SOS! Rare 1950’s tapered brass ‘Bray 657A’ valve (or someone who could repair

[jamiejParticipant @jamiej]

Hi there, wondering if anyone here can help me find or possibly repair/machine an obscure 1950’s brass tapered ‘Bray 657A 25’ valve. I’ve attached a photo of the valve with the snapped cap which I’m trying to either get repaired or find a matching valve.

 

The snap is very clean and the top ‘cup’ rotates so maybe removable. The brass around the snap is about 1mm thick and I don’t know if it is possible to braze or solder but guessing in use it would heat upto around maybe something under 250c?

Any leads or steers VERY appreciated. This cooker has been in daily use for around 70 years and I’d really hate to have to scrap it.

 

thanks again

 

 

I believe these valves were used in gas, oil and maybe steam appliance in the 1950’s and this one is from a 1950’s New World ‘Rangette’ gas cooker which was in use everyday until now and I would really love to not scrap it.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi jamiej, it would not be legal for a DIY repair, so you would have to find a specialist repairer to do such a job, or find someone who deals with second hand spares.

Regards Nick.

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

What does the valve do ? Is it a safety valve for a pressure cooker ? Does the top part unscrew from the hex base ? Is it used commercially ? Noel.

[Nicholas Farr]

On Nicholas Farr Said:

Hi jamiej, it would not be legal for a DIY repair, so you would have to find a specialist repairer to do such a job, or find someone who deals with second hand spares.

Regards Nick.

That only applies if the person is doing the work as part of their business. Despite what the trades say, gas work did not get the same seizure by commercial interests that electrical work did.

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

I can’t see a reason why it couldn’t be silver soldered.

The threads (assuming that’s what they are) look a little worse for wear.

[Nicholas Farr]

On Nicholas Farr Said:

Hi jamiej, it would not be legal for a DIY repair, so you would have to find a specialist repairer to do such a job, or find someone who deals with second hand spares.

Regards Nick.

My previous reply is showing as blank 😮

That only applies if the person is doing the work as part of their business. Despite what the trades say, gas work did not get the same seizure by commercial interests that electrical work did.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

What’s the legal bit? And I’d go for silver solder.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

You need to be Gas Safe Registered to repair, service or work on a gas cooker (well the gas related bits anyway)

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

I’ll try again, for the third time. The registration requirement is only mandatory for those performing the work as part of their business.

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

Hopefully, most Gas Safe Registered persons are either competent at silver soldering, or competent to determine whether a silver solder repair is fit for purpose, or still able, unlike non-Gas Safe Registered persons, to source parts for 70 year-old New World Rangette cookers.

 

Is there any info in the link that might help?

https://www.salvoweb.com/salvonews/18429-repair-and-servicing-an-old-new-world-rangette-gas-cooker

 

 

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

It probably hasn’t got a flame failure cut out, so if a low flame blows out you have a gas leak, fill your kitchen with gas. Sounds like it’s  70 years old, you’ve had your money’s worth, get the wallet out

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Mark, where does it say you can repair the gas related parts yourself? Or how would you prove competence?

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

Quoting the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations:-

Qualification and supervision

3.—(1) No person shall carry out any work in relation to a gas fitting or gas storage vessel unless he is competent to do so.

(2) The employer of any person carrying out such work for that employer, every other employer and self-employed person who has control to any extent of such work and every employer and self-employed person who has required such work to be carried out at any place of work under his control shall ensure that paragraph (1) above is complied with in relation to such work.

(3) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraphs (1) and (2) above and subject to paragraph (4) below, no employer shall allow any of his employees to carry out any work in relation to a gas fitting or service pipework and no self-employed person shall carry out any such work, unless the employer or self-employed person, as the case may be, is a member of a class of persons approved for the time being by the Health and Safety Executive for the purposes of this paragraph.

(4) The requirements of paragraph (3) above shall not apply in respect of—

(a)the replacement of a hose or regulator on a portable or mobile space heater; or

(b)the replacement of a hose connecting a re-fillable cylinder to installation pipework.

(5) An approval given pursuant to paragraph (3) above (and any withdrawal of such approval) shall be in writing and notice of it shall be given to such persons and in such manner as the Health and Safety Executive considers appropriate.

(6) The employer of any person carrying out any work in relation to a gas fitting or gas storage vessel in the course of his employment shall ensure that such of the following provisions of these Regulations as impose duties upon that person and are for the time being in force are complied with by that person.

(7) No person shall falsely pretend to be a member of a class of persons required to be approved under paragraph (3) above.

 

Does not apply if one is competent and not performing the work as an employer or employee. The rest of the provisions are relevant to all.

Read Mark! Learn and inwardly digest. As great uncle Joe used to say to me.

 

Demonstration of competence will vary from person to person. I would rely on work experience making connections on steam pipework from vacuum to 2300psi and soldering, brazing and machining skills.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

bit like a balance sheet really you can make it read how it suits you.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Mark, I am competent that I could silver solder the piece back on, but I’m not going to, for a start I don’t know the properties of the material it is made of, I don’t know if any grade of silver solder would be strong enough, I don’t know if there any hairline or other microscopic cracks are in it, or have any facilities to find out, or have any means of non-destructive testing after any repair, I don’t know if any of the inners would have to be removed, or even if they could to stop damage from heating, and I don’t know if such a repair would be compliant. In my industrial maintenance years, such things were replaced and never repaired

This says different.

