Pilot light going out since gas meter change

dweep

I had my gas meter changed by a firm used by British Gas a few days ago. Unfortunately I have had problems with the pilot light in the gas water heater since. (It keeps going out). I don't have central heating, the water heater heats water and that's it.

I did have this problem a few years back, but it was rectified by the fella the landlord sends round every year for a gas safety check.

For over two years, the pilot light has never gone out (even in high winds via flu), so I'm wondering as it's gone out every day since change of meter, might this mean that the flow of gas (pressure ????) has been left at a different (level ???) than it has been for the past 2 years plus ?

WestonDave

Check whether the inlet is on full - I had a problem with ours when I thought the gas was on but it transpired it was actually nearly off (misread/misguessed the way the lever was supposed to be!). Its then probably going to be a case of getting the engineer in - our old boiler used to have problems with the pilot light when the thermocouple was on its way out (it detects heat), and its possible having had it off for the meter replacement has just been the final straw when it totally cooled down. From what they said to me at the time the current stocks of thermocouples tend to break down more quickly and so 2 years might be all you get - I'd be willing to bet that was what he fixed last time.

dweep

Weston Dave ... I think/hope it's more simple than that. The water heater is a standard Britony II T type where there is a pilot light and when you turn the hot tap on the gas/flames whoosh up, and then hot water comes out. The fella who changed the meter didn't take the front part (casing) off the heater as he didn't have any reason to. He turned off my gas fire and turned off the water heater and then went down to the cellar to change the meter. To turn off gas water heater you just turn top dial round anti-clockwise to "off " position going past the point where you would have to hold it for 10 seconds when you want to turn it back on. (click till it sparks and pilot light appears).

The gas fire works in the same way, and there's been no problem with that.

I have just checked the on/off handle of the meter, it's presently pointing up to the ceiling, but it's got quite a bit of movement when I push handle away from me and towards me. I've left it in original position for the time being (pointing to ceiling).

As the water heater has not been touched at all (apart from switching on and off), I'd be surprised if somehow that had co-incidentally developed a fault at exactly the same time as the meter being changed.

I thought I'd call firm back to check, but thought I'd check here first.

Canucklehead

Hi,

It doesn't matter where the handle points. It does have to be in line with the pipe to be fully open and 90 degrees across the pipe to be fully closed.

You need the landlord to get someone GSR to give the pilot a clean.


GSR.