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How easy to increase gas pressure to house?
(re-post; last message sent with last years date)
My boiler which I installed myself (Baxi Potterton Cmbi 130HE) is showing signs of low gas pressure after working fine for 1 year. Occasional ignition failure (ie once a month) and fairly frequent very loud flame ignition (farting type noise). I'm going to service it thoroughly to see if a good clean will help, but I would like to know how big a job it is to increase the gas pressure to it if this turns out to be the case. As it has been working fine for 1 year, is it likely that the gas pressure from the supply mains has dropped since installation? I have heard that gas pressure can be increased fairly simply by removing metal weights somewhere near the gas meter - is this the case? I will of course get a corgi bloke to come in and do it but is it likely to be an expensive job? I'm just off out to get a gas pressure measuring thing I've seen in B&Q..... Thanks & regards Earl |
"Earl Kella" wrote in message ... (re-post; last message sent with last years date) My boiler which I installed myself (Baxi Potterton Cmbi 130HE) is showing signs of low gas pressure after working fine for 1 year. Occasional ignition failure (ie once a month) and fairly frequent very loud flame ignition (farting type noise). I'm going to service it thoroughly to see if a good clean will help, but I would like to know how big a job it is to increase the gas pressure to it if this turns out to be the case. As it has been working fine for 1 year, is it likely that the gas pressure from the supply mains has dropped since installation? I have heard that gas pressure can be increased fairly simply by removing metal weights somewhere near the gas meter - is this the case? I will of course get a corgi bloke to come in and do it but is it likely to be an expensive job? I'm just off out to get a gas pressure measuring thing I've seen in B&Q..... why not use the one you used when you installed the boiler... Jim A |
"Jim Alexander" wrote in message
... why not use the one you used when you installed the boiler... Jim A :-) |
Earl Kella wrote:
be an expensive job? I'm just off out to get a gas pressure measuring thing I've seen in B&Q..... It would seem like a smart move to work out if there is a problem with the pressure before you worry about how to fix it. Chances are the boiler just needs a service. -- Cheers, John. /================================================== ===============\ | Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk | |-----------------------------------------------------------------| | John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk | \================================================= ================/ |
"Earl Kella" wrote in message ... (re-post; last message sent with last years date) My boiler which I installed myself (Baxi Potterton Cmbi 130HE) is showing signs of low gas pressure after working fine for 1 year. Occasional ignition failure (ie once a month) and fairly frequent very loud flame ignition (farting type noise). I'm going to service it thoroughly to see if a good clean will help, but I would like to know how big a job it is to increase the gas pressure to it if this turns out to be the case. As it has been working fine for 1 year, is it likely that the gas pressure from the supply mains has dropped since installation? I have heard that gas pressure can be increased fairly simply by removing metal weights somewhere near the gas meter - is this the case? I will of course get a corgi bloke to come in and do it but is it likely to be an expensive job? I'm just off out to get a gas pressure measuring thing I've seen in B&Q..... The gas pressure to your house is controlled by the meter governor which is the property of the gas supplier and is not to be interfered with by you or by anyone other than the gas supplier/transporter. If your gas pressure is steadily getting lower it is indicative of perhaps a blockage building up in the governor filter (if there is one) or a problem in the supply main. You may also have a problem in the sizing of your house interior pipework. Whatever the actual problem you can connect your manometer to the meter test point and measure the governed pressure under load. This should be about 21millibar. If the pressure is significantly lower then your course of action is to contact the supplier who's telephone droid will recite the usual litany about turning off the supply and opening all doors and windows etc before sending a man in a van along to sort it out. Don't start messing about with any of the gas system unless you have read Ed Sirrets gas FAQ "AND" you are competent to do so. (Your comment about "I've heard that--------" makes me wonder if you really are) |
The gas pressure to your house is controlled by the meter governor which is the property of the gas supplier and is not to be interfered with by you or by anyone other than the gas supplier/transporter. If your gas pressure is steadily getting lower it is indicative of perhaps a blockage building up in the governor filter (if there is one) or a problem in the supply main. You may also have a problem in the sizing of your house interior pipework. Whatever the actual problem you can connect your manometer to the meter test point and measure the governed pressure under load. This should be about 21millibar. If the pressure is significantly lower then your course of action is to contact the supplier who's telephone droid will recite the usual litany about turning off the supply and opening all doors and windows etc before sending a man in a van along to sort it out. Don't start messing about with any of the gas system unless you have read Ed Sirrets gas FAQ "AND" you are competent to do so. (Your comment about "I've heard that--------" makes me wonder if you really are) Well, the "CORGI" man that came to certify my install (and found all just fine) twiddled the gas meter regulator to give the correct 21 mBar - it was a bit low apparently. Didn't involve BG though ! Nick |
On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 13:30:08 -0000, "Earl Kella"
wrote: I will of course get a corgi bloke to come in and do it but is it likely to be an expensive job? I'm just off out to get a gas pressure measuring thing I've seen in B&Q..... Thanks & regards Earl Adjusting and/or working on the meter is not a job for CORGI,it is the gas transporters responsibility who will work on behalf of your gas supplier. In the majority of cases the gas transporter is Transco. If you suspect low pressure then tel 0800111999 and report it so that it can be checked and remedied. |
On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 19:48:26 +0000, nick smith wrote:
