LPG Changeover Valve

My gas supply has been disrupted could it be the LPG change over valve?

Just recently, we have had quite a lot of phone calls from customers complaining of disruption to there LPG supply.
The question they have been asking is could it be the LPG change over valve.

This is what we found.

On the first job, we attended, located on a well know mobile home holiday park in the South-East of England.

We found that the gas bottles were empty, explaining this to the customer that the bottle had no gas.

They were very shocked as they said they had only just been replaced with new, only last week and they normally last 3 months.

We got the bottles replaced with new, then carried out a tightness test to ensure no leaks were present on the appliances as well as the pipework.

A leak on the pipework would explain why the gas bottles were empty, but the test proved no leakage.

While carrying out further checks the customer asked, does the LPG change over valve need replacing?

I asked why they would ask about the change over valve. 

She explained that they had a letter posted through the door explaining that the LPG change over valve needed to be replaced.


This was because it had been found that some models overtime start to leak gas.


A recall has been sent out by the makers that these valves must not be used and replaced as soon as possible.

After further checks, I tested that all the appliances were working and signed the job off.

After a couple of days, we received a call from the same customer stating that she had no gas again. We attended the job again to try and get to the bottom of this problem.

We asked the customer, has anything happened since our last visit, nothing she said.

Then out the blue, she said that someone had knocked at her door and explained that he had posted the letter about the LPG change over valve and when would she like it replaced.


He then went on to tell her that by law, she must have it replaced or she would be reported to the health and safety and summoned to court.

I explained that the valve was perfect and that nothing was wrong with it.

We again got the bottles replaced with full ones and got all the appliances up and running again.

A couple of days later we received a similar phone call from someone else on the same holiday park.

The first question they asked did install LPG change over valves. (Strange I Thought)

We attended the job two days later to try and find out what was going on at this park.

The customer explained they had received this letter that the valve must be replaced.

While checking this customers appliance and pipework, someone else on the same park was driving past and asked, are you changing the valves.


If so could you do mine, I've had the letter so if you could fit me in I would be grateful.

Anyway, after further investigations, we got to the Botton of what was going on.

It turns out that someone was disconnecting the hoses from the bottles and discharging the gas, then reconnecting, while the owners were out.


All the homes were on the boundary of the field, so whoever was doing this could hide out of the way.

These letters about the change over valve was a total scam, nothing was wrong with them.

Anyway, just to let you know the site security was informed of what was happening, they said they would up their checks.

After about a week, We got a phone call from the sites security officer who told me that someone was seen tampering with the gas bottles on another home, but legged it when seen by the security officer.

Since then, they have not had any problems.

So if you ever receive a letter out of the blue claiming that the LPG change over valve needs replacing, be cautious.