Inccorect isolating valve/gas cock

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Came across a RIDDOR reportable situation yesterday. Gas fire removed and electric fire installed. 10mm feed to the gas fir cut off and capped with blue fleixble plastic cap. There was a definate smell of gas in the room but an initial tightness test showed no drop. Anyway I left it on for a further 3 mins and there was an instant drop.

I think what was happening is there was a isolating valve on the 15 mm feed to the fire( reduced to 10 mm) which must have been letting by, the pressure was building up in the 10 mm pipe which had been capped with the plastic cap to the point where it was strong enough for it to push out.

My question is this isolating valve looks just like a water isolation valve, it just had a screw to turn to close/open the valve, all the gas cocks I have seen had a tap/handle of some type. The same type of valve is also fitted to a supply leading to another fire in the dining room. Am I correct about these valves just being for water and not gas?

Open pipe I capped obviously and system is now gas tight but if valves are of incorrect type(ie :don't conform to bs en 331:1998) what does that make the installation AR or NCS?

 

[gas4you]

If you can smell gas and there is a drop and an inappropriate fitting has been used to cap off the pipe it is ID and a RIDDOR should be issued, but then you know this as you are corgi registered and rated for fires

I think you are describing a chrome restrictor elbow that is the standard isolting valve for a gas fire. This should have been turned off and a 1/4" plug fitted into the outlet then tightness tested with the valve open, then once ok shut the valve again fully.

I know this sounds rude so forgive me, but you certainly do not sound corgi reg or competent to be working on gas if you have had to post these basic questions

 

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No offence taken as I may not have been clear in my post. Yes I know this is ID and is RIDDOR just with the Open pipe end !

MY question was about the valve used and what you would classify the situation as if it was not an appropriate fitting for gas(IE:bs en 331), it was not a restrictor elbow type chrome valve.

Yes I am competent and corgi registered btw.

 

[bobthebender]

All the old style fires with water circulators had screw iso valves.
It was the only way of removing the fire safely for servicing the circulator.

 

[gas4you]

OK sorry probably me mis-reading thepost as well , an inapproprite fitting is AR, but usually one would remove it and replace with a regulation after informing the customer and giving them a price etc

Good luck with the RIDDOR, usually just get filed away according to other posters on here, although I've only had to issue 2 and both were followed up immediatley by my local HSE office with good end results for the customer.

 

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Thanks for the replies. Have informed the customer the valves may need replacing with appropriate fittings and will inform HSE tomorrow.

 

[ChrisR]

Genuine ballofix valves are 1/4 turn slotty screwdriver things and do comply with EN 331 for gas. (See BES) But I bet yours are the cheapo ones.