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Any Gas Engineers about?


Rob Roy
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I was wondering if anyone can advise us about a problem with our range cooker. We have a Belling Cookcenter (their spelling, not mine!) duel fuel cooker (gas hob, electric ovens) connected to a gas bottle. One of the back burners on the hob is leaking gas, we've obviously turned off the supply which of course leaves me without any hob burners. I spoke to Belling in the U.K. hoping they would either tell us what parts we needed to repair it, or how to isolate the burner, but they were not very helpful, just suggesting we call out an service engineer.

Quite frankly I'm not sure where to find a gas engineer around here (Dept 19, Correze), I tried Pages Jeunes on-line but all that came up were emergency numbers for GDF/EDG or the poision centre in Toulouse. Can anyone offer any practical advice please?

 

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If you can get the thing apart, replacing the valve is generally not difficult.

It is very unlikely that you will be able to isolate one burner, normally the valves are all mounted on a common rail which supplies the gas to them all.

I have zero knowledge of that model of cooker, but in general terms, the gas valve is a brass job just behind the knob. It is secured to the supply rail by two screws or bolts which clamp it over a hole in the rail, with a rubber washer to seal it. There will possibly be a thermocouple line to the valve - a thin copper pipe which bolts to the back of the gas valve. The output from the valve is up a larger diameter tube that can either be screwed or a push-fit onto the valve. Its very basic mechanics to get it apart and fit a replacement valve. It is usually possible to dismantle the valve and replace joints, but only do so if you are confident.

Once done, mix up a few drops of washing up liquid in a glass of water and use a wee paintbrush to smother it all over every joint you have disturbed. Test the appliance and check for bubbles forming, indicating leaks. Re-tighten anything if needed. The main one to check is the join where the valve clamps to the supply rail.
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Thank you both. My husband would be happy to do the job as he used to be a panel beater & welder, so well versed in dealing with gas; getting a new valve could be the problem.

However this morning I happen to see a chap who moved in near us a year or so ago and he does gas cooker repairs! I never gave him a thought as he drives around in a 'Phillips' van, but his parents run a shop in the local town and sell all white goods including gas cookers, so he's calling in today to see what he can do. I'm keeping my fingers crossed[:)]

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Just an update - the French guy came yesterday, had a look but said he didn't know the make of cooker (It's a Belling range cooker - why do they call them pianos over here?) so wouldn't know where to get the parts but if we got the bit he wouldn't mind fitting it. That's when the fun really started! I've trawled the internet, made various phone calls to U.K. spares companies but all said the same thing, the part is obsolete and unavailable! Belling themselves were less than helpful, apart from giving me the actual part number.

This is a £1500 range cooker first bought in 1999, so 13 years later (some) parts are not available including replacement gas taps which are probably used more than anything else! I have found one on E-bay for sale that has a problem with its ovens so going to see if we can buy that for spares, then OH will go and pick it up from Essex and bring it back; sounds drastic but there is nothing wrong with my cooker otherwise and I don't want to change it.

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