Gas Bottle Clearances NZ: Home Gas Bottles: Gas Bottle Regulations: Gas Bottle Installation NZ
Gas bottle installation regulations specify appropriate locations and gas bottle clearances in NZ for home gas bottles.
Distances from ignition sources, wall openings, and below-ground spaces, such as drains or pits, are all specified, so you can safely enjoy clean burning LPG.
Gas Bottle Regulations for Gas Bottle Installation NZ
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Regardless of the setup, gas bottle regulations require that gas bottle installation in NZ have the appropriate gas bottle clearancs.
Home gas bottles must be placed in well-ventilated locations and on a solid base.
Here are seven gas bottle guidelines:
1. Ensure the gas bottle installation is upright and stable. Gas cylinders are often best situated on a solid concrete plinth above ground level where water won’t accumulate.
2. Ensure the gas bottles are fixed in position and won’t topple over and create a gas leak. Keeping the gas bottle upright will ensure the pressure relief valve functions correctly.
3. The gas bottle installation should be in a well-ventilated space. It cannot be in an enclosure, alcove, under a building, or stairway.
4. The gas bottle clearances should not be near window or wall openings. Avoid gas bottle installation near doors and air vents to avoid the buildup of gas in enclosed spaces.
5. Gas bottle clearances apply to ignition sources or combustible materials. These include electrical switches, power points, air conditioning, compressors, pumps, lights, and sensors.
6. Keep the gas bottle installation away from pits and drains. LPG is heavier than air so, to avoid the potential for gas accumulation, gas bottle installation cannot be near a hole in the earth.
7. Ensure your installation point provides easy access during gas cylinder delivery and replacement and meets New Zealand Standards.
Delivery Guidelines for Home Gas Bottles
Here are some simple delivery guidelines for home gas bottles to help you get started:
Your driveway and pathway to the gas bottle installation area must be free of obstructions, observing gas bottle clearances.
Unlock gates so that the driver has access to the gas bottle installation. Keep pets restrained.
Home gas bottle installation for line-of-sight to tanker is required.
Tanker line-of-sight for a tanker LPG delivery means the delivery driver has a clear line-of-sight between the home gas bottles and the tanker while he is filling your cylinders.
The gas bottle installation also needs to be within the reach of the tankers’ hose if the cylinders or tanks are to be filled on-site by a tanker. Most tankers have two hose reels.
1) Low-flow hose for cylinders – 40 metres to 60 metres
2) High-flow hose for bulk tanks – 15 metres to 40 metres in length
For practical access, design the gas bottle installation in a straight line measurement from the delivery truck cylinder offloading area.
Gas Bottle Changeover Valves
While not actually a gas bottle regulations issue, you should decide on what type of changeover valve you want before the gas installation.
Automatic changeover valves have the advantage of automatically switching between the two bottles and providing a coloured indicator when one is empty.
Manual changeover valves do require you to manually switch over the changeover cylinder valve for ongoing gas supply.
Get a gas compliance certificate from your gas fitter upon completion of the gas bottle installation.
Gas Bottle Installation Compliance Certificate
A gas compliance certificate or compliance plate is documentation that the gas installation complies with the standards and regulations issued by the governing body, including gas bottle clearances.
It is issued by the gas fitter who performed the gas installation.
The gas fitter is typically liable to correct any gas installation-related defects.
The compliance document, certificate, plate, or badge will be signed off by the gasfitter.
The document lets gas suppliers know that the gas installation is safe.
Gas Fitters vs Plumbers
Many gas fitters are also plumbers but not all plumbers are licensed gas fitters.
If you require gas work to be done on a gas hot water system, for example, make sure you get a tradesperson who is licensed for both the gas fitting and plumbing trades.
Not all gas fitters are experienced in installing all types of gas appliances, so you should not hesitate to ask.
Typical Gas Fitting Tasks
Gas fitters do different types of gas fitting tasks including:
• Gas appliance installation, conversions, repairs, and maintenance.
• Gas installation including regulators, changeover valves, pigtails, and gas lines.
• Installation and repairs of gas flue pipes.
• Installation of gas meters, valves, and associated pipe work.
• Adjusting gas pressure.
• Installation of gas detection systems.
• Leak testing and repairs.
Why it is Important for You to Know Gas Bottle Regulations
You may have additional non-related work done to hour house.
For example, the installation of an air conditioner.
It is important for you to know the required gas bottle clearance in NZ so the air conditioner tradesperson doesn’t install the compressor or other electrical devices within the gas bottle clearance zone.
The air conditioner tradesperson would not know the gas bottle clearance requirements.
The result is that your gas supplier may not be able to legally supply gas to your gas bottle installation until you either move the compressor or have a gas fitter relocate your gas bottles.
Other potential problems could include adding additional windows or doors, digging a drainage pit, installing a new circuit breaker box, new outdoor lighting, security cameras or systems and other gas bottle clearance problems.
Needless to say, knowing the gas bottle regulations in advance could save you money.