if the meter itself got so cold as to stop it turning, would that stop the gas getting through? Dunno how well they are sealed to prevent water getting inside. I suspect not well, since they're always fitted in a covered position.
It has to liquefy first and that, other than under pressure, requires sub-zero temperatures we don't get here.
There may be some water/moisture in the pipe that has frozen causing a blockage or the regulator to jam etc.
May be 15 years ago, we had a gas leak by the outside meter. I turned off the supply and called the number in the phone book, they arrived within about 30 mins. Swapped the regulator, checked the gas appliances worked etc, had a cup of tea, and were gone in no time. All free and most impressive.
I'd not expect there to be water in the pipes. But although a regulator is sealed to prevent gas escaping, is it sealed to prevent water getting into its body and freezing? Thus possibly stopping the gas supply by the freezing water expanding and closing the regulator.
One of the statutory metrics of gas supply is %age (or otherwise) of moisture. Along with a band of calorific value.
When I worked for BG in the 80s, a guy on our floor had the job of producing weekly graphs for submission to the regulator. Used to take him
2 days - he had to use a "Y" cable between the modem, terminal, and (HP7475) plotter.Then I found the only PC in the Office had 1-2-3 on it, and did the same in 20 minutes.
When I left after a year, there were 20 PCs in use. One of the biggest delegations at the Earls Court Lotus users event was from our division :)
I was thinking more of small amounts of moisture rather than lots of water. I expect the gas is, in theory. "dried" but a little water vapour condensing out isn't beyond the bounds of possibility.
Don't be a wimp.
You have a blowtorch, don't you?
[Or a slightly more girlie hair dryer/electric pain stripper.]More seriously, couldn't you just pour a kettle full of hot water over it? I remember this as the emergency way of clearing frozen drains when a tap had been dripping over night and the drain from the sink had gradually frozen up just outside the bathroom. Quite satisfying to see it slowly thaw and then let go with a "whooosh".
Cheers
Dave R
P.S. drain hole in box, obviously. Drill not too near the gas pipe. Mother, want to know how to suck eggs?
Only if its very nippy - like ~ -180 deg C ;-)
However it might have jammed something in the meter or main governor
Nope it's not sealed
It apparently has a little hole in the top that lets air in - it wasn't explained how that doesn't also let gas out.
Water had got into this hole and frozen, and stuffed the regulator, hence no gas supply.
Swapped out, new one in, all done inside 30 minutes - well impressed!
I then spent that long on the phone to the supply company arguing about whose responsibility it is to get the box repaired so that water doesn't get in again
Still not resolved that
B*stards!
tim
It's amazing how much energy it takes to melt a blockage.
I ripped it out after this incident, but back in 2011 our washing machine and cloakroom sink drained into an exposed pipe that ran along the back wall into a drain. It had a slight sag in it which was enough to freeze, and then block the waste. Luckily I noticed when doing housework that the sink didn't empty a bucket of water, so had the chance to switch the washing machine off ....
Anyway eventually I had to remove the pipe (plastic waste) and even boiling water direct onto and into it wouldn't melt the ice.
Eventually a 24" - 2 foot - pole of ice slid out.
I rerouted the waste into the cloakroom toilet.
I know I'm in the minority - I don't have a proper kettle
But I did suggest to the girl on the emergency helpline if I should try pouring hot water on to it to melt it and was advised against
TBH I thought that I had done this the first time I noticed it filling up with water.
But AIH this skating rink at the bottom of the box was not the cause of the problem
Because the gas is the other side of the spring-loaded diaphragm, having its pressure compared to atmospheric (or to the compressiblity of ice in your case).
A hole in the bottom is still a good idea, and they cannot reasonably complain about it.
Doubtless.
the first thing the engineer did after he broke through the ice was to drill one :-)
tim
I'd guess it has a diaphragm. Gas one side - air the other, with some form of spring loading.
I'd guess about 100 degrees lower than water, but I'm not sure what gas they supply these days, propane methane?
May well be some kind of electronic component involved which detects flooding and cuts the supply as a lot of meters and appliances rely on electricity to function. Brian
Beast from the East? Who needs silly names for normal weather behaviour. Its only cold due to the air coming from a cold place and pressure being quite high. Brian
Above the pay grade of the person you see. The answer is to drill a small hole in the lowest point in the box and forget about it. Brian
and it's not even *cold* just snowy
tim
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.