Switch from left to right Gas Bottle using screw doesn't work?

[impracticaldogg]

I have two gas bottles for my kitchen. They were installed five years ago. There are two pipes, one from each bottle, leading to a single inlet to the kitchen. There used to be a plastic knob / switch you could flip from pointing left to the one bottle to use as input, then rotate through 180 degrees to the right to select the other bottle as input. It broke off in my hand a year ago.

The left-hand gas bottle is leaking slightly and I need to switch across to the right-hand bottle. I'm looking at a small screw that rotates freely when I use my hand. No problem there, surely?

I close the left hand gas bottle, take the screw, rotate it 180 degrees to the right (from grey to green arrow). Then open the right hand gas bottle. Go to the kitchen, open the gas to the largest burner on the stove. No hiss or smell of gas. Nothing.

Rotate the screw back 180 degrees. Open the dicey gas bottle again. Bingo, the burner works again! I've spent more than an hour fiddling with clockwise and anticlockwise rotations, single and multiple, and it's driving me nuts. I've double-checked the right-hand gas bottle to be sure it isn't empty.

Any ideas?

 

[AstroTurf]

Physically swap the bottles then get someone in to replace the broken bits?

 

[Paul Kemp]

Try turning it 90 degrees rather than a full 180.

 

[impracticaldogg]

Try turning it 90 degrees rather than a full 180.

Nice idea - didn't work though

 

[Sinbad]

The screw shouldn't turn freely more than 180 degrees in one direction.
Get a proper gas guy in to replace that changeover valve.

 

[impracticaldogg]

Physically swap the bottles then get someone in to replace the broken bits?

I'll be trying this shortly. If there is a gas leak after swopping the bottles then the hose connector on the left side is faulty.
If there's no gas leak I'll still need to get in someone who can diagnose the problem - probably replacing that switchover doohicky

 

[WAslayer]

You keep talking about the screw.. are you turning the actual Philips head screw or are you turning the little metal bit behind it with the two fingers 90° apart..?

Turning the screw itself won't do anything, you have to turn the metal bit behind it.. if the metal bit is turning, try turning it the other way vs the arrow on your pic..

 

[impracticaldogg]

The screw shouldn't turn freely more than 180 degrees in one direction.
Get a proper gas guy in to replace that changeover valve.

Yes - it spins freely as far as you want to go. Was wondering if it might suddenly pop out and leave me with a neat hole in the forehead..

 

[impracticaldogg]

You keep talking about the screw.. are you turning the actual Philips head screw or are you turning the little metal bit behind it with the two fingers 90° apart..?

Turning the screw itself won't do anything, you have to turn the metal bit behind it.. if the metal bit is turning, try turning it the other way vs the arrow on your pic..

I'm turning the Philips head screw. I've demonstrated to myself that it can be used to turn the supply on and off.

But turning the metal bit makes sense. It looked like it was welded, but will check it again

 

[Paul Kemp]

You can just buy the replacement handle bit. Rare that a low use diverter valve would be worn out and need replacing(other than the stupid plastic switch)

The little stopper tabs on the valve still lead me to believe it’s a 90 diverter vs a 180 switch that has an off position.

 

[impracticaldogg]

@Paul Kemp The stopper tabs are fixed, as you imply (I think). Have turned the stem with the flattened edges behind the head screw 180 degrees clockwise. But the leak is now worse, and seems to come straight from the valve. I'm now waaay out of my comfort zone.

At this stage I'm ready to call in someone who can fix it and give me a certificate of compliance - or is that not needed?

 

[Paul Kemp]

Have you tried finding the leak with a match?
Two things I don’t phuck with, electricity and gas. Call a professional.

 

[Jean Claude Vaaldamme]

And we wonder how people blow themselves up or burn their houses down with generators or gas appliances.

 

[impracticaldogg]

I really hadn't thought of that.. yeah, I have plenty of matches lying around...

 

[Sinbad]

The middle position isn't off, it's both on, according to the one I used to have

 

[soulie]

I really hadn't thought of that.. yeah, I have plenty of matches lying around...

a gas coc is needed , whomever does the coc can also fit a new isolator .what you have is a changeover valve ,you also need an isolator valve in the supply line .

 

[impracticaldogg]

There's already an isolator valve. It's just not in the photo

 

[Nemesys]

I really hadn't thought of that.. yeah, I have plenty of matches lying around...

Foor goodness sake never use a match to check for a gas leak. Use soapy water. A few drops od Sunlight liquid in Water. The bubbles will show where the leak is.

 

[Nemesys]

@Paul Kemp The stopper tabs are fixed, as you imply (I think). Have turned the stem with the flattened edges behind the head screw 180 degrees clockwise. But the leak is now worse, and seems to come straight from the valve. I'm now waaay out of my comfort zone.

At this stage I'm ready to call in someone who can fix it and give me a certificate of compliance - or is that not needed?

Use a small spanner to turn the pice where the screw is strewn in.

 

[Jehosefat]

@Paul Kemp The stopper tabs are fixed, as you imply (I think). Have turned the stem with the flattened edges behind the head screw 180 degrees clockwise. But the leak is now worse, and seems to come straight from the valve. I'm now waaay out of my comfort zone.

At this stage I'm ready to call in someone who can fix it and give me a certificate of compliance - or is that not needed?

The screw just holds the handle on. what you need to do is turn the bit with the squared sides that the screw goes into using a small spanner (or pliers). Will probably be easier to take the screw out before doing this.