Could Have Gone Up In Flames!!

Porscha! · 03-02-2009, 01:07 PM

Had a bit of a disaster today but could have ended up much worse!

Got home from uni early and had two clarinets to repad, materials had arrived and I set to work, went down stairs to get my spirit lamp (keep some equipment in the shed) to warm up the glue, my phone rang so I went to answer it in the front room and the room smelt of gas, so opened the gas meter cupboard and it nearly knocked me out lol so rang the "smell gas ring me" man up, he came out put a meter on and it was off the scale.

Turns out the gas is leaking out of the lead pipes, the house has more or less got to be ripped apart to get the pipes sorted, glad I don't own the house or I'd be paying for it all, really lucky infact because the gas man said the house could have very easily have blown up!!

Now the house has no cooker, hot water or heating is about to be ripped apart so I've moved back in with my parents til the work is done, that could well prove to be as dangerous as the gas

So anyone with an old house, be careful!

dxb335d · 03-02-2009, 01:09 PM

Fookin' ell.

Glad a disaster was avoided.

lons · 03-02-2009, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Porscha!

Had a bit of a disaster today but could have ended up much worse!

Got home from uni early and had two clarinets to repad, materials had arrived and I set to work, went down stairs to get my spirit lamp (keep some equipment in the shed) to warm up the glue, my phone rang so I went to answer it in the front room and the room smelt of gas, so opened the gas meter cupboard and it nearly knocked me out lol so rang the "smell gas ring me" man up, he came out put a meter on and it was off the scale.

Turns out the gas is leaking out of the lead pipes, the house has more or less got to be ripped apart to get the pipes sorted, glad I don't own the house or I'd be paying for it all, really lucky infact because the gas man said the house could have very easily have blown up!!

Now the house has no cooker, hot water or heating is about to be ripped apart so I've moved back in with my parents til the work is done, that could well prove to be as dangerous as the gas

So anyone with an old house, be careful!

Hey

You are one REALLY lucky lady!

I know of a guy who blew himself up a few years ago by lighting a cigarette 'cos his gas cooker was leaking - he did not survive..................

If yours is a privately rented house, the landlord has a legal obligation to have all gas appliances and installations inspected by an approved, (was CORGI) operative I believe once a year.
If he doesn't comply with this he can be fined or imprisoned and if anyone dies as a result, he can be charged with manslaughter.

Make sure the certificates are in place before you move back in. You only get one life kiddo

squeezebm · 03-02-2009, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Porscha!

Had a bit of a disaster today but could have ended up much worse!

Got home from uni early and had two clarinets to repad, materials had arrived and I set to work, went down stairs to get my spirit lamp (keep some equipment in the shed) to warm up the glue, my phone rang so I went to answer it in the front room and the room smelt of gas, so opened the gas meter cupboard and it nearly knocked me out lol so rang the "smell gas ring me" man up, he came out put a meter on and it was off the scale.

Turns out the gas is leaking out of the lead pipes, the house has more or less got to be ripped apart to get the pipes sorted, glad I don't own the house or I'd be paying for it all, really lucky infact because the gas man said the house could have very easily have blown up!!

Now the house has no cooker, hot water or heating is about to be ripped apart so I've moved back in with my parents til the work is done, that could well prove to be as dangerous as the gas

So anyone with an old house, be careful!

So....your full of gas

madman · 03-02-2009, 01:25 PM

Glad you didn't go KABOOM!

Not only old houses though. The new house I bought 2 years ago apparently had all the gas work done by untrained monkeys. They had "forgot" to sleeve the main gas pipe in the wall cavity which could cause it to rupture and fill the cavity up with gas etc. All 50 houses on the development had to be fixed!

The moral of the story...don't mess with gas..cos it'll eff you up!

dxb335d · 03-02-2009, 01:31 PM

Just dont buy a house which runs on gas.

beemerbird · 03-02-2009, 01:32 PM

Bloody hell Nicola close call!! Glad you're ok.

