Tightness testing question..UP1B

[Pssst]

ladies and gents,

as you will know UP1B gives guidance and procedure when carrying out tightness testing and the procedure covers the vast majority of domestic situations.

Allowances are listed which correspond to leakage rates with the proviso that .."there is no smell of gas". The procedure does not elaborate as to who would smell it,when and where and so i ask you,,when undertaking a test where there is a drop within permitted limits, do you ask the customer/resident if they have smelled gas and if so why? If you dont ask,why not?

 

[Riley]

I ask but word it differently, "no smells of gas, no?". I find if you say have you smelt gas they'll say things like ooh there was one time or something like that. I find this leads them to saying yes rather than letting them decide.

 

[Masood]

Always ask customer as well as having a good sniff myself after turning gas back on.

 

[arran197]

This is a question I would like an answer to, but with slightly different circumstances. An empty property, you reinstate the gas supply and there's a drop, within the limit, but the gas has been off, so no way of smelling it until now. What do you do? Sniff around and hope you don't smell it whilst you are there or trace and repair, which could open q giant can of worm? It's not a new installation, it's existing.

 

[Riley]

If give it fair care. To quote gas safe "you're the engineer on site" I'd always have a sniff around and see what I could find. It could be really obvious. Just cover your backside with paperwork

 

[Dotty]

"Have you had or are you aware of any problems?"

That's what I ask before I even open my toolbox.

 

[MarkAqua]

"Have you had or are you aware of any problems?"

That's what I ask before I even open my toolbox.

He's right!

 

[Dotty]

Covers all eventualities. ..

 

[MarkAqua]

totally agree mate. Always ask this first too.

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

if it leaks it needs a re run! I think I can squeeze it in but it will cost you!?,

 

[Pssst]

You see i think that if you the engineer are reading/applying UP1B then the statement "provided there is no smell of gas" relates to the Engineer and no one else. One might as well go out into the street and invite a passer by to have a sniff.

What if you had just undertaken some work,done the test,saw a small drop but could smell gas and the smell was attributable to the work you had just done?

The kind of leakage rates in the allowances would never be a danger to anyone anyway.

 

[GrahamM]

As croppie mentioned. On every job first thing I say to customer is "everything ok? Any problems"
Answer is no. Carry out tightness test. Have 2mb drop. No smell of gas. No problem!!

If customer mentions a smell of gas recently and you have any drop at all you are then duty bound to trace and repair.

 

[Ermintrude]

Always ask. Don't accept a drop bigger than 0.25

 

[The Goose]

I always ask if everything is ok, no problems etc. I think you can worry people into saying the wrong thing sometimes. And obviously see if i notice anything myself.