Help with a Gas Fire

n30_mkii · 19 Dec 2010 at 15:46

As per the title I have recently aquired a new house and one of the fires seems not to be working; It looks like the gas may have been turned off at the fire itself as everything else is working. The fire is sparking to ignite but the gas isn't flowing as I can't hear it. I'm guessing that the two brass valves control the supply and both are completely srewed in, can anyone advise on how to get the gas going again and what the two valves do, i'm guessing one to isolate the fire and one to isolate the mains gas?

Thanks for your help!

rpstewart · 19 Dec 2010 at 15:51

Are you sure the thing at the bottom left is a valve and not a capped inlet pipe?

n30_mkii · 19 Dec 2010 at 15:52

I'm not 100% but they both are screwable and look like valves to me???

JBuk · 19 Dec 2010 at 15:54

have it looked at by a gas safe registered plumber

Hedge · 19 Dec 2010 at 16:00

Bottom larger one is for isolating the gas to fire, one above is for pressure testing with a gauge.

its freezing, just unscrew cap on bottom one, turn the inner thread anti clockwise a bit, until its almost flush with the facing edge, then screw back on the cap (the cap has a tooth that will engage the inner one.)

Fire it up. get warm. Sniff check for gas, then get a smoke match or summit and see if ya flue is pulling. job done!

n30_mkii · 19 Dec 2010 at 16:05

So the bottom one is just a cap, remove that and there is another screw underneath? Thanks

Hedge · 19 Dec 2010 at 16:07

yeah , you will need a narrower headed flat screwdriver. turn it anticlockwise and it will come out towards you, do not attempt to fully unscrew it. bad idea.. bring it to the front, then the cap you took off will sit over it, and screw back in

Hedge · 19 Dec 2010 at 16:08

Although I would add, this should all probably be checked by a Gas Safe installer, just to do a safety check. Infact, before moving into a property a gas safety check should be carried out really.

n30_mkii · 19 Dec 2010 at 16:22

There was a safety check done, but this was turned off (go figure)

Well I did what you said, i unscrewed the bottom brass screw which did reveal the inner screw, which had already come outwards with the cap as you said, I can now hear the gas coming through when I try to pilot light but I'm not getting a pilot even though the sparker is working. Looks like I'm gonna have to get someone out to look at it.

Thanks for your help though

"andy" · 19 Dec 2010 at 16:26

id get it checked. it could have been 'turned off' for a very good reason ?

Hedge · 19 Dec 2010 at 16:26

Blow in the pilot with a tube of some kind if you have one, Hoover up a lot of the dust and you might get lucky.

Its clearly been left a while so the pilot is no doubt full of crap.

Also, see where the spark probe sits against the thermocouple/flame sensor? watch it when you spark, see if its a strong blue spark. If not, maybe bend it gently closer, or further away. Or even scrape the end a little with your screwdriver to give a clean surface on it.

JaffaJedi · 19 Dec 2010 at 16:38

BOOM!!

I would get an engineer to check it first..

kibblerok · 19 Dec 2010 at 16:46

n30_mkii said:
There was a safety check done, but this was turned off (go figure)

Then it's probably off and disconnected for a reason.

Cosimo · 19 Dec 2010 at 16:50

Hedge said:
Blow in the pilot with a tube of some kind if you have one, Hoover up a lot of the dust and you might get lucky.

Its clearly been left a while so the pilot is no doubt full of crap.

Also, see where the spark probe sits against the thermocouple/flame sensor? watch it when you spark, see if its a strong blue spark. If not, maybe bend it gently closer, or further away. Or even scrape the end a little with your screwdriver to give a clean surface on it.

Isn't this something a Gas Safe engineer should be doing?

Rotty · 19 Dec 2010 at 17:03

sorry but I don't think it's a good idea for people who are not qualified to be giving advice out on this