Fibreglass Repair (not to a Motorhome !!)

[GSD]

Can anyone help me please with a query which does not relate directly to a motorhome.
One of my lockdown pieces of mischief has been to buy a holiday cottage (my van hasn't been camped in since last October). The part where the pins to attach the door on the Gas meter box has been damaged at some point as illustrated on the lower RH side of the first picture. The "hinge carrier" should be nice and rounded per the lower picture. SGN the gas network people have an efficient and helpful repair service but say that the damage to the hinge carrier is too great to hold the pins. A full repair will involve effectively a complete meter reinstall which will be very costly but they suggested that I might be able repair the hinge. Drilling into the box in any way is a complete no no because of the risk of gas entering the house if the pipes leaked however i wondered if I could mould in a suitable material a repair of sufficient strength and profile to hold the pins. The box should look like the one below. I think it might be possible to mould a repair using a "fibreglass" type material but I don't know how or what material.

Thanks in anticipation.

?

 

[Lenny HB]

Would be easier just to bolt a new hinge to the outside a stainless steel door or gate hinge.

 

[old-mo]

Cut the old hinges off with a hacksaw and pop rivet some normal brass hinges on...

Shit.... Lenny beat me to it...

 

[GSD]

It certainly would but bolting involves drilling and there is an aesthetic issue as well

 

[Lenny HB]

It certainly would but bolting involves drilling and there is an aesthetic issue as well

Looking at the state of the box aesthetics is the least of your problems.
What's wrong with drilling, unless you are stupid enough to drill through the gas pipe or meter.

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[GSD]

The SGN engineer who has been very helpful told me that there must be no holes drilled int the box itself because of the potential for gas to leak into the house should there be a leak in the meter area. Associated with the cost of the call out SGN are going to provide me with a new door and a couple of sets of pins to "play" with. Although drilling is verboten it might be possible to use glue to attach a hinge. There are repair kits consisting of a complete door and door surround with flanges which fit into the inside of the box and that may be a solution but since I am getting a new door assembly anyway I wanted to explore a repair first.

 

[Lenny HB]

The SGN engineer who has been very helpful told me that there must be no holes drilled int the box itself because of the potential for gas to leak into the house should there be a leak in the meter area. Associated with the cost of the call out SGN are going to provide me with a new door and a couple of sets of pins to "play" with. Although drilling is verboten it might be possible to use glue to attach a hinge. There are repair kits consisting of a complete door and door surround with flanges which fit into the inside of the box and that may be a solution but since I am getting a new door assembly anyway I wanted to explore a repair first.

Sorry that does not make sense you are not drilling the house wall. Engineer was talking BS. Those boxes are never fully sealed.
What about the millions of gas meters that are inside the house like mine is?

 

[funflair]

Fix the pin into the box lid, cut a slot in the box so the pin sits inside and then fibreglass over where the slot is for the pin, clean it up and slap some house paint on and nobody will know it's been touched

 

[GSD]

Sorry that does not make sense you are not drilling the house wall. Engineer was talking BS. Those boxes are never fully sealed.
What about the millions of gas meters that are inside the house like mine is?

I understand your point completely follow your logic and I am familiar with the view that the "Gas Board" as people still call them can be perceived to be over zealous. However I still have a concern about disregarding clear advice.
I should say that the engineer did make a distinction between drilling at the edge of the box (which extends beyond the house wall) and drilling into the part of the box which is recessed into the wall), however the design of the repair kit needs the flange and thus the holes being inside the box not at the outer edge.
I have now phoned the technical support part of Ritherton who make the repair kit.
They were diplomatic and non-committal about the SGN advice not to drill but pointed me to an alternative product which does not require drilling in the box (but instead on the outside wall beyond the box). That may prove to be the ultimate solution.

If I was to look for a distinction between a leaking meter in a house and a leaking meter in an outside box i would say that the odorants in the gas would give occupants an early indication of a leak in the first case but not necessarily the second.

 

[golly]

If you ask for a smart meter, will they then change the meter and the box as well ? at no cost to you?

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[GSD]

If you ask for a smart meter, will they then change the meter and the box as well ? at no cost to you?

An interesting point. I have actually asked for a smart (gas) meter but the gas supplier cannot even process the request just now as I am a new consumer to them. There is already a smart electricity meter.

 

[two]

Looks like the previous door had already had separate hinges.
There are what appear to be screw holes in the side of the surround.

As for drilling holes:
Respect the need not to leave a holes on the inside.
Drill holes if necessary but seal them afterwards.
Avoid drilling low down (gas is heavier than air and drops).
Maybe, drill some large holes in the base of the box, at the front, to allow any leak to escape freely.

 

[GSD]

I noticed the big holes in the side and wonder if that was a previous attempt at a DIY repair. When we got the keys in September the door was glued shut with mastic (years of estimated bills) which is causing us a problem because the supplier is rejecting our (too low") readings even though we have sent them photographs of the meter !! The existing door hinges are chewed up as well but we are getting a new door and hinge pins (the £51 SGN call out includes this) so we may manage to attach the pins to the mangled remnants of the pin holes if we can identify the correct material and technique.
Funflair the existing holes especially at the bottom will partially hold the pin. The top pin is spring loaded so cutting a slot may not be needed it may rather be a case of extending the "hole" if that makes sense.

