low gas pressure through house

[mitchs02]

Have been told by British Gas that the pressure is low - so 16 or so when running (Ideal combi boiler) but falls to 4 or so if you turn on hot water tap. They checked gas governor and it was fine - then they fitted new valve - lots of silt from the pipes in it. They say that we need a compressor machine (or something like that) to clean out everything in pipes
Does that sound right and where do we find someone who will do this - we're in London
Much appreciated - sue

 

[John506]

Do British Gas not do it, or can they not advise you of who does?

 

[ChrisR]

It's a common problem though you seem to have a severe case. Old steel pipes are always resistive because of the rust on the inside, which can build up to quite a large pile once you get it out.
There are other things which can block a gas pipe too.

You'll just have to try your local gas engineers. Most might well not be interested. It can take a while to sort out, and take more ingenuity than boiler installers would normally need to bother with. Though it wouldn't normally take too long, one could spend a few hours and not get a result, which is the sort of job nobody wants.