Frequently asked questions

Gas Safe Register’s Technical Team answer some of the questions that they most regularly receive on the Technical Helpline.

The calls received by the technical helpline vary considerably. Most relate to domestic installations and can be about various issues – from needing guidance on an unsafe situation to the requirements for a valid landlord’s gas safety record. The team also receive calls ranging from large commercial gas pipe installations to the requirements for a commercial catering installation.

Q: When testing an appliance, what is the correct working pressure that should be available at the gas meter test point?

A: The working pressure recorded at the gas meter outlet test point should be between 18.5mbar and 23mbar. This should be obtained when the highest-rated appliance is operating in its highest normal operating mode and with any other appliance run at 50 per cent load.

Any pressures recorded outside this range must be reported to the supplier. Guidance on this subject can be found in IGEM/G/13: Domestic supply capacity and operating pressure at the outlet of the meter

Q: Is equipotential bonding always required on gas installation pipework?

A: Not always. You are not required to determine whether bonding is required, but to report to the customer if the bonding does not appear to be present or appears to be incorrectly located or sized.

You should advise the customer that they need a suitably qualified electrician to determine whether bonding is required. Technical Bulletin 102: Location of protective equipotential bonding on gas pipework in domestic buildings provides guidance on this.

Q: Can gas pipework be installed in a protected area, such as a fire escape route?

A: If gas pipework is installed in a protected area, it must be done using one of the following methods:

• Steel pipework with screwed or welded joints

• Continuous length of copper pipe with no joints

• Continuous length of corrugated stainless steel pipe that has been confirmed by the manufacturer to withstand fire test A in BS EN 1775 Annex A. You should also refer to BS 6891: Specification for the installation and maintenance of low-pressure gas installation pipework up to 35mm (R1/4) on premises

Q: Should a meter room/ enclosure that contains multiple meter installations be ventilated?

A: Yes it should because of the wider risk posed by multiple meter installations. The importance of notifying the building owner and the gas supplier must be emphasised on the warning notice. See IGEM/G/11: 4.10a, Table 6 for ventilation for meter banks, and IGEM/G/5, Section 8.4.

Q: If I find a safety issue, must I report it to RIDDOR?

A: No, not every incident requires a RIDDOR. There are two separate types of RIDDOR for gas: 11(1) Gas Incident and 11(2) Dangerous Gas Fittings. Full descriptions are found in IGEM/G/11 (the current version of the Gas Industry Unsafe Situations Procedure), and further information is in Technical Bulletin 002: A, B, C and D, as appropriate.

In general terms, and not exclusively, RIDDOR 11(1) applies when someone has died, become unconscious or taken to hospital in connection with gas issues and is the responsibility of the ESP to report.

RIDDOR 11(2) applies to situations where people could be injured due to materials or workmanship etc.

Q: Do all commercial kitchen extraction systems require an interlock?

A: All new extraction systems must be interlocked with the gas supply. When an existing extraction system is extended or modified, or a Type B appliance is replaced below an existing canopy, then the system should be upgraded to a type that contains an interlock system. If a Type A appliance is replaced, then upgrading to an interlock system must be recommended. You can find more guidance in IGEM UP19, IGEM/IG/2 and BS 6173. n

• You can call Gas Safe Register’s Technical Helpline on 0800 408 5577, choosing Option 2. The helpline is open from 0800 to 1800 Monday to Friday and from 0830 to 1230 on Saturday. You can also ask a question via email at: Technical@GasSafeRegister. co.uk

You can read and download all Technical Bulletins by logging into your online account at www.GasSafeRegister. co.uk/sign-in