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dunsbyowl1867

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Natural Gas conversion started in 1972; can anyone confirm please ? (I was only 10)

Started before that but got as far as Sheffield by 1972

We were converted to Natural gas in 1972 (well done Richard) but some areas may have been converted in 1971 and others not until 1973.

It was a big job as they had to visit every single property, convert every single gas appliance (by fitting new jets to work at a different pressure) in it and then test the pressure and supply for no leaks.

Clearly they didn't do a very good job of this at the pub hilldweller was driving past :o

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This from

The Gas Museum

The Natural Gas Era - The Conversion programme

Natural gas has different characteristics to town gas and this meant that all gas appliances had to be converted to use the new fuel. This involved armies of gas engineers invading the homes of all 13 million gas customers all over the country to make the necessary adjustments.

The changeover to natural gas involved identifying suitable sized areas or sectors that could be isolated from the gas distribution network. Well before conversion took place all gas users in the sector were surveyed to find what parts were needed to adapt their gas appliances. On the day of changeover, all customers were required to switch off their appliances and the old town gas was purged from the local mains system. Gas engineers then went from house to house fitting the new parts and when this was complete for every gas user in the sector, natural gas was allowed into the mains system and conversion was finished for that sector. It took up to a week to convert each sector.

About 40 million appliances of all types were converted in the programme, including almost two thousand different designs of gas cookers. The conversion programme started in May 1967 near Burton on Trent, Derbyshire and was completed in 1977. It was hugely expensive for British Gas, costing £ 563 million or £ 42 per customer.

Conversion was intended primarily to give customers the benefit of natural gas from the North Sea but a secondary result was that every single gas appliance in the country was inspected and brought up to standard.

Partly as a result of conversion, the number of deaths caused by burnt and unburnt gas fell from 1,246 in 1963 and 745 in 1965 to just 271 in 1970.

I remember the conversion. Firstly they came round to inspect everyone's house and note their appliances. Then every household was given a box/es with the relevant conversion kit/s for their appliance/s. Then a team of fitters came around and changed all the burners etc.

At the time they were doing the conversion in Sheffield I was working at the second hand shop. Every gas appliance in the place was allocated it's kit and we weren't allowed to sell it until it was converted and checked.

After the conversion we used to came across old appliances stored in cellars garages etc. which had never been used, but because they were in existence, they had to be done.

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Started before that but got as far as Sheffield by 1972

We were converted to Natural gas in 1972 (well done Richard) but some areas may have been converted in 1971 and others not until 1973.

It was a big job as they had to visit every single property, convert every single gas appliance (by fitting new jets to work at a different pressure) in it and then test the pressure and supply for no leaks.

Clearly they didn't do a very good job of this at the pub hilldweller was driving past :o

Apart from the exploding pub incident, East Midlands Gas had two other goes at our welfare !

The first was when we had the new meter/regulator fitted prior to the actual conversion. A few hours after the contractor had left there was a very strong smell of gas coming from the celler. I didn't have a flameproof torch and the celler was full of gas 'so we opened the doors and stood outside until the engineer came. " No worries he said, the meter fitter forgot to tighten the connection glands on the meter, they were only finger tight". "It's happening all over".

The second time was later, the weekend after our somewhat elderly cooker had been converted.

My wife was in the kitchen cooking the Sunday lunch and I was reading the paper in the other room. " She shouted she could smell gas but the rings were all lit. I shouted DONT OPEN THE OVEN DO-------- BANG.

My wife was laid on the kitchen floor with no eyebrows and a very modified hair-do. When I had established she was alright I ran to the phone box to ring the gas board. The gas-men arrived before I got back.

They lit the oven and closed the door and one of them stuck his head and shoulders in the storage compartment underneath and observed the burner.

" You must have forgotten to light it dear" he said, "It's burning properly, no lift off and good aeriation-----Bloody Hell it's gone out, turn it off quick".

They offered a discount off a new cooker, we countered with the suggestion of an action for damages and we got a top of the range cooker delivered next day.

At our next house we went all-electric !

HD

On the subject of conversions, we knew an old gent who lived in a very big house at Crookes. His home ran at right-angles between two streets.

He came home one day and switched on the light, BANG, he switched on another---the same thing happened. When he switched on the TV smoke appeared from the back. It was the time of the conversion of most of Sheffield from 200 volts to 240 but he wasn't due for conversion for another two weeks.

Of course what had happened was that his postal address was Cobden View Road, but his supply cable came in from Western Road which had been converted that very day.

HD

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Started before that but got as far as Sheffield by 1972

We were converted to Natural gas in 1972 (well done Richard) but some areas may have been converted in 1971 and others not until 1973.

It was a big job as they had to visit every single property, convert every single gas appliance (by fitting new jets to work at a different pressure) in it and then test the pressure and supply for no leaks.

Clearly they didn't do a very good job of this at the pub hilldweller was driving past :o

Not too bad a memory for a 10 year old then; shame I'm now 47 heading on 79 and can't remember - now what were we talking about ... mmm

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Not too bad a memory for a 10 year old then; shame I'm now 47 heading on 79 and can't remember - now what were we talking about ... mmm

Rutland Hotel

Furnival St/Brown St

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Guest bigjob

Hi,My first post,i have the "Mucky Duck"sign on my garage wall (its a about 8ft across !)

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Hi,My first post,i have the "Mucky Duck"sign on my garage wall (its a about 8ft across !)

Welcome bigjob. Sounds good. Let's have a photo then. :)

Have a browse around the site, I'm sure you'll find other things to help out with and contribute your memories to.

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Hi,My first post,i have the "Mucky Duck"sign on my garage wall (its a about 8ft across !)

Welcome to the Site lol

We look forward to seeing a photo of it.

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Rutland Hotel

Furnival St/Brown St

I vote this one the best pub sign, it's got style. lol

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The Cricketers, Bramall Lane.

Well caught vox - that looks if it will be coming down soon:(

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Well caught vox - that looks if it will be coming down soon:(

Out for a duck!:)

It's one of the only buildings left standing which front the pavement so it's definitely "in the way"

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