Uncertain of gas smell - how to tell

CBYR1983

Moved into a place that has a vokera mynute 20e in the utility room. We were doing some renovations, nothing to do with boiler or gas, and so I was around the place for a month or so before we fully moved in - no issues. Now I'm starting to get a smell. Nobody else seems to get it.

Is there a way of identifying a gas leak other than smell? Surely....

anthonyos

ye light a match and if your house blows up

Mugser

Subscribing to this as I'd like to know the answer too as I have no sense of smell.. zero.. nada... nothing!! Always bothers me when it comes to things like this. You see these safety ads on the telly from BG telling you that they add a scent to their gas for safety reasons.. about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike to me!!

JohnnieK

You will need to get someone in to investigate if you are not sure. There is no domestic gas sensor available but I'm open to correction on that one, i've only seen Coster and the likes on industrial installations and they would cost too much for the domestic market.

Sometimes people mistake foul smells for gas leaks Is it possible it's the smell of a shore or gully coming back into the house from somewhere?

anuprising

anthonyos wrote: »

ye light a match and if your house blows up

not even remotely funny .

anuprising

JohnnieK wrote: »

You will need to get someone in to investigate if you are not sure. There is no domestic gas sensor available but I'm open to correction on that one, i've only seen Coster and the likes on industrial installations and they would cost too much for the domestic market.

been looking at this but never used it

http://www.gasproducts.ie/acatalog/Amos_Natural_Gas_Alarm_240_V_DC.html

CBYR1983

CBYR1983 wrote: »

Moved into a place that has a vokera mynute 20e in the utility room. We were doing some renovations, nothing to do with boiler or gas, and so I was around the place for a month or so before we fully moved in - no issues. Now I'm starting to get a smell. Nobody else seems to get it.

Is there a way of identifying a gas leak other than smell? Surely....

Turn your gas off at the meter using tha main cock, report your smell of gas to BG, they will test your pipework, if nothing is found have your appliances serviced telling the engineer you have been smelling gas, after that you can be pretty sure your ok but you could fit a gas detector.

Mugser wrote: »

Subscribing to this as I'd like to know the answer too as I have no sense of smell.. zero.. nada... nothing!! Always bothers me when it comes to things like this. You see these safety ads on the telly from BG telling you that they add a scent to their gas for safety reasons.. about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike to me!!

There is a chemical added and it works very well, if you had a leak that you couldn't smell some visiting your house would let you know, of you are concerned then make sure your pipework is tested every year on the annual service.

anthonyos wrote: »

ye light a match and if your house blows up

:mad: and your a RGI

http://www.headingonline.com/p-1246-gas-detector-bg-2201-natural-gas-methane-1290470.aspx

Not as good as a proper service with the gas pipework and appliance checked for safety every year.

JohnnieK

To be honest it looks cheap. The best and safest way to use this alarm would be with the solenoid valve to isolate at the meter in the event of an escape, but who would go to that expense to get it installed in there home, most people are more concerned about a new sweet of furniture rather then there heating systems/gas installations.

Just sounding an alarm would be pointless as a lot of people would just take the battery out.

anthonyos

anthonyos wrote: »

ye must get on the manufactures courses ..i find the instructors on the gas courses full of themselves and they try to hard to highlight what they know and i dont..how often do vokera run them???il ring tomorrow

Couple of things you missed from your gas course: 1) Duty Of Care, 2) Safety, safety, safety, 3) Gasman's paranoia, 4) There's no humor in things that go bang;)

JohnnieK

JohnnieK wrote: »

To be honest it looks cheap. The best and safest way to use this alarm would be with the solenoid valve to isolate at the meter in the event of an escape, but who would go to that expense to get it installed in there home, most people are more concerned about a new sweet of furniture rather then there heating systems/gas installations.

Just sounding an alarm would be pointless as a lot of people would just take the battery out.

I don't like them, I have known people to ignore a gas leak because the alarm didn't go off, I don't think there's any need for a alarm if the gas is tested every year, also with the way NATGAS stinks, leaks are normally smelt very quickly and dealt with.

Mutha

Turn off the gas and get an RGI out.

anthonyos

anuprising wrote: »

not even remotely funny .

stupid answer for a stupid question diy gas detectives

Joey the lips

Is the smell inside or outside... Is the boiler on when you smell it. Sometimes people smell the gas from the flu but i am not doubting you smell it. Just investagating.

You know the rule... If you smell gas ring board gais....

cannonballer

Hi,

Call Bord Gais on 1850 20 50 50 it the safest option, there will be no cost in doing so.

The agent will have a very sensitive device called a gasco seeker that will sniff out any leak and give you a good idea of the location.

Never mess around with natural gas.