Don't know about you, but I'm really sensitive to the smell of gas (not farts before anyone says 'owt).

Nearlys don't count eh..........bit like near misses in your car lol.

Pleased it's all getting sorted though.

willhollin · 03-02-2009, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dxb335d

Just dont buy a house which runs on gas.

Yeah oil is best!

dxb335d · 03-02-2009, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willhollin

Yeah oil is best!

TooFackin right.

G33 · 03-02-2009, 01:46 PM

U lucky little Porka!

Just as well, otherwise u might have missed out on the event of the year....that being UK7 lol

Porscha! · 03-02-2009, 02:20 PM

G33

Lons - thats shocking good job I didn't light my spirit lamp up!! Are the certs still needed if you don't have an agent?

Don't know if this has been going on a while (the gas leak) as the pipes have perished, they are very old so maybe it has slowly been getting worse?? It would go porous and fracture all at once would it?? Know it's a corgi man doing it as I know the plumber

NFS · 03-02-2009, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Porscha!

G33

Lons - thats shocking good job I didn't light my spirit lamp up!! Are the certs still needed if you don't have an agent?

Don't know if this has been going on a while (the gas leak) as the pipes have perished, they are very old so maybe it has slowly been getting worse?? It would go porous and fracture all at once would it?? Know it's a corgi man doing it as I know the plumber

Certificates are ALWAYS required if you are going to rent out a property.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg285.pdf

madman · 03-02-2009, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willhollin

Yeah oil is best!

How good is Oil? The village we are looking to move to next has oil but i've never used it.

Had a house with natural gas and LPG, but never experienced oil.

willhollin · 03-02-2009, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by madman

How good is Oil? The village we are looking to move to next has oil but i've never used it.

Had a house with natural gas and LPG, but never experienced oil.

If you are not on mains gas then your only main options are oil or LPG, I think you will find oil is cheaper to run than LPG, but as with everything there are good and bad points. LPG tanks are maintained by the supplying company but you are responsible for your oil tank maintenance and they aren't cheap to buy.

willhollin · 03-02-2009, 03:05 PM

God i'm boring.

lons · 03-02-2009, 04:04 PM

Porcha
NFS is spot on

Letting any property without the relevent inspections is a very serious offence.

Madman

We don't have gas in the village and we've used oil for 22 years. Whatever house you buy or rent will already have the tank installed but you are responsible for mainenance (very little with modern plastic tanks).

Good points:-
If you don't sign in to a contract you can buy your oil when at it's cheapest although I've paid from 8p - 43p litre. Phone around and play suppliers against each other
As efficient as any other fuel in my opinion.
Boilers are very simple and easy to service - shop around
Much safer than gas - doesn't burn or explode unless oil is vaporised

Bad points:-
tank is an eyesore
Can sometimes smell oil
Can be noisier

Hope this helps

Porscha! · 03-02-2009, 04:17 PM

NFS / Lons - thanks I'll have to speak to them, it's a case of friend of a friends mum and dad who live in Spain, they pretty much let me do what I want to the house, so long as they know as they don't plan on moving back, lovely couple though

Feel really quite lucky that it's all being sorted really, could have been a lot, lot worse

Not to mention after years I've finally made up with my dad, so not all bad I don't suppose!

SoYank · 03-02-2009, 06:39 PM

I had an incident with my house the first year I owned it that was the other end of the gas leak spectrum. I had a wall mounted space heater that was an eye-sore. One day a technician from British Gas was canvassing the neighborhood giving free appliance inspections (this was in 1998). He took one look at the heater and asked if I used it. I said I'd turned it on once but since it was the winter I was likely to do so again. He said not to use it until I had the flue cleaned. He pointed out discolouration on the front that was caused by exhaust gasses coming back into the room. Carbon Monoxide is a killer just as unburnt gas but without the odour.

Glad all is working out well for you Nicola. It's a plus that your relationship with your dad is back on track. I wish I could have that once again with mine.

