No gas leak just a mistake (1 Viewer)

[Odd job]

Last trip Mrs. Ex said she could smell gas, I was fairly sure it was combustion products as the window was open, but I promised to put a test on before the next trip. This afternoon I dug out the manometer and did a test a 3mb drop. So out with the ldf and the sniffer, I went over every joint and all gas taps both with the fluid and the sniffer, nothing. I was starting to think I may have to crawl under and replace the entire pipe. Then I thought just before I do that I will try a different tube on the manometer, and......... no drop at all.

I don't know if I should be happy that there's no leak or annoyed that I wasted so much time for a silly mistake.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Been there.. Kind of I always spray my manifold gauges when pressure testing air con.

 

[34127]

I bought a cheap digital monometer from Amazon and spent ages looking for a leak that didn't exist. I then tried a basic water manometer and found there wasn't any leak. Some times you can't beat the tried and tested methods.

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[Odd job]

The stupid thing is I once had a call to assist an engineer who has spent 4 hours looking for a leak on a British Rail welfare unit. The first thing I did was take his gauge off and use mine no leak. So I should have known better.

 

[Sandancers]

A Manometer ? How positively Medieval !!

 

[maison]

When we first started motorhoming it was my ambition to own an Autosleeper, seduced by their original monocoque models.

By the time we could afford (?) one we bought a new Ravenna, not a monocoque, but a coach built. In the 15 months that we owned it we had five gas leaks. It appeared that the gas unions had only been finger tight or thereabouts.

After chasing around looking for people to fix it, in three different countries, we traded it in.

I was so disappointed to have my idea shattered by shoddy workmanship. Rightly, or wrongly, it has coloured my judgement and I would never buy another.

I am aware that every marque will have had someone with an experience that makes them say “never again”.

It is through Forums such as this, with the exchange of experiences, that may eventually lead manufacturers to improve their products.

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[MisterB]

Been there, same story almost. Years ago as an apprentice plumber and when Corgi was a just a membership club, turned out that my rubber hose was perished lol ....

 

[Odd job]

A Manometer ? How positively Medieval !!

Since retiring I don't have a battery in the electronic gauge, easier to put water in the 3ft manometer than find a battery and I always kept a manometer in the van is less likely to go wrong

 

[Sandancers]

Since retiring I don't have a battery in the electronic gauge, easier to put water in the 3ft manometer than find a battery and I always kept a manometer in the van is less likely to go wrong

Yeah, but with a good Druck you just connect it up, set the timer, press start, off for a teabreak then return to look at the graph.

Mind, as a young apprentice I had to use inclined monometers, what fun that was.

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[Nanniemate]

Perhaps it time you consider retirement

 

[Gromett]

Even experts/professionals are humans and have their off days. Don't beat yourself up.

Even after 40 years of programming I still get caught out by mismatched {} or a missing ; occasionally.

 

[icantremember]

A Manometer ? How positively Medieval !!

I don't know about "medievil", but surely in this woke, snowballflake world we live in, should it no be refered to as a "personometer"?

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[jwells]

I eventually found the gas leak under my van using my nose! From new I was convinced that we had a gas leak, but each hab check was assured everything was good. Had it checked specifically for a leak by the manufacturers with the same assurance - not leaking! I finally got under the van and using my nose I found that the lpg outlet isolation valve spindle gland seal was leaking, which I cured by replacing the valve - no problem since!
I think why it was never found by the people I paid, was the way it was checked by them intailed turning the isolation valve off, which meant the gland seal stopped leaking!! Perhaps I could have got a job as a sniffer dog!!

 

[Odd job]

I used to hate crawling under caravans and I got a callback to a job after we had installed a new boiler and they now had a leak, it was not on our pipework but I spent 3 hours trying to locate it, dodging soil pipes and water pipes there was a breeze so the sniffer was no good and I couldn't reach all the pipe. In the end I gave up and re piped it, it only had our new boiler which had good pipework and a cooker and I did the pipework in under 2 hours. The bad news for my boss, it was a contract and even though it wasn't our leak we couldn't charge for the work.

 

[wasp]

I’ve got a proper pump up type tester with a 600mm tank cost a fair bit but testing lpg is brilliant.

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[Tea Bag]

Perhaps I could have got a job as a sniffer dog!!

Hi.
Its NEVER to late,go on,give it a go.Another bow to your string...
Tea Bag

 

[jwells]

There was one other occasion where the nose beat the professionals - had my gas boiler replaced, during which the gas fitters had to replace a pipe they had fitted, they thought it was porous as it failed the gas leak check! Shortly after they left I could smell gas in my garage, it didn't take long to find the source, the bleed nipple on the gas meter box hadn't been tightened! Informed the team that had done the job, left the embarisment of the replaced pipe for them to work out. That one could have been nasty if I hadn't smelt it!!

 

[Realist]

Educate a gas novice.

Can’t you pressure test the system instead?

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[Odd job]

Educate a gas novice.

Can’t you pressure test the system instead?

That is what we do, it will show if there's a drop but not where the leak is. That is as long as the equipment used is not faulty, as it was in this case

 

[Realist]

So basically the the gas is turned off, manometer connected and levelled, add a percentage of gas to the system and then see if the water drops.

If I’m right.

 

[Odd job]

So basically the the gas is turned off, manometer connected and levelled, add a percentage of gas to the system and then see if the water drops.

If I’m right.

That's how we do it, although there are pages and pages about how to do correctly that we have to learn for the exams

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