Joey the lips

anthonyos wrote: »

stupid answer for a stupid question diy gas detectives

Be careful of your next comment. It was a daft answer you gave and totally unhelpful.

anthonyos

anthonyos wrote: »

stupid answer for a stupid question diy gas detectives

No such thing as a stupid question.

SomeGuyCalledMi

Get BG out. It's a free service.

DGOBS

1. go to your gas meter box and turn off the gas
2. follow the procedure on the gas meter (i.e.. ring BG)
3. open doors and windows and keep the area ventilated
4. do not use electoral switches or door bells, no naked flames or smoking

Always err on the side of caution when you suspect a smell of gas, the emergency crew would rather be called out for nothing, that not be called out for something!

Yes, there is no charge directly to you, and they will be onsite within 60minutes of you making the call (regardless of what day or time you make it)

If there is a leak within the house, they will make safe for you, and advise you to get a RGI out for remedial action if required.

NOTE, the service is not free, it is paid for by the CER, so it's paid for by the tax payer, rather than the customer.

Anthonyos, when you make comments like that, be aware there is people who blindly follow suggestions, and being a 'competent' gas installer, you would have a duty of care to people in this regard.

CBYR1983

Ok, I had a family member go over to the house today and they also got a smell of gas. They got some lad out from BG. I wasn't there. He turned off the gas at the meter, and promptly left.

I'll be employing an RGI to see what he can do to get it back up and running. I've only just put the house back together though, so it's a real kick in the backside. There's no exposed external pipework and gas fires on opposite sides of the house. I can only see destruction in this equation.

Will the insurance pay out on costs associated with re-piping after a gas leak?

anuprising

dont jump the gun ,might be very simple to sort out . could just be one of the gas appliances leaking which could be an easy fix. get a good rgi to find fault .

DGOBS

+1. it maybe a very simple repair, loose fitting, gas valve, cooker tap passing etc....

CBYR1983

Initial analysis with sniffer suggests possible link between laying of wood floor and re-fixing of skirting board to location of leak. I'll be removing skirting later in hope that a nail has simply gone through a pipe. There is a joint behind a partition wall intersection that is also suspected.

I'll let you know how it goes.

DGOBS

Remember, locating it is fine, but the repair has to be done by an RGI, and they will restore your gas supply once sorted and tested.

CBYR1983

Took off the skirting last night to find the floor fitter had mistaken the gas pipe for a batton. Nailed straight through it. He's in trouble.

150 to an rgi to replace pipe and commission. A totally avoidable mess. Plasterwork had to be opened up for access and that needs re-doing as well.

DGOBS

A bill for him so!

CBYR1983

CBYR1983 wrote: »

Took off the skirting last night to find the floor fitter had mistaken the gas pipe for a batton. Nailed straight through it. He's in trouble.

150 to an rgi to replace pipe and commission. A totally avoidable mess. Plasterwork had to be opened up for access and that needs re-doing as well.

At least you got away with it without it going KABANG

anuprising

CBYR1983 wrote: »

Took off the skirting last night to find the floor fitter had mistaken the gas pipe for a batton. Nailed straight through it. He's in trouble.

150 to an rgi to replace pipe and commission. A totally avoidable mess. Plasterwork had to be opened up for access and that needs re-doing as well.

question i would ask is why gas pipe is behind skirting (or at that level ) unprotected (mechanically )

also did the rgi when he relaced the pipe use compression fittings to join new pipe behind the plasterboard ?

JohnnieK

anuprising wrote: »

question i would ask is why gas pipe is behind skirting (or at that level ) unprotected (mechanically )

also did the rgi when he relaced the pipe use compression fittings to join new pipe behind the plasterboard ?

It's probably coming out of the floor up to an appliance. Impossible to know with out being on site.

Re compression fittings, it's a stud wall not a cavity wall.

anuprising

JohnnieK wrote: »

It's probably coming out of the floor up to an appliance. Impossible to know with out being on site.

Re compression fittings, it's a stud wall not a cavity wall.

even if it was running vertical ,it still needs to be mechanically protected to prevent nails penetrating

Compression joints should only be used where they are readily accessible allowing the joint to be easily tightened .These type of joints ARE NOT PERMITTED where the pipe is to be buried or concealed within the structure of the building .

JohnnieK

anuprising wrote: »

even if it was running vertical ,it still needs to be mechanically protected to prevent nails penetrating

Compression joints should only be used where they are readily accessible allowing the joint to be easily tightened .These type of joints ARE NOT PERMITTED where the pipe is to be buried or concealed within the structure of the building .

What would you protect it with? Marley? a nail would go through that, GB dissimilar metals (we all know what happens there). More than likely the chippy used a nail gun and they can penetrate nearly anything.