LP Gas installation rules - not just hot airThe South African power grid is severely strained and is impacting both consumers and industry. Apart from Eskom rolling out regular load shedding in order to manage the power grid, electricity prices continue to rise and it is unlikely that they will decrease to what the country has been used to for the past 20 years. © Veniamin Kraskov – 123RF.com George Davis, Head: Construction and Engineering at Risk Benefit Solutions (RBS), an independent insurance and risk specialists, says that failure by various organisations to actively manage the performance of the grid and to accurately predict the future pressure on its output, has led to staggering increases, and in turn, an upward trend of business and households making use of liquid petroleum gas (LP gas) as an alternative. "LP gas is cheaper, more efficient and in some cases more environmentally friendly. It can, however, be very dangerous to use if not operated properly." He says that the majority make use of gas in a closed system, eg. portable heaters and camping stoves. "Although dangerous to use, if used correctly and the gas storage is contained, they are fairly safe. It is however the open systems, such as built-in stoves and fridges, that can be extremely dangerous if not installed correctly." Davis provides a few aspects of the above regulation to ensure that businesses and consumers are aware of the legal requirements when installing gas: Installation rulesGas bottles may not be installed:
Other installation rules:
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