- Engineers use innovative product to keep the gas flowing at flats
- Grease gun with innovative Greasit insert plugs leaky gas valve
- Cadent constantly innovates to improve its ways of keeping millions connected to safe and reliable gas supplies
Cadent engineers pulled the trigger to unleash an innovative new product which helped fix a leaky gas valve at a block of flats while keeping gas supplies flowing.
Earlier this month a team of Emergency Repair and Response engineers were called out to a reported gas escape at a block of flats in Sheffield
First on site was FCO (First Call Operative) Matt Godbehere who found the leak was coming from the incoming gas emergency isolation valve. However, tightening or replacing the valve, would have involved isolating the gas supply to the three flats involved.
Keen to avoid disrupting the residents gas supplies Matt called for backup from a Cadent repair team.
After discussions with the team and an on-site assessor, they collectively opted to try out an innovative new product called Greasit, a newly patented product with a new type of grease, developed by Cadent’s very own Darren Fitzpatrick and brother Dean Fitzpatrick.
East of England Transition Project Supervisor, Darren, was able to attend site himself to try out the new innovation first hand.
Utilising Greasit, incorporating a new type of hydrocarbon resistant longer lasting grease, which is less prone to drying out, currently being trialled by Cadent, Darren was able to fix the problem quickly.
He used a grease gun to inject the grease into the valve via the Greasit kit, leaving it fully re-greased and operational without any interruption of gas supply.
Using the handy tool avoided a potentially time consuming and expensive repair to the external gas pipe, which would have required scaffolding and specialist stop, not to mention a lengthy interruption of gas supply.
Darren commented: “We’ve saved thousands of pounds revenue on this one job by using the Greasit kit and we’re hoping it can be introduced and used across Cadent’s networks for more repair jobs.”
He added: “Repairs to the vertical gas pipes supplying are notoriously difficult often requiring specialist kit including scaffolding and obtaining assorted permissions along with people being without gas for long periods.
“Fortunately, Cadent promotes a culture of innovation among its workforce and we’re always looking at ways in which we can innovate and do things better. This is just one example of that.”
- Suspected gas escapes should be reported on 0800 111 999* (Calls are recorded and may be monitored)
ENDS