Another gas explosion in the news.

lstar337

A four-year-old girl and her father have been pulled alive from the rubble of a house destroyed by a suspected gas explosion in the early hours.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-30092439

An exclusion zone is in place while engineers from Southern Gas Networks (SGN) and Southampton City Council investigate the cause of the explosion.

I bet I can guess.

chanz4

bypass or submeter with unions not tight enough

lstar337

Is that a guess too chanz, or do you have info from the investigation?

I hope they make it clear if it was a tampered meter. People need to know the danger they are putting their families (and families on their street) in.

Andy_WSM

I had a gas leak once on the 22mm main in the loft. It had been buried under insulation, then at some point walked on and a joint had split. It went undetected for days - I dread to think what the consequences could have been!

Now the boiler is knackered again anyway I've decided to go back down the heat pump route and will have the gas taken out in the Spring. Never been entirely comfortable with gas since the leak in the loft.

lstar337

Andy_WSM wrote: »

Never been entirely comfortable with gas since the leak in the loft.

I can imagine. It could have gone undetected for some time, and eventually blown your roof off.

chanz4

anything like this will be covered up by the network operator, but in that area the tampers are as stated

lemontart

why would network operator cover it up as most likely an issue at or after meter - usually down to cowboys, cost cutting or stupid careless behaviour with regards to gas appliances and pipes in the property or messing around with meter.

Cardew

The problem with catastrophic damage, as in this incident, it is often impossible to prove tampering; even if that were the cause.

[Deleted User]

Meter reversed gives plenty of evidence also an unregistered sub meter in the house is also open and shut evidence of thievery.Personally I dont mind the thieves blowing up/ or burning down their own properties its when they take the neighbours property with them.
I m overjoyed today with my next door but one neighbour in my street who yesterday, because of a three time bypass, has finally had the electric cut off. Happy xmas to her. Energy theft is rife in my area and thats the only way to stop them.

Cardew

I think we should make it clear that we are talking in general terms - not about today's incident.

System

I think its about time something was added to gas to make it less explosive & flammable. You can't be too safe.