Gas and compression joints?

[jabuzzard]

I had the gas for the cooker in my kitchen disconnected and capped this morning. Now I thought that as the pipe was capped 10cm from the tee of the gas pipe as it passes through to the lounge and the gas fire as is going to be stuck permanently behind a cupboard and inaccessible it should be capped with a soldered on cap. However it was done with just a compression cap. I did query it but he was insistent that a compression cap was fine.

Have I got this wrong and a compression is fine or should I get it redone with a soldered on cap?

 

[stardanny]

A compression fitting can be used only if it can be accessible so, in this case, no.

Yes, it should be capped with a solder on cap.

Make sure he is Gas safe approved installer

Dan.

 

[Charnwood]

The fitting manufacturer also needs Gas Board approval. Kuterlite has it, as does Prestex.

 

[jabuzzard]

A compression fitting can be used only if it can be accessible so, in this case, no.

Yes, it should be capped with a solder on cap.

Make sure he is Gas safe approved installer

Dan.

Grr, what is annoying is that I questioned him before he cut the pipe as I could see he had only the tools to cap it with a compression fitting, on specifically this point.

He is Gas Safe approved, so should I complain or would I be wasting my time?

Is there a link somewhere with the regulations so that I can point him or the next person at it and insist that they use a solder on cap. That said further hacking out of the kitchen has revealed that the tee for the boiler is also a compression joint...

 

[ChrisR]

As it happens gas installers in the closed part of the site just argued over this sort of thing for 4 pages!
No there isn't a regulation we can point to. It's not quite as cut and dried as I, for one, thought.
We can analyse the whys and wherefores and say:
Did he test it wasn't leaking?
It's not a comp joint in the middle of a run so it won't get twisted undone.
If it did leak , could the gas get to where you'd smell it?
Can you get to it without using tools, say?
It's probably not as inaccessible as undefloor. It's where you might expect it to be.

Yours, from here, just about looks like it should have been soldered. But is it dangerous - no it wouldn't seem it is.

 

[jabuzzard]

As it happens gas installers in the closed part of the site just argued over this sort of thing for 4 pages!
No there isn't a regulation we can point to. It's not quite as cut and dried as I, for one, thought.
We can analyse the whys and wherefores and say:
Did he test it wasn't leaking?

Yes, and I presume it passed.

It's not a comp joint in the middle of a run so it won't get twisted undone.
If it did leak , could the gas get to where you'd smell it?
Can you get to it without using tools, say?

It is going to be behind a kitchen unit corner cupboard (it's right in the corner), so to get at it you would need to remove the sink, worktop and other cupboards. I would say it will be pretty inaccessible once the kitchen is done.

It's probably not as inaccessible as undefloor. It's where you might expect it to be.

Yours, from here, just about looks like it should have been soldered. But is it dangerous - no it wouldn't seem it is.

I would say underfloor could easily be more accessible.

 

[FiremanT]

It is going to be behind a kitchen unit corner cupboard (it's right in the corner), so to get at it you would need to remove the sink, worktop and other cupboards. I would say it will be pretty inaccessible once the kitchen is done.

As reluctantant as I am to criticise someone without seeing the job, I would say this IS not accessible. It strikes me as a lazy mans job. Did you get him out specifically for this, or was he there anyway? Waht did he charge?