Gas RE-Connects

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David Saulque

Senior Moderator
Over the years I have developed a policy of not allowing my people not to reconnect the gas disconnects. I have felt that if the units were not connected and a leak occurred and 4 hours rolled by a problem could occur with the opening staff. We had a few close calls and I thought this would be the best way to avoid ALL liability issue.

I lost a bid because I put this in my proposal. I told the guy my reason and he just didn’t get it. What do you people think?
:(
 
If you do not connect the connector just right you could have a leak. Since we leave, the leak can go undetected for several hours. Then when the employees open the store-lights a smoke-up it goes. A few years back we went into a store that the employees did not connect properly and we diverted a problem.

If we hung around we more than likely would have found the coupling was secured or not-but we are off to the next job.
 
If we disconnect it we reconnect it.
We have many places where the employee's would not know how to reconnect it the next day i.e. (just about every McDonalds we go to). My experience has been. If they come in and it doesn't work they call us and we either drive back out or they call someone else to fix it at our expense. those service calls can eat up profits real quick.
 
I'm with Bryan. We try to get the restaurant staff to disconnect everything, but well over half the time they haven't a clue how to work a coupler. If we disconnect we reconnect. It might be a good idea to create a waiver of liability for this issue.
 
I always reconnect all Gas line Quick Connects. I twist em and pull on them to make shure they are good to go.And if there ugly I make a note on the biling and as always point out potential problems to whoever is in a mangement position.
I put up a post about inquireing where to get the blue gas line feed quick connects awhile back.

Another problem with these is there ALL supposed to have a safety lead ,most of them do not! A safety lead being heavy duty braided cable or a chain that keeps employees of the establishment from yanking the appliance and feed lines from its proper position.The safety lead should be shorter then the gas line feed and not hooked to the gas lines themselves.(I see them hooked directly to gas lines occasionaly)So in the event that someone pulls the appliance it will not disrupt or ruin or break open the gas lines.

I understand Davids dilema as far as liabilty goes.Espesially when the equipment is neglected.
The majority I come across are Pig Tail feeds.Ya know the bendable ones.These things are usually pretty cheesey and have a tendency to break open from pulling the equipment out and pushing it back in. Its kind of like "the coat hanger effect" if you continue to bend a coat hanger the friction weakens the metal and eventually breaks.
This is usually caused by the employees pulling and cleaning under and around equipment.So by the time the exhaust service gets there its been worked over pretty good.

Ive come across cross threaded feeds. Feeds that were hanging on by a thread. Feeds that fell apart upon moving equipment. Or quick connects that would stay in the open position upon disconnection.
At wich point I turn off the gas valve to that paticular line and then take the gas line out immediately so they cant turn it on and operate it in such a condition. Then I either fix it myself or call someone in if I cant get the correct parts.
 
All you guys do a lot more kitchens than we do.

But, if we disconnect we reconnect. However if no one is there when we leave we DO NOT turn on the fuel and light the pilots. Most kitchens that we do don't anyone around when we leave, so they must light the pilots before they can cook the next day.

Dave Olson
 
I like to keep it simple for my employees DO NOT RECONNECT (gas off)-but we do light all the pilots. It is simply the safe way. Late at night employees are worn out and mistakes happen,this just limits issues. :)
 
Im on all the jobs so I know whats what.
Not being there to babysit--- WELL --- "everything that hasn't gone wrong in ten years can go wrong in ten minutes"
Some employees dont care, its not there name on the billing.
I went through the employee knothole, ouch!
Have to find people who take pride in there work.
Say David, how do you screen your guys? This is a art within itself.
 
The blue gas hoses are Dormont brand. The blue color is there trademark. I wish I knew how to get the female quick connector cleaned of the grease that builds up in them. I am afraid to use any degreaser and when I asked the Dormont people they had no answer except replace the connector. Those few connectors I have replaced had to go to the shop where I have vise large enough to hold them. I cannot get my portable pipe vise to work on the disconnects.

When installing the appliance tethers, make sure to secure them into a real wooden stud, not sheet rock and not the beer can metal studs.

I do light the pilots. That way I know there are working. If I get called back because they don't work, I replace the pilots or the thermocouple. Except at McDonald's, then I call Ken to fix the problem. Ken and I work together, what I can do , I do . What I cannot do, gets referred to Ken. in turn, Ken refers people to me. Everyone should have a Ken. What is a Ken? Ken is a factory trained repairman, and a lisenced electrician. Between the 2 of use, we can fix most anything in a resturant. We even have resturants where we bypass the owners and just work out between us who repairs what is busted.

General Fire Equipment Co of Eastern Oregon, Inc
 
Absolutly not! Ken & I met when I was a full-time firefighter and he tested the fire alarms at the local sawmills. Then he disappeared. Several years went by and we met at a resturant about 100 miles from here. We talked a bit and finally remembered each other. Somehow we started to work together, I do not remember how or why. At first we were causious, you know how it is, does this guy know what he is doing and will his poor work reflect on me? As time went by, we found we each knew something the other did not and our work habits were similar. We will share our trade secrets with each other. Often if one of us cannot fix somthing in a timely manner, we will send the other one to take care of the job. We are very carefull not to step on each others toes. We send each other new business, even though we are both busy enough. We also tell each other about the bad businesses we run into. you know, the ones who do not pay their bills. I will call him to look at a fire system, because I have taught him enough so he can often trouble shoot a system for me. In the last 2 years he has sent me over $10,000 of business, not including the ALF @ $13,000 we are currnetly doing. Of course, I do buy Ken dinner once in a while.

Douglas Hicks
General Fire Equipment Co of Eastern Oregon, Inc
 
youn need to get a gas fitter 2 lisence thats what it called in canada with this lisence you can do reconnects thanx jp
 
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