Gas news
Winter 2019
energysafe issue 54
The importance of reading
manufacturer's instructions
By Wayne Tangee, Gas Safety Officer, Gas Operations
ESV is increasingly finding non-compliances relating to
combustible surface clearances, that show that manufacturer’s
instructions are not being read before the work begins.
This issue is often attributed to the
increased burner capacity of Type A
gas cooking appliances.
During the gas appliance certification
process, the specified clearances
are tested to ensure any adjacent
(or overhead) surfaces do not exceed
65°C above ambient temperature.
With this in mind, it is a timely reminder
to all plumbers and gasfitters to check
the installation instructions to ensure
all gas appliance installations comply
with the manufacturer’s instructions
or AS/NZS 5601.1, Clause 6.2.2.
Appliances shall be installed in
accordance with the requirements of
this standard and the manufacturer’s
instructions.
ESV has recently come across several
Type A domestic gas cooking appliances
that required a horizontal clearance from
the nearest burner to a combustible
surface of greater than 200 millimetres.
A potentially costly mistake to rectify,
which could have been avoided if the
manufacturer’s installation instructions
had been read before installation.
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Rangehood clearances are another
area of concern. Plumbers and
gasfitters must read the manufacturer’s
instructions for both the rangehood
and gas appliance installation to
establish the required clearances. Another important note to consider
is that some manufacturers specify
additional ventilation requirements
for appliances over and above the
requirements of AS/NZS 5601.1,
Clause 6.4.
Refer to Clause 6.10.1.1 (a), requiring
compliance with the rangehood’s
instructions, for more information
about this requirement. This once again highlights the
importance of thoroughly reading the
appliance manufacturer’s installation
instructions before starting a job.
Similarly, the clearance used must
be the larger of the two clearances
specified by either the rangehood
installation instructions or the
gas appliance manufacturer.
When installing in accordance
with the manufacturer’s instructions,
measurements must be taken from
the appliance feature specified in the
instruction manual e.g. the trivet,
burner, or hob.