Frequently Asked Questions About Gas

Please find below a list of commonly asked questions. If you find that your question is not answered on this page, please feel free to contact us.

 

If I want to change my hob, would the gas canister feeding the appliance have to remain outside, or would it be acceptable to have inside?

You are permitted to store a maximum of 19kgs of LP Gas indoors. However, there are other restrictions governing their use, placement, etc. Usually, two 14 or 19 kg cylinders are stored outside in such a way that you can use one of them until it is empty, then switch over to the spare one while you have the empty one refilled or replaced. High Speed Gas can do this for you.

 

Do gas appliances have to be installed by a specialist, or can a layman (like my fiancé for instance) do the installation?

Any and all fixed LP Gas appliances have to, BY LAW, be installed by a fully trained, qualified and Registered LP Gas Installer such as High Speed Gas. A list of these is available on the LP Gas website under the heading “Installers”.

Failure to adhere to the use of a Registered Installer could result in legal action being taken against you and the possibility that your insurance may prove invalid in the event of an incident involving LP Gas.

High Speed Gas are qualified to explain the benefits of using LP Gas, how to use it safely, discuss the pros and cons of various appliances and carry out the installation and ongoing supply of your gas thereafter.

You can discuss these issues with us with no obligation to convert to LP Gas if you are not satisfied

 

How does one ensure that the service provider hired to install the appliance is certified to do so?

Every Registered Installer is required to:

Carry an identification card which has a photo of the installer, the level to which he is permitted to install and an expiry date after which he may not carry out any installations until he has re-qualified.

He must explain to you how to use appliances correctly and safely.

He must leave you with a signed, certificate of compliance, which is his commitment that the installation was carried out according to the national standards.

 

Is there a regulatory body that ensures that LP Gas appliances are fitted and maintained to the safety standards once it has been installed?

If the Installer is one of those described above, the installation should comply and be safe. The LP Gas Safety Association of Southern Africa is the industry body which acts as the ‘voice’ of the LP Gas industry and has been formed to ensure the ongoing safe use of LP Gas in South Africa.

 

What are the details / specs for the working pressure for gas cylinders for domestic use?

An LP Gas cylinder is designed to a 3 000 kPa test pressure.

The normal operating pressure within a LP Gas cylinder is between 600 and 700 kPa.

The pressure can differ depending on the temperature of the day, but at normal ambient temperature the pressure for a 50/50 mix is approximately 700 kPa. The temp can raise by approximately 1 ºC if a cylinder is overfilled and the pressure reaches 1 500 kPa. It would then raise by 2 ºC when reaching 3 000 kPa and so forth.

For further info on gas cylinders we suggest that you get SANS 10019 and for the manufacturing code of gas cylinders (LPG) see SANS 4706.

The stampings on the shoulder or shroud of the cylinder should carry all of this detail.

Lastly both of these standards are compulsory as they are called up in the OHS Act.