Gas Inspections

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avellana
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Gas Inspections

Postby avellana » Fri May 11, 2007 2:04 pm

It is essential for everybody's safety that everything that runs of gas bottles is correctly installed and is safe.
We have just had all our gas equipment checked. The inspection cost 60 euros and once we have got several things rectified we contact the company again to come and check the changes made (no further cost). At this point if everything is correctly done we will receive our safety certificate and guarantee, valid for five years.

IMPORTANT
What I have written applies to STANDARD BOTTLES only.
If you have larger bottles or tanks the prices will probably be different, the safety certificate will be for a different length of time and probably a different engineer will carry out the safety check.

If you live in the Antequera, Loja or Granada area I can give you the details of the company we used who cover this area.

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malagaman2005
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Postby malagaman2005 » Fri May 11, 2007 3:24 pm

This is an interesting post. I have been warned about people in this area calling unsolicited so say to inspect gas appliances/hoses etc and they are not in fact anything to do with any registered/genuine company. They charge anything in the region of 60-80 euros and what they do has no creedance whatsoever. Can you tell me what to look for with the 'genuine' ones i.e identification etc. Thanks
" If at first you don't succeed then skydiving is not for you"

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Martin Page
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Postby Martin Page » Fri May 11, 2007 3:31 pm

We have just had ours done - The certificate was 42 Euro - and the evaluation was about 32 Euro
We were just on the point of replacing both the pipe and the regulator and they did that (a bit pricey though, at just over 30 Euro compared to Leroy Merlins 18 Euro - but its done now )

All up - just short of 120 Euro with IVA - with 5 years guarantee and Indemnity
...and legal !

Laslomas
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Postby Laslomas » Fri May 11, 2007 3:34 pm

Which company did the check??

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Faire d'Income
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Postby Faire d'Income » Fri May 11, 2007 3:50 pm

I can't see the validity of these checks at all, nor can I see how they would improve safety? At the end of the day, why would a company indemnify any LPG equipment for a period of five years without, at the very least, an annual inspection and what good is a 'certificate' without the LPG supplier enforcing it when cylinders are exchanged?

Provided the neoprene pipework is within the test date, and the regulator is functioning correctly then what else can they enforce?

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Postby Marina » Fri May 11, 2007 4:04 pm

When the bogus ones called on me they had very official looking papers headed Junta de Andalucia.

Genuine inspections are carried out by appointment only. Anyone calling on spec is not genuine!

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Postby pete_l » Fri May 11, 2007 4:28 pm

Faire d'Income wrote:Provided the neoprene pipework is within the test date, and the regulator is functioning correctly then what else can they enforce?
At the very least I'd expect them to check all the appliances for leaks
(using an electronic gas detector like this) and then turn it on and
check for carbon monoxide emission.


So far as a guarantee goes, would you still be alive to collect on it if the
equipment failed?

Personally, I'd prefer to spend the fee on a CO alarm

Heston
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gas

Postby Heston » Fri May 11, 2007 4:52 pm

Aound here if you want a new gas contract you have to have the guy come out and check the safety of all the gas appliances ( cost about 30euros) Theres a lotof "cowboy" builders around fitting kitchens and boilers so its always worth getting it all checked just for piece of mind.

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Faire d'Income
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Postby Faire d'Income » Fri May 11, 2007 5:36 pm

pete_l wrote:At the very least I'd expect them to check all the appliances for leaks...
You're confusing inspection with enforcement. They'd be more likely to pressure test equipment, rather than use a leak detector and Carbon Monoxide poisioning needn't lead to death.

olive
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Postby olive » Fri May 11, 2007 7:45 pm

After we had our appliances the man from Repsol called and "tested" them. This was a visual inspection followed by a naked flame test. We then got our certificate and a supply of orange gas bottles.

I got the impression that he will be calling again in x years time to repeat the process and replace any out of date items(regulators or tubing).

We sleep so much easier now we have our certificate.

olive

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country boy
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Postby country boy » Fri May 11, 2007 7:57 pm

:shock: People...these guys do nothing more than you can do for yourselves: Check the expiry date on your tubing, squirt a bit of fairy liquid on the joints (wipe off afterwards). THAT IS ALL THEY DO. Get a gas fitter in to service your appliances as you would in England!!! Strewth :roll:

olive
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Postby olive » Fri May 11, 2007 8:21 pm

Not true. Short of finding a car boot sale on the coast somewhere and buying some not needed any more gas bottles we had to have the visit as a pre requisite for the gas bottles contract.

