What is gasfitting?
Gas fitting is any work involved in installing, altering or repairing gas appliances. This includes fixing or unfixing any gas pipes, ventilation or flue pipes, commissioning gas appliances and ensuring their safe operation.
Ensuring the safe operation includes testing, setting, checking and adjusting safety devices, combustion conditions and control associated with the gas installation and ensuring there is adequate ventilation.
Gasfitters work on appliances fitted to ships, boats, caravans, motor homes, trains and any other kind of vehicle. They also work on gas appliances fixed within buildings that are supplied by gas bottles of any size. Work that does not require a trained and registered gas fitter includes work performed on portable gas appliances which have the gas bottles attached such as barbecues, cabinet heaters and patro heaters.
Why should you use a certified gas fitter?
Strict industry guidelines state that all gas connections require a qualified and licenced gas fitter to undertake the work to get the appliance connected, installed and working; this applies to natural gas and LPG. Each installation also requires a certificate of compliance to be completed when the work is finished. Sumich Plumbing & Drainage are certified gas fitters, which means our work is heavily regulated to make sure the work we do is safe and managed responsibly.
We provide a gasfitting and repair service for natural gas and LPG, and all jobs are fully guaranteed. Our gas fitter can help you with gas hot water cylinders, instantaneous gas water systems, gas heaters, gas fireplaces, gas hobs and ovens, bottles gas systems, and gas heating systems.
Risk classification
There are three levels of risk classification for gasfitting, these are low-risk, high-risk and general. There are more requirements for certification of high risk and general gasfitting than there are for low-risk gasfitting. The categories of gasfitting focuses attention and resources where they are more likely to be needed to achieve safety and compliance.
Low-risk gasfitting is any of the following:
- Replacement of a gas appliance with an equivalent gas appliance (provided the work doesn’t take place in caravan and boats with sleeping quarters; repositioning of pipework or flues; or a change in installation pressure, gas type, ventilation, energy consumption, or operation of the installation)
- Maintenance of fittings and appliances (other than repairs following a notifiable accident)
- Replacement of instrumentation and related controls
- Setting safety devices, combustion conditions, and controls that are not designed to be adjusted by a consumer or gas refueled
- Temporary gasfitting for experimental, testing, demonstration, teaching, or research purposes
High-risk gasfitting meets one or more of the high-risk criteria:
- Addition or alteration to an existing installation
- Work on an installation that includes gas pressure-raising equipment
- Repair work following a notifiable event
- Work in domestic settings where the maximum operating pressure is more than 7 kPa for natural gas or more than 14 kPa for LPG
- Work in a building with more than three floor or contains more than tree dwellings
- Work done within 20 metres of a hazardous area
- Work in a building where the air pressure is controlled by a mechanical ventilation system
- Work done in a place where combustion air may be varied by mechanical means
- Work done in a caravan or boats that has sleeping accommodation
General gas fitting is work that is not categorised as either low-risk or high-risk.
What to know before you hire a gas fitter?
You should always hire a registered or licenced gas fitter for restricted work, this ensures you have more rights under the consumer laws if anything goes wrong.
- Shop around and get written estimates or quotes from different companies. Choose a trades person that is recommended by others; experienced in the type of work than you will require; and feels like a good fit (good communication and someone who understands your needs is the best way to avoid any issues further down the track).
- Make sure the gas fitter is registered or licensed. If they aren’t you might not be insured for damage caused by poor workmanship; you may not be able to obtain the certificates required for council sign off; there may be issues when it’s time to sell your house; and the work might be unsafe.
- Ask the right questions. Make sure your gas fitter isn’t telling you what they think you want to hear. Know when to say no, it can be hard. Ask them to be honest. Check your time frames and budget are realistic; what you want done is possible for your house; if they have done similar projects before (ask for references); they can start and finish when they say they can; and to confirm who will be doing the work (them, an apprentice or a subcontractor).
- Make sure the brief is clear. Meet with the gas fitter to discuss the details of the work that needs to be done. Ideally you need to get the brief in writing, so anyone can refer to the document throughout your project. Make sure everyone involved has a clear understanding of the required level of quality and finish; who’s responsible for tasks; and contract terms. Be as detailed as possible from the start.
- When the work is complete, check they have given you all the paperwork and warranties relating to the job; and keep any certificates as you’ll need them to get council sign off for your project.
At Sumich Plumbing & Drainage we offer gasfitting services. Get in touch with us today to discuss your project or ask us for our previous work experience and projects. If you require our plumbing and gasfitting services to upgrade your hot water system or your gas heating system, let us know as we can discuss your options with you. We can provide advice in plumbing and gas fitting to ensure your project is completed with a full guarantee to a high level of quality and finish.