Major gas leaks on work done within the last year.
What we found.

Over the last six months we have been called out to a number of jobs with gas leaks, and I am talking about major gas leaks. The thing that surprised us was that every one of those properties had had a new installation done within the last year or so.

What we
found

One of them had three or four different gas leaks, so we had to put the pipework right in three or four separate places before the installation would hold.

Another had a major leak on a large copper gas pipe, 28mm and possibly bigger, where a joint had not been soldered at all, and the gas would not even hold when it was tested. That was a property worth a couple of million pounds that houses people with special needs, and it is hard to believe that work like that is being carried out at all.

We were also called back by a customer who had a quote from us for a boiler installation, then got a cheaper quote from somebody else and went with them. Let's just say things were not done right, and he called us in to help him out when a problem came up.

What the regulations ask for after gas work

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 cover this directly. Under regulation 22, where work on gas pipework could affect whether it is gastight, the person who did the work has to test that part immediately afterwards to make sure it is gastight, and examine it to make sure it has been installed in line with the regulations. The procedure for that test on a home installation is set out in the industry standard IGEM/UP/1B. So a leak test at the end of any gas work is a legal requirement and something every registered engineer should be doing.

Why we check before we start as well

We always check for a gas leak before and after any gas work. The test at the end is the one the regulations require. The test at the start is our own practice, and it means we know the condition of the installation before we touch anything, so if there is already a leak somewhere we find it and tell you before the work begins.

It is a fair question to ask anyone quoting for gas work in your home, whether they test the installation before they start as well as when they finish.

If you
smell gas

Open doors and windows, turn the gas off at the tap by your meter if it is safe to, do not switch anything electrical on or off and do not use any kind of flame, and call the gas emergency line on 0800 111 999. The emergency engineer will make the supply safe, which usually means capping it off. Finding the leak and repairing it is a separate job for a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Choosing who does your
gas work

My only suggestion, and my request, is that whoever you get to do your gas work, make sure they are qualified and make sure it is somebody you trust. They should come through a recommendation, or at least have some reviews you can read. You can check any engineer's registration, and the type of gas work they are registered for, at https://www.gassaferegister.co.uk.

Don't just go with whoever is the cheapest. Get it done properly, and go for somebody who has won your trust.

The short version

In the space of six months we have been to several major gas leaks, all on installations done within the last year or so, including one with three or four separate leaks and one with a joint that had never been soldered. A leak test after gas work is required by regulation 22 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, and we also check for a leak before we start so that anything already there is found first. When you choose someone for gas work, check they are registered, go by recommendation or reviews, and weigh up more than the price.

Quick answers