You can only perform basic, non-gas maintenance tasks on your own gas cooker in the UK, such as replacing outer control knobs or cleaning parts specified in the manufacturer’s user instructions. [1]

What You Can Do Yourself (Consumer-Permitted Work)
Replace outer knobs: Swapping out broken or worn cooker tap/control knobs if specified by the user manual. [1]

General cleaning: Cleaning burner caps, pan supports, and the oven cavity.

Clearing blockages: Using a pin or soft brush to clear food debris from burner ports, provided you do not disconnect any gas-carrying components. [1, 2]

Removing decorative parts: Removing purely decorative outer panels that do not require tools and do not disturb any gas seals or combustion chambers. [1]

 

What You Cannot Do (Illegal for Unregistered Persons)

By law in the UK, any work involving the gas-carrying parts or combustion system must be done by a qualified professional on the Gas Safe Register. You cannot legally or safely DIY: [1, 2]

Repairing or replacing gas valves, gas hoses, or internal pipework.

Fixing or replacing thermocouples and flame failure devices.

Servicing or adjusting the burner injectors/nozzles.

Disconnecting, reconnecting, or installing the cooker. [1, 2, 3]

Regards Nick.

[Charles LamontParticipant @charleslamont71117]

Mark, you might rely on that test of competence, but would your insurance company?

[duncan webster 1]

On duncan webster 1 Said:

It probably hasn’t got a flame failure cut out, so if a low flame blows out you have a gas leak, fill your kitchen with gas. Sounds like it’s  70 years old, you’ve had your money’s worth, get the wallet out

Does anyone know why gas cookers are (have to be?) fitted with a flame failure cut-out, but gas hobs are not?

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

The law is the law, as I quoted.

Curiously, I can no longer legally do significant electrical work in my own home without investing money in an annual fee/bribe, even though I can legally install an entire factory system.

I do, sometimes, wonder at the insanity of our regulatory systems. 🙂

No need to further inflame the arguments.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Mark, I was able to service gas fired Powermatic space heaters back in the late 1970’s/80’s, but that came to an end when the first wave of the gas safety regulations came out about being registered, so the company farmed all that work out from then on, not that I was particularly bothered about that, as most of them were in an awkward and restricted place.

Regards Nick.

[egaParticipant @ega]

Presumably, just repairing the valve would not be illegal?

[ega]

On ega Said:

Presumably, just repairing the valve would not be illegal?

Looks like the forum software has a few problems today.

 

No. The problem though, from a legal perspective, would be that the repaired valve would have to be OK’d by a Gas Safe registered worker and fitted by him/her.

The chances of that happening in this day and age are zero. Why would the Gas Safe worker risk it when there is plenty of low-hanging fruit to earn a living from instead?

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

On 3 October 2026 at 14:07 ega Said:
Presumably, just repairing the valve would not be illegal?

 

No. The problem though, from a legal perspective, would be that the repaired valve would have to be OK’d by a Gas Safe registered worker and fitted by him/her.

The chances of that happening in this day and age are zero. Why would the Gas Safe worker risk it when there is plenty of low-hanging fruit to earn a living from instead?

I know what I’d do, but that doesn’t mean I’m prepared to advise others to do the same.

[Andrew TinsleyParticipant @andrewtinsley63637]

Having done all my own electrical installation work on my house. I found it would be illegal to continue without an electricians ticket.

So I sat the appropriate exam and got my electricians ticket. Later I found that although I could legally do the work. I could not sign it off!

So I took the electricians exam so I could test and sign off my own work! Blow me, later I found that I could do none of these things without signing up to some trade body, that charged a hefty annual fee for the privelage!

So now to hell with the legal niceties. I shall continue to carry out any electrical tasks in my own home. I don’t give a damn to the legal or insurance position. If my house burns down from an electrical fault the insurance company does not have to reimburse me and if I have committed a crime then the legal system can take its course.

I AM SICK AND TIRED WITH THE STUPID, PETTY REGULATIONS THAT SEEM TO BE THE NORM THESE DAYS.

Andrew.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Andrew, I understand your frustration, and yes some these regulations seem to be petty, however, it’s not about if your house burns down, of if you electrocute yourself, but the potential danger that may affect your neighbours properties and harming them or other people like the Postie while delivering your mail, and or the infrastructure, I quite agree with some of the pettiness of regulations, especially with some of the stuff I used to work on in my day jobs, but we now live in a world where blame and claim exists in a big way, which could empty your bank account, and or put you in prison.

Regards Nick.

[john fletcher 1Participant @johnfletcher1]

I agree with Andrew, the country is being run by petty regulations. H & S is a growth  industry get on the band waggon. Not intending to be bosting here, but I hold the highest ELECTRICAL INSTALATION certification and same in Industrial Electronics. I taught ELECTRICAL INSTALATION Work at the local Tec, as it was, for nearly 30 years and cannot certify my own work, but a young lad who was in my classes can. Such is life.  John

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