How long are you out of the house? If it's going to be a while you might want to return and retrieve important papers and documents, just in case.

Geoffo · 03-03-2009, 01:52 AM

Wow, that's a lucky escape Nicola..Hope you're OK..

03-02-2009, 01:07 PM	#1
Porscha! Should be on www.retrorides.com 93 Rep 3,573 Posts Drives: Porsche 944 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Derbyshire iTrader: (0) Garage List 1978 MG Midget 1500 [0.00] 1987 BMW E30 325i C ... [0.00]	Could Have Gone Up In Flames!! Had a bit of a disaster today but could have ended up much worse! Got home from uni early and had two clarinets to repad, materials had arrived and I set to work, went down stairs to get my spirit lamp (keep some equipment in the shed) to warm up the glue, my phone rang so I went to answer it in the front room and the room smelt of gas, so opened the gas meter cupboard and it nearly knocked me out lol so rang the "smell gas ring me" man up, he came out put a meter on and it was off the scale. Turns out the gas is leaking out of the lead pipes, the house has more or less got to be ripped apart to get the pipes sorted, glad I don't own the house or I'd be paying for it all, really lucky infact because the gas man said the house could have very easily have blown up!! Now the house has no cooker, hot water or heating is about to be ripped apart so I've moved back in with my parents til the work is done, that could well prove to be as dangerous as the gas So anyone with an old house, be careful! __________________ "FIRE UP THA PORRSCHAAH" - The 80's are back! Front Engined Porsche
	Appreciate 0 Tweet Quote

