Gas Installers
in Midrand
Gas installers in Midrand spend as much time with a tape measure as with a spanner. Where a cylinder may stand is set by distance rules, and on a small complex patio those rules decide the job. A gas installation is only finished with a certificate of conformity from a registered installer.
Request a call-out- 1 mfrom a door, window or airbrick below the valve
- 2 mfrom a drain, pit or manhole
- 3 mfrom the boundary, unless it is a firewall
- 3 mbelow an opening directly above, or 300 mm under a non-combustible roof
Gas work, and what each job ends with
A fixed gas installation needs a certificate of conformity, so the paperwork is part of the job rather than an extra.
| Job | What it involves | Ends with |
|---|---|---|
| Gas hob or stove | Supply from the cylinder, regulator, hose and isolating valve | A leak test and the certificate |
| Gas geyser | Flue, water connections and the gas supply | Flue and leak checks, then the certificate |
| Moving a cylinder | A new position measured, pipework extended | An updated certificate for the new layout |
| Changeover manifold | Two cylinders with an automatic changeover | A leak test across both cylinders |
| Braai or heater point | A fixed point with its own isolating valve | A certificate that covers the new point |
| Testing an existing installation | Pipework pressure-tested, fittings checked | A pass, or a written list of faults |
Where the cylinder may legally stand
SANS 10087-1 sets the distances. On a Midrand townhouse patio, they decide the whole job.
SANS 10087-1 fixes how close an LP gas cylinder may stand to a building. Any door, window or airbrick lower than the cylinder's valve has to be at least a metre away. Drains, pits and manholes need 2 metres, and the property boundary needs 3, unless the boundary wall is a firewall. An opening directly above needs 3 metres as well, though a non-combustible roof over the cylinder brings that down to 300 millimetres.1
On a freestanding house with a side yard, those numbers are easy to meet. On the small patios and courtyards of a townhouse complex, they are not. The 2 metre drain rule excludes the spot beside the kitchen gully. The boundary rule excludes the wall shared with the neighbour, unless it was built as a firewall. Often the kitchen window above the obvious spot excludes the rest.
Flats have their own limit: the standard allows a maximum of 9 kg of gas inside a flat.1 Anything bigger goes outside, where the distances apply. Body corporate rules can add conditions of their own about where cylinders may be kept, so the scheme's rules are read as well.
The paperwork is not optional. Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Pressure Equipment Regulations call for every gas installation to be certified, and the certificate of conformity has to come from a practitioner on the SAQCC Gas register. Without a valid one, an insurer may turn down a claim for damage a gas appliance caused.2 That is why the measuring comes first: a position that fails the distances cannot be certified, however neat the pipework.
Before you buy a hob or a gas geyser for a complex unit, find the cylinder spot first. Measure 2 metres from the nearest drain and 1 metre from any door or window below the valve, check the boundary wall, and if nothing passes, ask about a different appliance before the money is spent.
How a gas installation runs
Measure, check the rules, price, install, certify.
Measure the position
Cylinder spot, distances, ventilation and the route for the pipe.
Check the rules
The scheme's rules in a complex, and the appliance's own installation instructions.
Price in writing
Connection, pipework, regulator and certificate on separate lines.
Install and test
Pipework pressure-tested for leaks before any appliance is lit.
Certificate
You get the certificate of conformity together with the invoice.
How gas work is priced
The measuring comes first, so you are never quoted for a position that cannot be certified.
| Item | How it is handled |
|---|---|
| Site visit | Stated first. It covers measuring the cylinder position and the pipe route. |
| Pipework and fittings | Priced by the route: along a wall, through a wall, or under paving. |
| Regulator and valves | Listed separately on the price. |
| Appliance connection | Hob, oven, geyser or braai point, each on its own line. |
| Certificate | Part of finishing the installation, not an optional extra. |
| Appliances | Supplied by you, or quoted separately; never bundled in without a price. |
Gas questions, cost first
Including the rule for cylinders inside flats.
What does a gas installation cost in Midrand?
It depends on the appliance, the distance from the cylinder and the route the pipe has to take. The site visit fee is stated first. The written price lists pipework, regulator, valves, the connection and the certificate separately, so you can see where the money goes.
Do I need a certificate of conformity for a gas hob?
Yes. A hob piped to a cylinder counts as a gas installation, and the Pressure Equipment Regulations want each one certified by someone on the SAQCC Gas register2.
Where can the cylinder go?
Outdoors, with clear space around it. Keep a metre between the cylinder and any door, window or airbrick that sits lower than its valve, two metres between it and any drain or manhole, three metres to the boundary unless that wall is a firewall, and more room again below a window directly overhead1. The drawing at the top of this page shows all four distances.
Can I keep a cylinder inside my flat?
Only a small one. The standard limits the gas kept inside a flat to 9 kg1. Anything larger has to stand outside, where the distance rules apply.
Can I install a gas geyser in a complex unit?
Often, but it has to clear three hurdles: a cylinder position that meets the distances, a flue route out of the building, and the body corporate's permission. The site visit checks all three before anything is bought.
Does my insurer care about the gas certificate?
Yes. If a gas appliance causes damage and no valid certificate exists, the insurer has grounds to reject the claim2. File the certificate with your policy documents.
I smell gas. What now?
Close the cylinder valve, open doors and windows, and do not use switches, flames or a phone in the room. Phone from outside. Leave the cylinder closed until the installation has been leak-tested.
Can you move an existing gas point?
Yes, provided the new cylinder position passes the distances as well. The altered installation is pressure-tested for leaks before it is used again.
Related work in Midrand
Hot water and safety, from the other side of the pipe.
Request a call-out
Tell us what you want connected, where you would like the cylinder to stand, and whether you are in a complex or a freestanding house.
Service area
Gas installations across Midrand, from Carlswald and Crowthorne to Kyalami, Vorna Valley and Rabie Ridge.
BookingRequest a call-out
AreaMidrand, City of Johannesburg
Suburbs covered
- Barbeque Downs
- Blue Hills
- Carlswald
- Country View
- Crowthorne
- Ebony Park
- Glen Austin
- Halfway Gardens
- Halfway House
- Ivory Park
- Kaalfontein
- Kyalami
- Noordwyk
- President Park
- Rabie Ridge
- Randjesfontein
- Randjespark
- Vorna Valley
- Waterfall