Very old gas meter, please help!

alexlindberg

Hi,

So I just signed a contract for a new flat, but I'm a bit worried about the gas meter and the boiler.

The agency did send a guy from some independent gas company that the agency clearly know from before.

First he didn't give me the copy of the Gas Safety Record, I had to ask for it before he left and he didn't explain anything on it.

The protective equipotential bonding satisfactory failed, and he told me that the agency should fix it.

I don't trust the agency or the gas guy, here is 2 photos of the gas meter.

imgur.com/a/KceKi (sorry new user so can't link it)

Is there anything I should be worried about?

It's the first time I have a own property in the UK so don't now anything about these gas stuff.

Thanks!

prosaver

can you smell gas or feel sleepy when the heatings on?

Mr.Generous

A gas safety certificate shows it is safe. check the gas safe register for the guy who did the checks if you have doubts. https://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/find-an-engineer/

alexlindberg

Thanks for your replay!

I haven't slept in the apartment yet but it do smell around the meter.

Also the pipe outside was really short so he told me to have the window open when the heater was on?

Is there any way that I need to pay for any reparations needed? I only rent the flat but I have already signed the contract...

Thanks!

SpotlandRules

If it smells around the meter, which it should not, get the National Grid out. It is not safe.

If you have to have the window open when the heater is on, again it is not safe

Mr.Generous

If the pipe outside is the vent pipe I wonder if the engineer said don't have the window open when the heater is on. The regulations around opening windows and boiler flues are quite complicated, the landlord may have to make a window a none opener if a longer flue (plume kit) is not available. I doubt you would be able to smell gas round the meter if it passed a genuine test, the allowed drop is 1/2mb over 2 minutes - a minute trace of gas.

alexlindberg

Thanks again for all replays!

Yes its the vent pipe, he also made a note on the report that the vent pipe was to short.

You can open the window next to the boiler from both the top and the bottom.
He said leave the bottom window open not the top one, the vent pipe is next to the top window.

It dosen't smell gas in the kitchen it just when you open the door to the meter you can smell it. But I don't think it's leaking.

I think it will be fine then, they Agency just need to fix an electrician that will sort the protective equipotential bonding.

System

I m a meter reader and quite often smell gas from meter boxes where they are opened once every three months at the most so even the smallest leak can build up to a positive rotten cabbage smell of gas.There are a few spots on the meter and the unions and anaconda pipe where a bit of gas can weep out. The number to ring is on the meter with any smell of gas 0800 111 999 to National Grid

[Deleted User]

That's an old cubic feet gas meter, most these days are in cubic meters. Friend has one in his flat with year 1989 printed on!

He also has and old wheel electric meter which I find strange, as I was made (demanded to let them do it) to have mine upgraded to a white box LCD meter about 8 years ago.

System

Deleted_User wrote: »

That's an old cubic feet gas meter, most these days are in cubic meters. Friend has one in his flat with year 1989 printed on!

He also has and old wheel electric meter which I find strange, as I was made (demanded to let them do it) to have mine upgraded to a white box LCD meter about 8 years ago.

in my opinion the old analogue meters are an upgrade on cheap and nasty £5 digital meters which persist in breaking down costing millions . The Landys and Gyr, Siemens and Ampy small white digital meters are a disaster. I find on average one a week at least which has gone blank and lost the reading. I have only ever found one dial meter in 18 years which was faulty.

C_Mababejive

There is nothing unusual about your meter and there are thousands of them just like it out there. It is an older model of prepayment card meter.

Flue outlets must not be less than 300mm from any opening in the building.

This is to lessen the chance of re-entry of products of combustion.