Working with gas legality

[mickael]

The question of legality in carrying out work on your own installation has been covered before in this NG. The consensus has been that you do not have to employ a CORGI fitter if the work that you carry out is done competently. I guess that in the ultimate circumstances a court would decide if you had been competent.

However does anyone know if the above is also true for the following specific circumstance:

I returned from holiday to find that my gas had been turned off by Transco after my neighbours had reported what they thought was a smell of gas (incorrectly I believe). The Transco people couldn't detect any gas leak but took the easy/safe/cover your orse option of switching off the supply and putting a notice through my door with the lowest of the three categories Concern for Safety ticked. The notice says: The gas equipment must not be used. It is an offence to continue to use an unsafe appliance or installation until tested by a CORGI registered installer.

So is it an offence or does the competency thing apply?

I hope that those of you who don't like your neighbours would not dream of using the above to land them with a CORGI McWhopper invoice :-)

[Andy Dingley]

Assuming for the moment that competency _is_ acceptable, then a "competent" person would be required to perform the necessary tests, rather than just switching it back on again (I presume some sort of leakdown test with a manometer is performed, but I know nothing of such things).

I doubt very much that "Well I can't smell aything" or "It was alright beforehand" would be a defensible basis for a "competent" person to argue their competency.

[Ian Stirling]

Think about the wording. Would you want to continue to use an unsafe appliance/installation? If you verify (manometer/...) that it is safe before turning it back on, then there is no "continue to use", as it's now not faulty.

[Jason]

I would normally swich off the gas before going on holiday. ;-)A CORGI landlords inspection would provide evidence of the systems safe operation at a reasonable cost. The onus would then rest with the CORGI rather than the 'competent' individual.

Jason

[Ed Sirett]

Transco are quite right to have put a Concern for Safety notice. As they were unable to gain access to your house they could only test the pipe work.

If you had a boiler, say, with a permanent pilot light it could have been leaking after the gas valve. Transco turned off the pilot valve dropped out and they tested the pipes up to the gas valve. Admittedly this is not likely and a big leak would likely have been ignited by the pilot flame.

In addition to reapeating Trasco's test an inspection of the applinaces will have to be made.

For less than £100 (likely more around £60) you could ask for a Landlords' Safety Record. You can then wave it under your neighbour's nose if they accuse your house of leaking gas again.

[N. Thornton]

If it hasnt been tested, how can you know if its safe or not?

NT

[Jim Alexander]

how would that prevent a repeat of the exact same circumstances while the OP was away?

Jim A

[tarquinlinbin]

Where did they turn it off? is the meter external ?

[Chris Doran]

Have you tried talking to Transco and asking them to come back (free)? The situation where they can't get in and don't have enough justification for breaking the door down can't be that unusual. Indeed, I'm surprised there isn't a 4th category to cover it.

Indeed; this seems such a good ruse for malicious neighbours, that I'm sure Transco should have thought of it. Unless you have reason to believe otherwise, I'm sure your neighbours acted in your best interests and you still don't know they did _not_ stop you returning to a pile of rubble.

As to d-i-y, I think I would turn off the electrics in case of sparks. Then if possible isolate anything that has a pilot, turn on the gas and have a good sniff round. If you _do_ smell gas, then you know you have a problem and will probably have to take the McWhopper route unless it's something obvious like a tap not fully off. If you don't smell gas after a reasonable period of time, then see what Transco say, as above. Probably best not to tell them about your d-i-y -- turn the gas off again, open a few windows (brrr) in case there is gas somewhere and don't light up or turn the electrics back on for a while.

Chris

[Ed Sirett]

NO NO NO! The correct procedures are laid down in the FAQ.

The issue we have here is that the OP has reasonable grounds to suspect that there is no real leak but he has malicious crafty neighbours. The OP has to make his own decision. Having the gas installation checked out at least once (it may well bring up some non-pipework issues) may give him the confidence to restore the supply and relight the appliances the next time he is 'hit'.