Containers shall be at least

Doors, Windows & Airbricks

1 m away from  any  opening  (into  a  building)  that  is  below  the  level  of  the  container  valve,  e. doors, windows and airbricks,b) 2 m away from any drain, pit or manhole,

3 m away  from  the  property  boundary,  unless  the  boundary  has  a  firewall,  in  which  case  the  containers  could  be  next  to  the  firewall and  where  there  are  only  two  containers,  the boundary distance can be reduced to 1 m, and

3 m away from any opening (or window) directly above the containers. The 3 m distance from the top of the cylinder, valve connection or the manifold whichever is the higher, to the bottom of the window(s) may be reduced to a minimum of 300 mm providing that

Roofs 

4) a non-combustible  roof  (see  SANS  10400)  is  installed  between  the  containers  and  the    The  roof  shall  extend  beyond  the  cylinder(s)  such  that  when  measured  from  the  valve connection and around the roof to the nearest point of the window a minimum of 1,5 m safety distance shall be obtained, or

5) the window  frames  shall  be  steel  and  the  total  size  of  the  glazing  does  not  exceed  1  Glazing  shall  be  of  wire  woven  glass  not  larger  than  450  mm  ×  450  mm  per  pane.  Such windows shall not be openable.

6) where a roof  is  installed  over  the  cylinders  there  shall  be  sufficient  space  above  the  cylinder  valves  to  facilitate  the  exchange  of  Roof structures of concrete shall not be installed above the manifold or cylinder

Electrical Points

7) 5m away from a switchable electrical point i.e. plug socket, Inline power isolator, Aircon units, Pool pumps, Water pumps etc. Note, a wall light only needs to be 1.5m to the left/right of the bottles, or 1.5m above the bottles.

Additional Info

Pipes/Sleeves

If an installation consists of copper, Only Class 1 or 2 gas copper piping Is to be used. The copper tubing is required to have markings showing the specs.

Copper lines are required to be sleeved/protected if it’s to enter through a wall, Concrete or underground. This stops the copper from corroding.

All Pex-Al-Pex manufactured to standards accepted for use on LP Gas installations must be sleeved if it is exposed constant Sunlight/UV.

In the event that a gas line is required to run in a roof where heat is impractical, it is compulsory to use ONLY corrugated stainless steel gas pipe that is protected with no joins from entry to exit.

Shut off valve

In a domestic installation, it is required to have a shut off valve/Isolation valve for every appliance connected to the gas line.

Flexible hose may not be more than 2m and may not go through any partition at all. This includes Wood, Dry walling, Concrete etc.

LPG Storage

Where LPG containers are permanently installed or stored in a building, the type of building (In accordance with SANS 10400-A, see also annex B) and the corresponding size of the container(s) shall be as follows:

1. a) Flats: a maximum of 9 kg per flat;
2. b) Houses (including cluster housing and group housing (not exceeding two storeys, a total of 19Kg’s per unit.

8) A total of 100kg’s is allowed outside per a ERF/Stand number. If a property has more than 100 kg’s, The property will require approval from the fire department.

Domestic installations do not require that the cylinders be placed in a cage but shall be secured on a level CONCRETE BASE in such a manner so as not to accidentally fall over. However where public access to the cylinders is possible, the cylinders and manifold, if fitted, shall be in a locked cage or fenced area that meets the requirements.

*Each gas installation/upgrade must be completed in accordance to the regulations of both the South African National Standard (SANS: 10087) and with the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Safety Association of South Africa (LPGSA) and SAQCC Gas.

According to the regulations SANS 10087-1:2024, All gas installations must have a Certificate of Conformity according to the Pressure Equipment Regulations that have been promulgated under the Occupation Health and Safety Act (No 85 of 1993).

While this may sound like a complex, legal document – essentially it is a certificate that states that the installation has been properly inspected and is determined to be safe and leak free. It is critical that this certificate is also issued by an authorized person who is registered with the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Safety Association of Southern Africa (LPGAS) and SAQCC Gas.

Insurance Claims

In the event that your house is damaged or destroyed, as a result of a defective gas appliance and you do not have a valid certificate issued by someone registered with LPGAS – the insurance implications could be significant. An insurance company would be well within their rights to repudiate a claim which could have severe financial repercussions for the home-owner/estate.

Be sure to install with a registered Installer. There are a lot of installers out there that are not registered and this can cause a home owner major problems with insurance company’s. Please remember that a plumber is not qualified to install gas unless he can present to you his SAQCC Gas License Card. You can also verify if an installer has a valid LPG/SAQCC Gas license on the SAQCC Gas Website. As from 31 August 2021, SAQCC Gas has voided/nullified COC Books, as they have engineered a mobile app that ONLY Registered LPG Gas Installers have access to, and most important of all, ONLY LPG Gas Installers with VALID LICENSES. This is brought into place as there has been many installers out there trading and issuing LPG COC Certificates with expired licenses.

For all home owners with gas installations already installed on their property or for those planning on doing so in the future, It is vital to ensure compliance with all the above regulations and regulations as stated in the SANS 10087-1:2024 not only to ensure you adhere to stipulations within your home owners insurance policy but to also make sure you and your precious family are safe from any gas related disasters.

Please note that not all the regulations have been placed on this page. This is purely a basic guide from SANS 10087-1:2024.

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