My comment about sleeping easier now we had the certifificate was said in jest.

I had actually done my own fairy liquid test on the appliances prior to using the one bottle we had inherited.

We had our gas boiler serviced 2 months ago.

olive

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avellana
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Postby avellana » Fri May 11, 2007 10:52 pm

Country Boy and others with doubts about gas inspections.
I disagree with you Country Boy. Our inspection was comprehensive.
This engineer did emission tests on our gas water heater and on our gas cooker. He gave us printouts to keep showing both pieces of equipment were within the limits. He exchanged rubber tubing (no extra cost) and he completed paper work with details of what needed to be done before a certificate could be issued.
May I suggest you read this
http://www.repsolypf.com/es_en/casa_y_h ... hogar.aspx

The bogus gasmen have meant that many people have been conned into paying extortionate amounts of money for pieces of tubing etc. I think this has led to people being very cautious.

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fearfulfred
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Postby fearfulfred » Fri May 11, 2007 11:03 pm

avellana
Agree totally...when we moved here we had no gas bottles to get them from the local petrol station had to have someone come up and inspect our setup. He told us what he thought was missing and arranged to come back ( vent needed ) when it was done, and only after repairs done, did we get the "certification" to buy our gas bottles...he also did a bit of the work and it came to about 90 euros in all but our two bottles were free!

Fred

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Faire d'Income
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Postby Faire d'Income » Sat May 12, 2007 10:34 am

Fred, the issue here is that enforcement is random to say the least. I've bought cylinders from a number of different suppliers and none of them have inspected any of the appliances being used.

Can anyone point to the appropriate Codes of Practice that mandates this regime in Spain? Given the generally lax attitudes towards LPG in Spain, especially compared to the UK this smacks of 'jobs for the boys' to me.

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country boy
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Postby country boy » Sat May 12, 2007 12:28 pm

Fair D'income you are absolutely right; impressive documentation is the order of the day in Espana, the more paper you can generate the more Functionarios you can support. I was Corgi registered in the UK, I am not impressed by what goes on here, in fact quite the reverse..I'm horrified. The standards employed by certain gas supplying companies ( no names..no pack drill) are erratic to say the least and would not conform to UK Law in any way. I can only say that now Natural Gas is being piped around Andalucia I hope they tighten their act up , or there will be a big bang sooner or later.
We have had a 10inch steel gasmain laid across the field below us, I watched them do the job, it was buried untested, without warning ribbon and they have been back twice already, digging it up trying to find the leaks :? I rest my case :oops:

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Postby teralin » Sat May 12, 2007 1:42 pm

I have just brought a gas barbecue to Spain from the UK and I have bought a Spanish regulator to fit to it. Will I have any problems buying bottled gas to run the BBQ? Are inspections needed for this purpose or is it just for indoor appliances?

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country boy
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Postby country boy » Sat May 12, 2007 3:35 pm

Your British BBQ will run on any LPG. As you have bought a Spanish regulator, just cut off the English one, wasting as little hose as possible, put a new "Worm-Drive" hose clip (8-16mm) over the hose and then push it onto the new regulator. If it is a tight fit, dipping the end of the hose in nearly boiling water will soften it enough to enable an easier job . Tighten clip...job done. One tip with LPG if you are a touring type person; use Camping GAZ equipment, it is available in most countries throughout the world, so no problems with compataibilty.
The 907 Cylinder is the best to use but pound for pound their gas is quite expensive so if you are staying in Spain you have made the right choice. No you do not need a licence for a portable BBQ. You should be able to get a new cylinder from any large Ferreteria for about €20 plus the price of the gas, currently just under €12, just tell them it's for your BBQ.

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Postby teralin » Sat May 12, 2007 7:13 pm

Much appreciated country boy.

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Faire d'Income
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Postby Faire d'Income » Sun May 13, 2007 12:08 pm

country boy wrote:Your British BBQ will run on any LPG.
Not quite. It will depend on whether it runs on butane or propane. Most of the newer barbies have offtake requirements that preclude the use of butane and whilst the Spanish market tends to spike butane with more propane than would be found in the British equivalent, it would usually be insufficient to run a barby.

:D


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