03-02-2009, 01:09 PM	#2
dxb335d The Tarmac Terrorist 948 Rep 29,345 Posts Drives: 997.2 GT3 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: ''Fandango Towers'' iTrader: (3) Garage List 2010 Porsche 997.2 GT3 [9.50] 2003 BMW E46 M3 [6.00] 2007 BMW E92 335D [5.50]	Fookin' ell. Glad a disaster was avoided. __________________ 997.2 GT3
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-02-2009, 01:25 PM	#5
madman Major 108 Rep 1,252 Posts Drives: The Above Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Lincolnshire, UK iTrader: (0)	Glad you didn't go KABOOM! Not only old houses though. The new house I bought 2 years ago apparently had all the gas work done by untrained monkeys. They had "forgot" to sleeve the main gas pipe in the wall cavity which could cause it to rupture and fill the cavity up with gas etc. All 50 houses on the development had to be fixed! The moral of the story...don't mess with gas..cos it'll eff you up! __________________ If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-02-2009, 01:31 PM	#6
dxb335d The Tarmac Terrorist 948 Rep 29,345 Posts Drives: 997.2 GT3 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: ''Fandango Towers'' iTrader: (3) Garage List 2010 Porsche 997.2 GT3 [9.50] 2003 BMW E46 M3 [6.00] 2007 BMW E92 335D [5.50]	Just dont buy a house which runs on gas. __________________ 997.2 GT3
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-02-2009, 01:32 PM	#7
beemerbird Major General 172 Rep 7,953 Posts Drives: Merc diesel Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Yorkshire iTrader: (0) Garage List 2010 TTRS [9.00] 2007 Audi S5 [0.00] May 2007 Porsche 99 ... [0.00] March 2007 Porsche ... [0.00] Sep. 2007 E92 335d SE [0.00] July 2006 E90 330i ... [0.00]	Bloody hell Nicola close call!! Glad you're ok. Don't know about you, but I'm really sensitive to the smell of gas (not farts before anyone says 'owt). Nearlys don't count eh..........bit like near misses in your car lol. Pleased it's all getting sorted though.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-02-2009, 01:46 PM	#10
G33 Colonel 91 Rep 2,079 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: London iTrader: (0)	U lucky little Porka! Just as well, otherwise u might have missed out on the event of the year....that being UK7 lol
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-02-2009, 02:20 PM	#11
Porscha! Should be on www.retrorides.com 93 Rep 3,573 Posts Drives: Porsche 944 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Derbyshire iTrader: (0) Garage List 1978 MG Midget 1500 [0.00] 1987 BMW E30 325i C ... [0.00]	G33 Lons - thats shocking good job I didn't light my spirit lamp up!! Are the certs still needed if you don't have an agent? Don't know if this has been going on a while (the gas leak) as the pipes have perished, they are very old so maybe it has slowly been getting worse?? It would go porous and fracture all at once would it?? Know it's a corgi man doing it as I know the plumber __________________ "FIRE UP THA PORRSCHAAH" - The 80's are back! Front Engined Porsche
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-02-2009, 03:05 PM	#15
willhollin Major General 268 Rep 9,915 Posts Drives: VW T5 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Worcestershire iTrader: (1) Garage List 2007 BMW E92 330d SE [10.00] 2010 Transporter T5 ... [0.00]	God i'm boring. __________________
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-02-2009, 04:04 PM	#16
lons Lons 10 Rep 383 Posts Drives: 320d M Sport edition - carbon Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Northumberland iTrader: (0)	Porcha NFS is spot on Letting any property without the relevent inspections is a very serious offence. Madman We don't have gas in the village and we've used oil for 22 years. Whatever house you buy or rent will already have the tank installed but you are responsible for mainenance (very little with modern plastic tanks). Good points:- If you don't sign in to a contract you can buy your oil when at it's cheapest although I've paid from 8p - 43p litre. Phone around and play suppliers against each other As efficient as any other fuel in my opinion. Boilers are very simple and easy to service - shop around Much safer than gas - doesn't burn or explode unless oil is vaporised Bad points:- tank is an eyesore Can sometimes smell oil Can be noisier Hope this helps __________________
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-02-2009, 04:17 PM	#17
Porscha! Should be on www.retrorides.com 93 Rep 3,573 Posts Drives: Porsche 944 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Derbyshire iTrader: (0) Garage List 1978 MG Midget 1500 [0.00] 1987 BMW E30 325i C ... [0.00]	NFS / Lons - thanks I'll have to speak to them, it's a case of friend of a friends mum and dad who live in Spain, they pretty much let me do what I want to the house, so long as they know as they don't plan on moving back, lovely couple though Feel really quite lucky that it's all being sorted really, could have been a lot, lot worse Not to mention after years I've finally made up with my dad, so not all bad I don't suppose! __________________ "FIRE UP THA PORRSCHAAH" - The 80's are back! Front Engined Porsche
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-02-2009, 06:39 PM	#18
SoYank Major General 571 Rep 7,519 Posts Drives: 2009 E90 335i MT Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Vinton, Virginia iTrader: (1) Garage List 2009 BMW E90 335i S ... [9.00]	I had an incident with my house the first year I owned it that was the other end of the gas leak spectrum. I had a wall mounted space heater that was an eye-sore. One day a technician from British Gas was canvassing the neighborhood giving free appliance inspections (this was in 1998). He took one look at the heater and asked if I used it. I said I'd turned it on once but since it was the winter I was likely to do so again. He said not to use it until I had the flue cleaned. He pointed out discolouration on the front that was caused by exhaust gasses coming back into the room. Carbon Monoxide is a killer just as unburnt gas but without the odour. Glad all is working out well for you Nicola. It's a plus that your relationship with your dad is back on track. I wish I could have that once again with mine. How long are you out of the house? If it's going to be a while you might want to return and retrieve important papers and documents, just in case. __________________ **2009 E90 335i Montego Blue · Black Leather · Burl Walnut · 6MT · US Spec** SatNav • ZPP • ZCW • 6FL • TPMS • iDrive • PDC • HWS • Xenons • BMW Assist • Power Rear Sunshade • Logic 7 European Taillights • Rear Foglamp • OEM Alarm • PicoTray • DataToys XM-DVR • Multi-view Processor Quaife ATB LSD • Short Shift Knob • Hartge Anti-Roll Bars • AP Racing Front Brakes • 19" Style 269
	Appreciate 0 Quote