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| QUESTION |
I am considering switching over to gas
appliances this year, starting of course with my kitchen appliances. I was
wondering if your organisation offered any assistance to members of the
public in terms of providing information on how to go about making the
change? For instance, I have a number of questions that I am hesitant to
ask individual service providers because I want an objective answer.
The questions include:
If I want to change my hob, would the gas canister feeding the appliance
have to remain outside, or would it be acceptable to have inside? |
| ANSWER |
You are permitted to store a maximum of 19kgs of LPGas
indoors. However, there are other restrictions governing their use,
placement, etc. Usually, two 14 or 19 kg cylinders are stored outside in
such a way that you can use one of them until it is empty, then switch
over to the spare one while you have the empty one refilled or replaced.
Your local distributor can do this. |
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| QUESTION |
Do gas appliances have to be installed by a
specialist, or can a layman (like my fiancé for instance) do the
installation? |
| ANSWER |
Any and all fixed LPGas appliances have to, BY LAW, be
installed by a fully trained, qualified and Registered LPGas Installer. A
list of these is available on our website under the heading
“Installers”. Alternatively, you can sms the word ‘gas’ followed
by a space and then the name of your suburb to 33311 and you should get an
immediate response giving you the details of Registered Installers in your
area.
Failure to adhere to the use of a Registered Installer could result in
legal action being taken against you and the possibility that your
insurance may prove invalid in the event of an incident involving LPGas.
Many of the larger LPGas Distributors or Dealers have Registered
Installers on their books. These, as well as the LPGas specialist shops,
can explain the benefits of using LPGas, how to use it safely, discuss the
pros and cons of various appliances and carry out the installation and
ongoing supply of your gas thereafter. You can discuss these issues with
them with no obligation to convert to LPGas if you are not satisfied. |
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| QUESTION |
How does one ensure that the service provider
hired to install the appliance is certified to do so? |
| ANSWER |
Every Registered Installer is required to;
a) carry an identification card which has a photo of the installer, the
level to which he is permitted to install and an expiry date after which
he may not carry out any installations until he has re-qualified.
b) He must explain to you how to use appliances correctly and safely.
c) He must leave you with a signed, certificate of compliance, which is
his commitment that the installation was carried out according to the
national standards. |
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| QUESTION |
Is the deposit cost on a cylinder
regulated? I was told it was, at R150+VAT. A dealer in Pretoria-West is
charging R190, and a guy in Midrand, R250. |
| ANSWER |
The deposit on a cylinder is not
regulated but the majority of dealers standardise on R150 + VAT. Your best
bet would be to continue to shop around for the best price.
You would also need to get, and keep, a receipt for your deposit so that
when you wish to return it, you get your money back. You should also
realize that most dealers won’t give you back more than R150 + VAT even
if you have a receipt – i.e. you would have to take it back to the
dealer from whom you got it. |
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