GIS 57: Type A appliance service – your obligations under the Gas Safety Act

Overview

This gas information sheet provides information about the required scope of Type A appliance service work. Ensuring the safety of a gas installation is a fundamental responsibility for all gasfitters licensed to service Type A appliances, and it is critical they be able to complete this work successfully and meet their responsibilities under the Gas Safety Act 1997 and subordinate regulations.

This information sheet:

• is intended to provide a guide to Type A servicing and inspection work requirements (for more detailed information, see AS 4575 Gas Appliances – Servicing of Type A appliances)
• should be read in conjunction with Energy Safe Victoria (ESV):
  • Gas Information Sheet 58, The Quality and Adequacy of Air Supply
  • Gas Information Sheet 59, Inspecting and Servicing Type A Appliances.

Your obligations under the Gas Safety Act

The Gas Safety Act 1997 and subordinate regulations state:

A person carrying out gasfitting work on an appliance or gas installation must ensure that;

(a) the gas installation not be made unsafe during the gasfitting work; and

(b) the gas installation is safe for use on the completion of the gasfitting work.

As a result, it is every gasfitter’s responsibility to:

• maintain competency in their trade, update their knowledge, and ensure they access current Australian standards and technical notes (which are revised from time-to-time)
• ensure the safe operation of any gas appliance they service.

As servicing gas heaters is a specialised class of plumbing work, a gasfitter’s license or registration card must include a Type A appliance servicing endorsement. It is also highly recommended that gasfitters maintain their knowledge currency.

This information sheet is just a reminder of some of the key elements that must be completed when servicing an open flued, Type A gas appliance and should be read in conjunction with AS 4575.

The quality and adequacy of air supply

When servicing any open flue gas appliance, always start with;

• inspecting the installation and
• checking the quality and adequacy of air supply.
• Conduct a negative pressure smoke test and spillage test as per AS 4575, Appendix F, or ESV’s Gas Information Sheet 38.

The negative pressure test must always be done when the flue is cold.

See Gas Information Sheet 58, The Quality and Adequacy of Air Supply, for more information.

Inspecting and servicing Type A appliances

Once the quality and adequacy of air supply has been established and the inspection of the installation is complete, the servicing work can begin. Servicing is performed in conjunction with the requirements of AS 4575.

See Gas Information Sheet 59, Inspecting and Servicing Type A Appliances, for more information.

Video: Understanding and testing for a negative pressure environment

ESV has developed a short animation for gas fitters explaining what a negative pressure environment is, its effect on open flue gas heaters, how to test for it and how to mitigate it.