 

[trophychap]

There is some sort of repair medium that is like moldable putty I believe Gromett or Jaws had some success using it to repair various items, they will probably be along shortly. As far as I can see you already have a smart meter fitted but it may be a Mk1 version, anyway whatever gas board is your supplier they won't change the box only the meter if its required.

 

[golly]

Just thinking outside the box (no pun intended ) could you make another box complete with door that fits snugly over the existing one and fix the new to the old with something like sikaflex ?

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[GSD]

There is a product called Sugru

 

[GSD]

Just thinking outside the box (no pun intended ) could you make another box complete with door that fits snugly over the existing one and fix the new to the old with something like sikaflex ?

Thats pretty much what the Ritherton product above does but I can save some cash is I can use the new door from SGN.

R10 G Replacement Gas Door and Frame - Small - Ritherdon

R10 G front (external) fixing unit. No need to disconnect utilities. 6 sizes to repair most damaged gas meter boxes. Covers the meter box, fixes to the wall.

ritherdon.myshopify.com

 

[Gromett]

There is a product called Sugru

No good for structural stuff.

Perhaps polymorph mouldable plastic would help?

500g Polyshape Polymorph Hand mouldable Plastic Bag : Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen

500g Polyshape Polymorph Hand mouldable Plastic Bag: 500g Polyshape Polymorph Hand mouldable Plastic Bag: Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen

www.amazon.co.uk

Although, fibre glass and expoxy resin to hold a pin in would be more suitable. I can't really make out what is required from the pictures sadly.

 

[two]

I think I'm beginning to understand better:
The original door hinges were pins, the bottom one poking down and the top one going up.
The top one is sprung, to allow assembly.
Both the holes into which the pins go have broken open and will need to be repaired.
I'd use Araldite, but am sure there may be other materials.
You'd need a peg of the right size to form the holes around, then remove before it sets.
A crude alternative would be holes through the cabinet and new door, at the top, and hold it in place with cable ties. Maybe another at the bottom to keep it closed. Not pretty, but effective...

 

[denisejoe]

Sorry but the door belongs to the gas company it’s there job to repair it journey tell them it blew off and damaged your car

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[Silver-Fox]

It certainly would but bolting involves drilling and there is an aesthetic issue as well

Aesthetic with a blue air brick

 

[dabhand]

Looks like a pretty ease fix to me using some of the above advice!

 

[GSD]

I think I'm beginning to understand better:
The original door hinges were pins, the bottom one poking down and the top one going up.
The top one is sprung, to allow assembly.
Both the holes into which the pins go have broken open and will need to be repaired.
I'd use Araldite, but am sure there may be other materials.
You'd need a peg of the right size to form the holes around, then remove before it sets.
A crude alternative would be holes through the cabinet and new door, at the top, and hold it in place with cable ties. Maybe another at the bottom to keep it closed. Not pretty, but effective...

Yes that's it exactly.
Once I get the pins from SGN I will have more idea what I am up against.
ATTACH=full]441862[/ATACH]

 

[GSD]

Aesthetic with a blue air brick

And why not pray it IS a seaside cottage (next to a listed building) in a conservation area.

Personally I would not have painted the air bricks (and much else) blue but that's down to the previous owner.

 

[mitzimad]

Sorry but the door belongs to the gas company it’s there job to repair it journey tell them it blew off and damaged your car

it doesnt belong to the gas company usually that type will be supplied as part of a new main instal which you have to pay for part of that payment make you the prioud owner of a box to protect the meter that they charge you to rent
any drilling into the box apart from the approved cut out makes the box at risk

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[GSD]

I am pleased to report that the above has been resolved. SGN the company responsible for the gas network could not do a "repair" on the existing box and its door because they couldn't make the hinge pins hold however they did agree to supply a door and a selection of pins for me to "play with" . The new door is literally about a quarter of the weight of the old so there is not such a weight on the hinge pins. There was no additional charge for this. These duly arrived and I have been able to fit the new door after cleaning up the remnants of mastic and duct tape applied by previous owners. The result is per the attached photo. The door seems secure and fits precisely however I may have to build up the shoulder above the top pin and I have bought some fibreglasss putty to do this should it prove necessary.
All in all I am very pleased with the outcome.

 

[dabhand]

Daft isn’t it, if you had vandalised the meter which most people wouldn’t of course? and informed the network provider, they probably would have turned up and sorted everything. Maaaad.

 

[GSD]

I doubt they would the box is the responsibility of the house owner. Unfortunately its not something which is negotiable when you sign up for a gas supply.

 

[dabhand]

My point was if the meter was being vandalised because of having no door, they might well of. I have found The supply network are normally very good with problems.

 

[two]

Nice Job, GSD.

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