Landlord wants me to pay bill for investigation of gas leak

Agile · 3 Jan 2014

The flue flow test has no connection with any report of a smell of gas.

Do you have a copy of the gas safety certificate? Has it been tested every 12 months?

You have still not satisfactorily explained why the heating was off for two weeks when no gas leak was measured.

Nor have you said where you think its leaking from!

Or why you think you can smell gas when no leak is found.

If you really believe there is a gas leak then you can buy a cheap Omnigas sniffer for about £35.

Tony

gas112 · 3 Jan 2014

Because national grid didnt find a leak DOESNT mean there was not one .
Having in a previous life being one of those guys who worked for BG i can assure you many installations show up sound (no leak) but do have one .

It could be after taps of appliances and only show up when appliance on

I have seen nails screws in pipes that only leak occasionally when walked on .

pinholed anacondas on meters that dont show a leak on testing but do when gas on proper or moved slightly .

Fluxed but not soldered joints leaking when pressure behind them .

Leak not actually in your premises but filtering through from next door.

Leaking service to premises that depending on wether the ground is hot cold wet or dry filters through or is sealed.

These are just off the top of my head i have attended thousands of leaks up to around 20 a day in busy periods and believe me because as Agile say a scientific test has been carried out DOESNT MEAN THERE IS NO LEAK .

Tell your landlord to do one and ALWAYS call out ng/tansco if you suspect a leak.

This is were the Difference between properly trained gasmen and boiler repairmen men is shown right up

TeddyNovak · 3 Jan 2014

Dan_Robinson said:
You should have an annual gas safety inspection - did you have one in place?

After much chasing, I eventually obtained one.

All sorts of things can smell of gas - drains are a classic one.

It wasn't the smell of drains. I'd usually note the smell when I returned home from work and thoe place had been empty, doors closed etc. and the smell was very much located in one place, adjacent to the gas fire (yes, 1970s vintage gas fire. )

I am not saying that you should ignore a smell of gas.

Its a reasonable inference - I'll have to pay if I think I can smell gas, but no leak is detected...

I am saying that when you are told several times that there is no leak by different people that have nothing to gain by saying otherwise; that you should have gone down different a different path.

What would I have to gain by pretending I can smell gas?? Apart from a damp property and freezing my buns off, of course. What other path should I have gone down? Pretended I couldn't smell gas and hoping that nothing goes BOOM?

What you relationship is with your landlord is I do not know, but from the sounds of it, things aren't rosie.

Ha has previously been taken to Court by a previous tenant and fined £1000 for matters that I won't go into here. He *hates* spending any money. Since I've been here the gas fire / back boiler has had to be repaired three times as it wouldn't turn on. Its been capped twice previously.

Get the picture?

As has been said - information is not complete.

I'm hiding nothing. If you think I've not mentioned anything, ask.

denso13 · 3 Jan 2014

TeddyNovak said:
Can he make me pay?

Does your tenancy agreement mention any of this? That is, charging for works not required or an onus on you to report concerns immediately?

TeddyNovak · 3 Jan 2014

Agile said:
You have still not satisfactorily explained why the heating was off for two weeks when no gas leak was measured.

Nor have you said where you think its leaking from!

Or why you think you can smell gas when no leak is found.

Tony

1. I have - at least twice. Read my replies.

2. I have no idea; does it matter? I smelt gas, I reported same.

3. I said I could smell gas because, err, I thought I could smell gas. My partner did, too.

TeddyNovak · 3 Jan 2014

gas112 said:
Because national grid didnt find a leak DOESNT mean there was not one .

<snip>

i have attended thousands of leaks up to around 20 a day in busy periods and believe me because as Agile say a scientific test has been carried out DOESNT MEAN THERE IS NO LEAK .

Thank you.

Agile · 3 Jan 2014

Although you think that you have explained why you had no heating for two weeks, it has failed to make me see why.

All you have said it was capped off because you stated YOU could smell gas.

So what transpired during these two weeks before the boiler was turned on again?

A landlord is expected to have any repairs carried out within a reasonable time.

Normally a visit by an engineer within 24 hours on weekdays would be a reasonable response. At busy times like Oct-Dec then a little longer can be expected.

I always take the British Gas response time for boiler repairs to be a good measure of a "reasonable" response time. I always aim to attend far sooner! Normally the same day!

Tony

phatboy · 3 Jan 2014

I guess your landlord could argue that you should have told him first and then he could have appointed someone to come and assess. He may say you cannot call people in at his expense without his consent.

However if I ever smelt gas in my home I would not hesitate in contacting someone about it ASAP.

Read your tenancy agreement and see what it says.

Agile · 3 Jan 2014

I think it was the landlord who called the engineer!

And included the instruction to do a gas cert on the visit.

Tony

TeddyNovak · 3 Jan 2014

Agile said:
Although you think that you have explained why you had no heating for two weeks, it has failed to make me see why.

All you have said it was capped off because you stated YOU could smell gas.

So what transpired during these two weeks before the boiler was turned on again?

I informed the landlord; he ( eventually) instructed a fitter ( who has previously fixed the gas fire ). Gas Board had capped supply due to smell; fitter could not get round very quickly and although I'd offered to call out another engineer he declined; the fitter arrived four days later. Couldn't find leak, remained capped, as I could smell gas at the time. Made a total of three visits and after his third visit, I could no longer smell gas and so the supply was reinstated.

I've repeatedly told you that, as I'd said I could smell gas, the supply as left capped. It wasn't my decision, but that of "professionals".

A landlord is expected to have any repairs carried out within a reasonable time

As is a tenant. Four days before his chosen fitter could attend? Hmmm...

TeddyNovak · 3 Jan 2014

Tenants also have responsibilities imposed upon them by the Gas Safety
(Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.
They must report any defect that they become aware of and must not use
an appliance that is not safe.

Dan Robinson · 3 Jan 2014

Made a total of three visits and after his third visit, I could no longer smell gas and so the supply was reinstated.

Bit of a gap in the details there,

But did you have a CURRENT gas safety certificate?

What appliances are we talking about here?

Where was the repair effected that stopped the smell?

Surely you have this information? Without it we are only guessing.

And for the record I am not taking the landlord's side, or yours.

TeddyNovak · 3 Jan 2014

Thanks, Dan.

I did have an in-date GS certificate, obtained after some prompting and I still don't have one from the date of commencement of Tenancy.

The appliance is a Baxi Bermuda back burner / gas fire; I have no idea what repair work was done to stop the smell, or if the simple act of taking apart and putting back together again was enough to do the trick.

Ref the tenancy - only mention of repairs is that under the Landlord & Tenant Act LL is required to keep fittings in good repair.

Dan Robinson · 3 Jan 2014

Ahh - a back boiler.

Yes stripping that down properly and putting it back together again could well solve a leak.

If there was a leak on the pilot tube for example, that might explain why National grid didn't pick it up, although one would have thought the leaking gas would be carried up the flue.

I suspect the Landlord will have to do one

.

Steelmasons · 3 Jan 2014

gas112 said:
This is were the Difference between properly trained gasmen and boiler repairmen men is shown right up

Agree 112 which has been proven many times over.

Cracking post although meter leaking dependant on where the diaphragm/valve sits is another one these boiler monkeys wouldn't comprehend.

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Landlord wants me to pay bill for investigation of gas leak

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