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What is an LPG Gas Engineer in Suffolk?
A gas engineer who works in the Suffolk area of the united kingdom working on both LPG and natural gas domestic appliances.
Firstly, to work on LPG appliances, the engineer must be registered to work on natural gas appliances.
They cannot be gas safe registered for just LPG appliances alone.
All gas engineers must have the natural gas qualifications first.
We get asked many times, can someone who is gas safe registered able to work on all gas appliances, No is the answer.
I’ll explain all gas engineers take exams every five years for the appliances they want to work on, IE, Cookers, fires and boilers etc.
Most kitchen installers, for instance, will have Gas Safe registration for hobs and cookers for Natural Gas only and not LPG.
If they want to fit LPG hobs and cookers, they will need to sit another set of exams. They will need the Cooker and hob LPG qualification.
Because they have the natural gas cookers and hobs certificate registration, they cannot work on anything else.
If they want to work on, let’s say, gas boilers, they have to sit the boiler exam first.
What people do not realise is to be LPG gas safe registered is expensive and time-consuming.
Each year the gas engineer has to re-register with the Gas Safe register.
Registration also comes at a cost.
They also may have a site inspection from a Gas safe inspector.
Gas safe inspections are at random you can never tell when you may have a Gas Safe Inspection visit.
All registered Gas engineers have to go through a site visit with a Gas Safe Inspector at some time.
The inspection takes around half a day to complete but will depend on the inspector in question.
Every five years, the gas engineer will have to resit all the gas exams for all of the appliances they work with, no ifs, no buts.
These exams are mandatory and taken over five days for the natural gas registration and another five days for LPG.
If the gas engineer fails to resit these gas exams or fails an exam, they can no longer work on any gas appliance, LPG and Natural Gas appliances until they take the exams.
Each set of exams is expensive that the engineer has to pay for personally.
That’s around ten days in total loss of work, loss of earnings, cost of all the exams.
So you see, to be an LPG Gas Engineer in Suffolk comes at a cost.
It’s not easy to find an LPG gas engineer in Suffolk as you would with a natural gas engineer.
Your best place to find an LPG engineer is the Gas Safe Register, which has all the details of every gas engineer registered in the united kingdom.
The Gas Safe Register has a contact number (0800 408 5500) for you to use if you cannot find an LPG Engineer in your area.
Be aware of anyone claiming to be Gas Safe registered.
All gas engineers have an identity card issued from the Gas Safe Register.
Ask if you can see the engineers gas safe card when they arrive at your property.
If the engineer cannot show you their card, you should ask them to leave.
On the front of the card, you will see a long number like a credit card.
This number is the engineer’s unique Gas licence number.
Another check is to check the expiry date of the engineer’s card. All cards get renewed every year.
The expiry date is the 31st of March every year. All gas engineers cards will expire on this date unless they need to resit their five-year gas exams.
Always ensure you check the expiry date of their card.
While looking at the card, you will see the engineers gas safe registration number.
You can check these numbers on the Gas Safe website.
It’s always best to check this to ensure the gas engineer is who they say they are.
Another reason to check the register is to ensure they are still registered to work.
Some claim to be Gas Safe Registered when they are not. They may have been removed from the register but still have their gas safe card.
You can see how important it is to check the Gas Engineers Gas Safety card.
You will see when searching for an LPG Gas Engineer in Suffolk, not many LPG engineers are available.
One of the main reasons is the cost and time involved to become LPG registered, also the expense just for natural gas registration.
So what’s the difference between LPG and Natural Gas?
LPG appliances work on a higher pressure (37MB), Natural gas appliances work on 20MB pressure.
Let’s say you buy a new gas hob for your mobile home. Most mobile homes gas supply is propane (LPG).
You cannot remove the old hob and replace it with the new one unless it is an LPG supplied one.
Before swapping over, it needs the gas jets changed from Natural Gas to LPG.
Your gas engineer will be able to carry out the conversion for you.
I have had customers in the past say, what’s the difference it is a gas appliance?
Yes, it is a gas appliance, but it needs to be for the correct type of gas IE LPG.
Fitting a Natural Gas Appliance on an LPG supply without converting will result in very high and dangerous flames.
LPG gas jets are half the size of Natural Gas jets.
If we came across an appliance like this on a Gas Safety Inspection, it would be deemed immediately dangerous.
The appliances would be disconnected from the gas supply and made safe.
Then, we issue a gas safe warning notice certificate, required by law.
Issuing this certificate, the engineer is covering themselves as well as details of the faults found.
Every LPG Gas Engineer in Suffolk will do the same safety must always come first.
I hope you can see from above that an LPG Gas Engineer in Suffolk is not just a plumber but a Gas Safe Registered Gas Engineer.
Who is Registered to work on both LPG and natural gas domestic appliances?
I wrote this article to give you a small insight into what an LPG Gas engineer LPG goes through to work legally.
Last but not least, Gas in the wrong hands is dangerous.
Always use a registered gas engineer for whatever your gas work may be.
Never use a friend or neighbour unless they are gas safe registered.
