Swapping a gas cooktop, heater or hot water unit looks like a simple appliance change, but the gas connection behind it is licensed work for good reason: gas is unforgiving when it is done wrong. Here is what actually happens when a licensed gas fitter does a changeover, and why the paperwork matters.
TL;DR
Connecting any gas appliance is licensed gas work, separate from plumbing, so it must be done by a licensed gas fitter, not a handyman or a plumbing-only operator. Every gas job ends with a gas compliance certificate to AS/NZS 5601. Natural gas and LPG are not interchangeable without a proper conversion.
Why it has to be a licensed gas fitter
In NSW, gas fitting is a separate licence from plumbing. That catches a lot of people out: plenty of plumbers, and every handyman, are not legally allowed to connect a gas appliance. The reason is straightforward, an undetected gas leak or a badly flued heater is a fire, explosion or carbon-monoxide risk, so the work is tightly controlled. Josh holds both the plumbing and the gas fitting licence, which is the whole point of “and Gas” in the name: you get one tradesperson who can legally do the whole job and certify it.
What a changeover actually involves
A proper changeover is more than unplugging the old unit and connecting the new one. Depending on the appliance, the job covers:
- Isolating and removing the old appliance safely, capping the line if needed.
- Checking the gas supply and pressure is right for the new appliance, and that the line and any regulator suit its demand.
- Connecting the new appliance with the correct fittings, then leak-testing the connection.
- Flueing, for a heater or some hot water units, making sure combustion gases vent safely outside.
- Commissioning: lighting it, checking it runs cleanly, and on heaters, checking for carbon monoxide.
- Issuing the gas compliance certificate.
The compliance certificate
Every gas job legally requires a gas compliance certificate, and the licensed gas fitter who did the work issues it. It certifies the appliance was installed and tested to AS/NZS 5601, the gas installation standard. Keep it: it is your proof the work is safe and certified, and it is exactly the document an insurer or a settlement agent asks for. A cheap “cash job” with no certificate is a false economy that can void your insurance.
LPG versus natural gas
These two are not interchangeable. Natural gas (piped to the street) and LPG (bottled) run at different pressures and need different injectors and settings inside the appliance. An appliance set up for one will not run safely on the other. If you are moving house, switching supply, or buying a second-hand appliance, a licensed gas fitter changes the right parts, adjusts it and tests it, a proper conversion, not a guess. Never try to run an appliance on the wrong gas.
If you are changing over a cooktop, oven, heater or gas hot water unit, request a callback or see our gas fitting service. Josh will connect it, test it, and leave you with the certificate.