About LPG Gas & Gas Cylinder Safety

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Monica Beasley
5 years ago
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1 LIQUID PETROLEUM GAS (LPG) About LPG Gas & Gas Cylinder Safety Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) is stored in your gas bottle as a liquid. When the cylinder valve is opened some of the liquid boils off as a vapor. A strong, distinctive odorant is added to help detect minor leaks quickly. LPG is non-toxic, non-corrosive and clean burning, but if you inhale it in sufficient volumes it will cause suffocation. LPG is heavier than air, so any leaking gas will flow downwards and collect in low spaces. Without ample ventilation and air movement, it will dissipate very slowly. LPG BENEFITS h/v 36 Genl Dan Pienaarlaan & Jan van Riebeeckstr Dan Pienaar, Bloemfontein Tel: deltagasbloem@gmail.com Gas is the preferred fuel for cooking internationally Gas is fast, clean, controllable and efficient Gas hob settings are usually more precise that electric hobs With gas you only pay for what you use it is instantly on and off With gas there is no preheating or wasteful after heating Gas has an internationally superior safety record in the home that electricity Gas is portable and can be stored safely, thus ensuring reliable and consistent thermal energy for cooking Approved gas appliances, such as those manufactured by CADAC, are robust and long lasting, provided that they are used according to the manufacturer s instructions Using LP Gas for your thermal energy needs makes budgetary, culinary and environmental sense, and it s safer and more efficient than electricity.

2 LP Gas and Legislation The Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) is regulated by SANS :2008 Edition 5. SANS is the abbreviation for South African National Standard. It regulates, amongst others, containers, appliances, piping, fittings and ventilation requirements. It is very important that your installation complies to everything needed for a safe and properly functioning installation. If you have a gas installation at your residence, are you in possession of a CoC (Certificate of Compliance)? Below follows some of the regulations regarding minimum distances of installations as well as ventilation requirements. 1. Ventilation at floor level 2. Containers & coal stoves 3. Minimum safety distances of a LP Gas installation 4. Minimum Safety distances from boundary walls and drains 5. Typical installation by means of a flexible hose and solid pipe 6. Typical installation for gas cylinder directly connected to hob by means of a flexible hose 7. Siting of Gas Hob, stove or hotplate 8. Discharging products of combustion 9. Oven ventilation requirements

3 1. Ventilation at floor level The following is important: There must be an air brick. The LP Gas cylinder cannot be closer than 300mm from your LPG appliance. There should be a gap under the door of at least 6mm. 2. Containers and Coal Stoves There must be a Non-combustible fire barrier next to the coal stove. The LPG cylinder must be at least 1m from the non-combustible fire barrier The LPG cylinder must be at least 2m from the coal stove. The LPG cylinder must be at least 300mm from your LPG appliance.

4 3. Minimum Safety Distances The following minimum safety distances are applicable for any LPG installation. It is very important to confirm that your installation was done accordingly. The installation (LPG bottle/s) must be at least 1m from a door. Any electrical source of ignition (any switch) must be at least 1.5m above the installation (LPG bottle/s). Any windows must be at least 3.5m above the installation. But, it may be reduced to 300mm provided that a non-combustible roof is installed between the containers and the window. The installation must be at least 1m away from any windows. The installation cannot be closer than 1m from an air brick and at least 2m from a forced draught inlet for air conditioner. When an electrical source of ignition such as a switch box, distribution board, motor, generator, etc, is lower or at the same level as the LPG installation, it must be at least 5m away from the installation.

5 4. Safety distances for Boundary Walls & Drains The minimum required distance from drains is 2m, irrespective of the number of cylinders. Where not more than two cylinders are used, the minimum distance from a boundary is 1m, unless the boundary is a firewall, in which case the cylinders may be placed against the boundary. Where more than two cylinders are used, the minimum distance from a boundary is 3m, unless the boundary is a firewall, in which case it may be placed directly against the boundary.

6 5. Flexible hose and solid pipe to hob installation. It is important to take note of the regulations for a solid pipe together with flexible hose installation to a Hob. The gas hob must be at least 200mm from any wall sockets and the stove isolation switch. There must be an Isolator valve for the hob inside the cupboard. There can be NO electrical switches directly below the hob. The connection between the solid pipe and gas hob must be with a flexible hose. There must be dividers between the cupboard directly below the gas hob and cupboards directly next to it.

7 6. Flexible hose to Gas Hob installation The gas hob must be at least 200mm from any wall sockets and the stove isolation switch. There must be an Isolator valve for the hob inside the cupboard. There can be NO electrical switches directly below the hob. The hose goes through the solid partition and there are ventilation slots at the top and bottom of the cupboard board.

8 7. Placing of Gas Hob The stove, gas hob or hotplate cannot be closer than 500mm of curtains. also no curtains immediately behind the appliance. The veneered material and glue used must be resistant to a temperature of 90 o C in order to avoid ungluing or deforming. The furniture walls adjacent to the cooker must be made of a material resistant to heat. the cooker may be located in a kitchen, kitchen/diner or a bed- or sitting room but not in a room containing a bath or shower.

9 8. Discharging products of combustion Extractor hoods connected directly to the outside must be capable of allowing the products of combustion of the gas appliance to be discharged. If this is not possible, an electric fan may be used, attached to the external wall or window. The fan should have the capacity to circulate air at an hourly rate of 3 to 5 times the total volume of the kitchen. The room chosen to accommodate the gas appliance must have an adequate natural air supply to allow full combustion of the gas. The air supply must be produced directly by one or more vents made in an external wall and must provide a total opening of at least 100cm 2. The vents must be positioned close to the floor, preferably on the opposite side to the combustion discharge outlet and must be designed in such a way that they are not obstructed from either the inside or outside. When it is not possible to provide the necessary vents, the air supply may be supplied from an adjacent room, ventilated in the required manner, provided that it is not a bedroom or an area with risk. In this event the door of the kitchen must be provided with ventilation slots to allow the air to enter the room.

9. Oven Ventilation Requirements The ventilation requirements shown below should be followed to ensure correct cabinet external temperatures and operation

10 9. Oven Ventilation Requirements The ventilation requirements shown below should be followed to ensure correct cabinet external temperatures and operation of the oven. The appliance (double oven) must be housed in heat resistant units. The walls of the units must be capable of withstanding temperatures of 90 o C.

Domestic Gas Cookers & Ranges

Domestic Gas Cookers & Ranges Version 2 (2008) Copyright Gastec Certification Ltd 2008 Gastec Certification Ltd CKR1 1 Initial Gas Programme Revision Installation and Siting Locations Gas Cookers are mostly