It's been a while - the gas leak

I do miss blogging. Leaving the blog and getting behind in updates starts to feel like an impossible task to 'catch up'. 

So in an effort to maintain the spirit of the blogging community and to distract me from watching so much Youtube I've decided I am going to try and catch up from April.... it'll maybe not be so interesting but it will get me back in the horse so as to speak. As ever I will use my photos to remind me when we've been to Percy and maybe a few other  bits and pieces that I'd like to record.

But for now I'll start with the most recent updates and that is all about the Boat Safety Certificate (BSC) work. For those non boaters it is a four yearly safety check by a registered BSC examiner. It gets a bit complicated around Gas safe BSC engineers and non gas safe as well as your boat use  - live-a-board or recreational users. We are now the latter..... there is detail around that but to be honest it's confusing and can be interpretational as to who can and can't test what and what needs testing. 

How do I know - well  three years ago we had to have an out of water 30 year insurance survey. We contracted Balliol Fowden (great name and nice fella who also knows more about boats than Noah) to do it. He was flabbergasted that our gas regulator and flexible pipes were so old and recommended ( as gas safe engineers will do ) to replace them every 10 years. The Boat safety guidance is visual inspection  - so ours being dated 1989  - yes OEM from Tony's build were still being passes as they didn't have and signs of cracking or perishing. 

So... I read on Adams Briar Rose blog ( Thanks Adam) he had used and recommended Mike Bickley a gas safe engineer. I contacted Mike and we agreed for him to come over and replace the regulator and pipes. Plus do a looksy on the system. In hindsight we should have had him to the BSC but I'd already started talking to the guy who does the last two on Percy -I wanted to be fair. 

He arrived on time and we chatted on options and I opted for a bubble tester and on bottle regulator  (Bubble tester not really needed) but it means we can do random leak tests and it also means I can replace the gas cooker hose (would have been £65+ for Mike to do it ) and check for leaks after using the bubble tester.

Work done and Mike gave the same information via a BSC scheme leaflet we always get about the gas water heater  really should not be in the bathroom - been there 30 plus years. He then found a small gas leak on the gas tap that isolates the water heater - replaced the old tap and all good. That sort of leak would be evident using the bubble tester. 

All in all a good visit and we were very pleased with Mikes work and approach and information given. I'd highly recommend Mike and grateful to Adam for his recommendation.

So that's the first £500 to sort the BSC - the stove is the next story !  

Good stuff and worth having on the boat. 

One side note  - being fed up with the gas cylinders trapping moisture and grinding aways at the locker bottom I built a wooden platform but crucially put it on 4 rubber 'door stops' and was pleased to see the gas locker in the same condition as it was 3 years ago - dry and rust free  =  result