Flippant TV Presenter

[ninebob]

Earlier this evening I watched a programme called "Honey, I destroyed the house" - yet another home makeover show. The presenter, Naomi Cleaver (who I dislike at the best of times), said the following:

"I've chosen this electric fire because it looks funky and you don't have to worry about all the regulations like you do with gas ones..."

Excuse me?

OK, so maybe gas is capable of causing a bigger explosion, but electricity has regulations too, and is equally capable of burning down your house, or killing you.

When you get this kind of flippancy on TV there's no wonder it filters through to the average DIYer...

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Hang on - before you get all blood-pressured-up, how did this fire need to be installed?

 

[ninebob]

It matters not the type of fire, or connection method. I'm sure (or at least I hope!) the production company employed professional tradesmen, and that every aspect of the makeover was performed safely and in accordance with regulations.

What worries me is the comment from the presenter, which (in my interpretation at least), might as well have said "Gas - be careful, Electricity - nah, do as you like...."

And I do think that the public opinion is that gas is more dangerous. The truth is that while the manifestation of a gas fault may be more "dramatic", both have the ability to cause devastating results.

 

[plugwash]

yeah people make out gas is extremely dangerous and the slightest spark will set it off

yet we had builders put an angle grinder though a gas pipe and while i wasn't there at the time and don't have details there was definately no visible damage

btw it was a peice of pipe that was due to be removed anyway but hadn't been yet because gas work has to be done by someone corgi registered so you have to keep gas work in batches rather than doing it at the most logical time

 

[AdamW]

Thing is, everyone makes mistakes, even Corgis.

Anyone who watched "The (fixed) Million Pound Property Experiment" might have seen the episode where they were doing up a house, when the inspector came round with a sniffer he detected gas.

Turned out that the gas fitters hadn't done up one of the compression joints (under the floorboards), just slid the pipe in and forgot.

Now, that was shown up because they had a full-on inspection. But if it had just been a small job, replacing a boiler, or piping in a hob supply, that could have gone totally unnoticed. Especially if it was done in the summer and the windows weren't fully closed until winter.

 

[plugwash]

i didn't think you were supposed to use comression joints for gas

 

[AdamW]

I believe you can, but you have to use PTFE tape, and special thick stuff at that.

I wonder how long it is until there is an accident resulting from someone DIYing their gas with pushfit connectors.

 

[plugwash]

well when this pipe was angle ground through the builder stuck a pushfit on the end temporerally until it was dealt with properly

 

[AdamW]

I'm not sure of the ins and outs of how well it would seal a gas pipe, but they aren't approved for the job. Perhaps because of the limited lifespan, maybe they just don't seal gas-tight.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It matters not the type of fire, or connection method. I'm sure (or at least I hope!) the production company employed professional tradesmen, and that every aspect of the makeover was performed safely and in accordance with regulations.

Now, now.
The point I was trying to make is maybe it was something which you just plugged in. In which case, if you are a homeowner, you don't have to worry about regulations, you just buy it in the shop, take it home, and plug the bl00dy thing in to the nearest socket. Bish bosh - job done.

What worries me is the comment from the presenter, which (in my interpretation at least), might as well have said "Gas - be careful, Electricity - nah, do as you like...."

I didn't see it, so I don't know, but it doesn't read that way from what you've reported.

And I do think that the public opinion is that gas is more dangerous. The truth is that while the manifestation of a gas fault may be more "dramatic", both have the ability to cause devastating results.

Well - come Jan 1st, it will only be illegal to do unchecked DIY electrical work - gas will still be perfectly OK, if done competently.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I'm not sure of the ins and outs of how well it would seal a gas pipe, but they aren't approved for the job. Perhaps because of the limited lifespan, maybe they just don't seal gas-tight.

Ha! What about the fact that my gas cooker is attached via flexible hose with a bayonet connector. That seals OK.

 

[ninebob]

Something tells me that this "designer" wouldn't want the aesthetics of an exposed socket/13a plug scenario. Having watched the programme, I saw the new electric fire with no visible means of connection. So it leads one to wonder how it is connected.

None of which detracts from the angle of my original post - electricity is as dangerous as gas and the risks should not be under-rated.

 

[TexMex]

Did you see that Kate Galloway the other day.
They were talking about this team of rowers that were attempting to cross the Atlantic. Their boat had been smashed up by a Huricane, and they had decamped into a tiny lifeboat. A whacking great container ship (Swedish I think) came to the rescue.

The Captain had managed to manouver this great hulk right alongside this teeny lifeboat. Remarking on the skill of this operation in ferocious winds, without damaging the feeble craft. Then Kate says, "I bet he couldn't do it again though!"

Like.. Does that mean, this captain was thinking. "Lets just aim for them chaps, and with a bit of luck we wont mangle them in our props"

I'm sure it was meant toungue in cheak, but it made me chuckle.

 

[AdamW]

I hadn't realised they were picked up by a container ship! That would certainly take some skill, manoeuvring possibly 100,000 tonnes of laden ship around a blow-up dinghy!

As to the bayonet connector for gas, that is a connector specifically designed for the purpose and is approved as such. However a push-fit plumbing connector, even if it does provide as good a seal as compression, is not approved for gas (yet). No doubt someone will bring out a gas-approved pushfit. But as far as I know, current pushfit connectors are not allowed on gas installations.

I would hope the electric fire was properly installed. I am sure that the BBC/ITV can afford to pay the £50 or whatever for a spark to wire in an FCU and connect the fire (provided their builders had channeled and done whatever in preparation).

 

[securespark]

As I understood it, she was saying that the electric fire would not be subject to regulations in the same way the gas one would ie the hassle of making sure the chimney is sound (sweeping it if not) and installing the fire to Corgi stds. Easier just to plonk an electric one there.