Gas safety tips

Rapidly increasing electricity prices and recurring loadshedding has pushed gas into the spotlight. These days gas appliances can be found for general heating, cooking, geyser upgrades and even cooling.

Gas appliances have been widely used in Europe and North America for many years, resulting in advances in built-in safety measures. Nevertheless, the threat of explosions and fire remain if gas tanks and appliances are not installed, used and stored correctly.

Gas regulations

Many homeowners are unaware that South Africa has regulations in place around gas installations and storage. What’s more, insurers can deny claims if gas installations were found not to comply with these regulations.

A suitably qualified and accredited installer will be able to guide you through the legal requirements of the following aspects:

• Installation of gas appliances
• Quality, positioning and protection of copper piping
• Protective coverings

The regulations also stipulate the acceptable storage and location of gas tanks on a property.

• A gas tank exceeding 9kg may not be stored in a flat.
• A gas tank exceeding 19kg may not be stored in a house.
• Gas bottles may not be positioned within a metre to the side of doors and windows and less than 3 metres below windows unless a non-combustible roof is installed.
• Must be stored at least 2 metres away from drains and air vents and at least 1 metre away from the property boundary wall.
• May not be positioned within 5 metres to the side of an electric point or plug switch.
• Lightbulbs may not be positioned less than 1.5 metres above a gas bottle.

A certificate of conformity should be issued by the gas contractor after an installation and a copy kept in a safe place for insurance purposes.

Gas safety

While the regulations will ensure your installation is safe, measures still need to be taken to keep your household safe.

• Have your gas installation checked and serviced by a reputable contractor at least once a year.
• Install gas detection alarms to warn of any leaks that could put your family’s health at risk.
• Get your gas bottles filled by a reputable and accredited service provider to ensure the tanks are pressure tested and safe.
• When using a gas stove, ensure the room has enough ventilation.
• Never allow children to play with or use gas appliances. If possible, have child-locks installed.
• For smaller installations such as heaters and braais, turn the gas off securely at the tank when finished.
• Make sure you have multi-purpose fire extinguishers in rooms where gas is used.