Transco do not supply or install these and the gas fitter who will do
all my new inside gas work would rather I have everything ready for him
before he turns up. I already have the box so can I install this
myself? I know from the Transco instructions it needs to be 500-1000
above the dpc/ground level. Is it just a matter of cutting a hole in my
thermalite blocks (very easy to cut with a saw) and bedding it with
cement and then frame sealant.
Thank you.

nafuk wrote:
Transco do not supply or install these and the gas fitter who will do
all my new inside gas work would rather I have everything ready for him
before he turns up. I already have the box so can I install this
myself? I know from the Transco instructions it needs to be 500-1000
above the dpc/ground level. Is it just a matter of cutting a hole in my
thermalite blocks (very easy to cut with a saw) and bedding it with
cement and then frame sealant.

Sounds about right. But if memory serves I *think* you need to have the
box still loose when the meter is fitted inside, to enable the pipework
to be fitted in whereever it needs to go, then it's fixed permanantly in
place once the pipework is done. Could be wrong though.

David

I did this just a few months ago. As you say, Transco (or their
subbies) won't install a cavity box. I fixed mine in place before the
meter was moved. I figured it would be difficult to bed it in mortar
and fix it properly once movement of the box was restricted by the
meter having being installed. As far as I remember the information
pack and application form that had to be sent to Fulcrum Connections
doesn't say anything about a cavity box not being finally secured - it
just makes it clear that they won't install it. I was retrofitting
mine into an existing cavity wall and found the easiest way to fix it
was to ensure it was a snug fit in the hole and then pump in a load of
exterior grade 'no more nails' between the box and the wall (rather
than use mortar). It's as solid as a rock and there's no need for it
to be screwed to the wall (they don't like the box being punctured by
screws apparently in case a leak at the meter allows gas into the
cavity).

If you google this group for 'gas meter cavity box' or something
similar you'll find plenty of posts on the subject - that's where I
read about using 'no more nails' rather than mortar for a retrofit job.

It took about five different teams to get the job completed - no wonder
it costs £350 or so... One to expose the old steel pipe and install a
new (plastic?) one using a mole digger, another to back-fill the hole
in the road and restore temporary access to my driveway, another to fit
the meter and the maximum 2m of internal copper pipe and test, another
to reinstate my broken concrete path and finally one more to complete
the final repair of the pavement and road.

Good luck!

Mike