Well, the "CORGI" man that came to certify my install (and found all just fine) twiddled the gas meter regulator to give the correct 21 mBar - it was a bit low apparently. Didn't involve BG though ! Um. As often as not low pressure is due to low supply pressure which no amount of (illegal) tweaking the main govenor will fix. Although it did here. -- Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter. The FAQ for uk.diy is at www.diyfaq.org.uk Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html |
On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 19:48:26 GMT, "nick smith"
wrote: Well, the "CORGI" man that came to certify my install (and found all just fine) twiddled the gas meter regulator to give the correct 21 mBar - it was a bit low apparently. Didn't involve BG though ! Nick He acted incorrectly then... :) |
"nick smith" wrote in message ... The gas pressure to your house is controlled by the meter governor which is the property of the gas supplier and is not to be interfered with by you or by anyone other than the gas supplier/transporter. If your gas pressure is steadily getting lower it is indicative of perhaps a blockage building up in the governor filter (if there is one) or a problem in the supply main. You may also have a problem in the sizing of your house interior pipework. Whatever the actual problem you can connect your manometer to the meter test point and measure the governed pressure under load. This should be about 21millibar. If the pressure is significantly lower then your course of action is to contact the supplier who's telephone droid will recite the usual litany about turning off the supply and opening all doors and windows etc before sending a man in a van along to sort it out. Don't start messing about with any of the gas system unless you have read Ed Sirrets gas FAQ "AND" you are competent to do so. (Your comment about "I've heard that--------" makes me wonder if you really are) Well, the "CORGI" man that came to certify my install (and found all just fine) twiddled the gas meter regulator to give the correct 21 mBar - it was a bit low apparently. Didn't involve BG though ! Ah! But he KNEW what he was doing :-) Brian G |
Well, the "CORGI" man that came to certify my install (and found all just fine) twiddled the gas meter regulator to give the correct 21 mBar - it was a bit low apparently. Didn't involve BG though ! Ah! But he KNEW what he was doing :-) Brian G I would hope so, being CORGI and a "Professional"... Ed - I wonder what the regulator adjustment IS for, if it's not for adjusting the output pressure ? It was only a couple of millibars low - I assume this is well below the incoming supply pressure and just maintains a steady pressure for the in house appliances, which presumably have been designed to or calibrated to work at 21 mBar plus or minus a small tolerance. He just adjusted this pressure to 21, so the appliances were in the centre of their design supply pressure. The meter did seem to be about 15 years old and I guess they drift with age and wear and tear. Nick |
"nick smith" wrote in message ... Well, the "CORGI" man that came to certify my install (and found all just fine) twiddled the gas meter regulator to give the correct 21 mBar - it was a bit low apparently. Didn't involve BG though ! Ah! But he KNEW what he was doing :-) Brian G I would hope so, being CORGI and a "Professional"... Ed - I wonder what the regulator adjustment IS for, if it's not for adjusting the output pressure ? It was only a couple of millibars low - I assume this is well below the incoming supply pressure and just maintains a steady pressure for the in house appliances, which presumably have been designed to or calibrated to work at 21 mBar plus or minus a small tolerance. He just adjusted this pressure to 21, so the appliances were in the centre of their design supply pressure. The meter did seem to be about 15 years old and I guess they drift with age and wear and tear. Nick Many thanks to all who replied - I've been having trouble reading all responses (trouble with news reader) so I had to search google groups to see them all. My gas pressure does seem a bit low - about 19mb which is just on my boilers minimum. I couldn't time it to measure when it was firing up as it was only me in the house at the time but I suspect this will drop when under load. I am going to service my boiler anyway when the current cold snap is over, probably over Christmas. Thanks again, I will my the Corgi bloke a call and see what he has done before, if anything, otherwise go the Transco route. Earl |
On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 22:26:45 +0000, nick smith wrote:
Well, the "CORGI" man that came to certify my install (and found all just fine) twiddled the gas meter regulator to give the correct 21 mBar - it was a bit low apparently. Didn't involve BG though ! Ah! But he KNEW what he was doing :-) Brian G I would hope so, being CORGI and a "Professional"... Ed - I wonder what the regulator adjustment IS for, if it's not for adjusting the output pressure ? It was only a couple of millibars low - I assume this is well below the incoming supply pressure and just maintains a steady pressure for the in house appliances, which presumably have been designed to or calibrated to work at 21 mBar plus or minus a small tolerance. He just adjusted this pressure to 21, so the appliances were in the centre of their design supply pressure. The meter did seem to be about 15 years old and I guess they drift with age and wear and tear. Much of this is in the gas fitting FAQ. Usually the incoming service main is well above 21mBar. In certain places at certain times of the day it may be somewhat below this. The adjustment is to allow for manufacturing variations and pehaps some degree of wear over its life time. -- Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter. The FAQ for uk.diy is at www.diyfaq.org.uk Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html |
Earl Kella wrote:
My gas pressure does seem a bit low - about 19mb which is just on my boilers minimum. I couldn't time it to measure when it was firing up as it was only me in the house at the time but I suspect this will drop when under load. I am going to service my boiler anyway when the current cold snap is over, probably over Christmas. YOu are unlikely to get a sensible reading when not under load. You need to see what it does when gas is being drawn (even if you just put a gas ring on rather than the boiler). A twiddle of the room thermostat ought to do the trick for the boiler mind you. You also ought to measure the pressure at the boiler as well. That way you get to take into account the reduction caused by the flow resistance of the pipework to it. There ought to be a test nipple on/in it somewhere. -- Cheers, John. /================================================== ===============\ | Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk | |-----------------------------------------------------------------| | John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk | \================================================= ================/ |
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