Gas meter rising without use

wbapubg

Hi again, 

So last night I tested it again, this time turning the boiler off again, but also turning the gas off directly at the meter. 

My usage went up pretty much exactly the same as the night before, 0.286m³, and this was over exactly 12 hours. 

So would this rule out an issue with the boiler, and point more towards the meter itself? 

Thank you 
Peter

MWT

wbapubg said:

So last night I tested it again, this time turning the boiler off again, but also turning the gas off directly at the meter. 

My usage went up pretty much exactly the same as the night before, 0.286m³, and this was over exactly 12 hours. 

So would this rule out an issue with the boiler, and point more towards the meter itself? 

 Assuming your gas shut-off valve is between the supply and the meter, if the meter still advances with the supply shut off it suggests a faulty meter, but I have no idea how that fault would occur...

If the value you turned off was between the meter and the rest of your house it would suggest a small leak either in the meter or in the connection from the meter to the shut-off valve... 

[Deleted User]

MWT said:

wbapubg said:

So last night I tested it again, this time turning the boiler off again, but also turning the gas off directly at the meter. 

My usage went up pretty much exactly the same as the night before, 0.286m³, and this was over exactly 12 hours. 

So would this rule out an issue with the boiler, and point more towards the meter itself? 

 Assuming your gas shut-off valve is between the supply and the meter, if the meter still advances with the supply shut off it suggests a faulty meter, but I have no idea how that fault would occur...

If the value you turned off was between the meter and the rest of your house it would suggest a small leak either in the meter or in the connection from the meter to the shut-off valve... 

The standard configuration is supply pipe; shut off valve; regulator; meter and then house. Placing the shut off valve downstream of the meter would make it extremely difficult (and dangerous) to replace the regulator or meter.

I agree that if there is any suspicion of an internal gas leak, then Cadent are the guys to approach. 

If OP is still concerned, then the only option is to ask the supplier to replace the meter and have it tested. If the test comes back negative, there will be a charge. Alternatively, if not already fitted, get a smart gas meter.

MWT

[Deleted User] said:

The standard configuration is supply pipe; shut off valve; regulator; meter and then house. Placing the shut off valve downstream of the meter would make it extremely difficult (and dangerous) to replace the regulator or meter.

Agreed, I know how it should be arranged, but I gave up assuming it would be so a long time ago

It would be very odd though to have a gas meter advancing with the supply cut off...

MattMattMattUK

MWT said:

[Deleted User] said:

The standard configuration is supply pipe; shut off valve; regulator; meter and then house. Placing the shut off valve downstream of the meter would make it extremely difficult (and dangerous) to replace the regulator or meter.

Agreed, I know how it should be arranged, but I gave up assuming it would be so a long time ago

It would be very odd though to have a gas meter advancing with the supply cut off...

There are some very odd situations, my Mum's house has two shut off valves, one before the meter, one after, no idea why.

[Deleted User]

MWT said:

[Deleted User] said:

The standard configuration is supply pipe; shut off valve; regulator; meter and then house. Placing the shut off valve downstream of the meter would make it extremely difficult (and dangerous) to replace the regulator or meter.

It would be very odd though to have a gas meter advancing with the supply cut off...

Agreed. In my experience, Occam’s Razor come into play when looking for an explanation.

MWT

MattMattMattUK said:

MWT said:

[Deleted User] said:

The standard configuration is supply pipe; shut off valve; regulator; meter and then house. Placing the shut off valve downstream of the meter would make it extremely difficult (and dangerous) to replace the regulator or meter.

Agreed, I know how it should be arranged, but I gave up assuming it would be so a long time ago

It would be very odd though to have a gas meter advancing with the supply cut off...

There are some very odd situations, my Mum's house has two shut off valves, one before the meter, one after, no idea why.

Exactly what I had in mind, and in this case, which one was turned off would make a difference in determining the fault ...

SAC2334

OP have you tried a gas leak detector foam around the unions of the meter and also the drop test nipple next to the right hand union. 
This little nipple is not uncommonly leaking very slightly 

.I notice this quite a lot when the meter is in an enclosed meter box where the build up of very small leaks like this does smell .

 Once I have found that this nipple blew out completely and gas was escaping quite quickly thankfully not dangerously but into the open air and not inside the property .

I m not a gas safe engineer but possibly when you have shut off the control valve before the meter there is still an amount of gas in the system. It would still carry on leaking a  little from the right hand union / and the nipple which come after the meter index  and the reading would advance slightly still .

For your safety though call out a gas safe engineer to do a pressure  drop test on the system to establish if the system is  totally leak free. Its a very quick and easy  test and should nt cost too much
 
EDIT, a friend who was a meter reader doing a lot of work on meter faults suggested that maybe the control valve was leaking a little gas through even if it was shut off .
 Also says he found a whole new estate who had the wrong type of ECV fitted, low pressure instead of medium pressure

SAC2334

MWT said:

MattMattMattUK said:

MWT said:

[Deleted User] said:

The standard configuration is supply pipe; shut off valve; regulator; meter and then house. Placing the shut off valve downstream of the meter would make it extremely difficult (and dangerous) to replace the regulator or meter.

Agreed, I know how it should be arranged, but I gave up assuming it would be so a long time ago

It would be very odd though to have a gas meter advancing with the supply cut off...

There are some very odd situations, my Mum's house has two shut off valves, one before the meter, one after, no idea why.

Exactly what I had in mind, and in this case, which one was turned off would make a difference in determining the fault ...

MWT said:

MattMattMattUK said:

MWT said:

[Deleted User] said:

The standard configuration is supply pipe; shut off valve; regulator; meter and then house. Placing the shut off valve downstream of the meter would make it extremely difficult (and dangerous) to replace the regulator or meter.

Agreed, I know how it should be arranged, but I gave up assuming it would be so a long time ago

It would be very odd though to have a gas meter advancing with the supply cut off...

There are some very odd situations, my Mum's house has two shut off valves, one before the meter, one after, no idea why.

Exactly what I had in mind, and in this case, which one was turned off would make a difference in determining the fault ...

possibly meter moved at sometime from inside to outside . 

MWT

SAC2334 said:

MWT said:

MattMattMattUK said:

MWT said:

[Deleted User] said:

The standard configuration is supply pipe; shut off valve; regulator; meter and then house. Placing the shut off valve downstream of the meter would make it extremely difficult (and dangerous) to replace the regulator or meter.

Agreed, I know how it should be arranged, but I gave up assuming it would be so a long time ago

It would be very odd though to have a gas meter advancing with the supply cut off...

There are some very odd situations, my Mum's house has two shut off valves, one before the meter, one after, no idea why.

Exactly what I had in mind, and in this case, which one was turned off would make a difference in determining the fault ...

possibly meter moved at sometime from inside to outside . 

Agreed, it certainly feels likely to be  change post initial installation.