Commercial Gas Engineers in Brighton and Hove

Gas Services for a City That Runs on Hospitality

Few places in the country have as many restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels for their size as Brighton. Add language schools, two universities, a major hospital and a steady flow of conferences, and the demand for safe, reliable commercial gas is constant.

Commercial Gas Certificate works on commercial gas systems only. We install and repair pipework, test and purge it, commission appliances and issue gas safety certificates. Our engineers are Gas Safe registered and work seven days a week.

What Do Brighton Restaurants, Hotels and Bars Need From a Gas Engineer?

A supply that can carry the load

Kitchens grow. A new range or fryer can leave the pipework undersized, which causes low pressure and poor combustion. We check the sizing and upgrade it where needed. See commercial gas installation.

A working interlock

BS 6173 requires the gas supply to a commercial kitchen to be linked to the extraction. If the fans stop, the gas stops. We fit, repair and prove these systems.

An annual inspection

A catering inspection covers each appliance, its hose and connection, the pipework and the ventilation. You receive a certificate for your insurer and landlord. See commercial catering.

Repairs that fit around service

Most of our kitchen work is done early in the morning or on a closed day, so you do not lose trade.

Regency Terraces, Basement Kitchens and Conservation Areas

Much of the centre is made up of Regency and Victorian terraces. The Lanes, North Laine, the seafront squares and large parts of Hove are conservation areas, and many individual buildings are listed.

Commercial kitchens here are often in basements, with limited headroom and little natural ventilation. That affects appliance choice, flue routes and how a purge can be vented. External pipework, meter boxes and flues may also need consent from the council.

We survey before quoting, propose a route that respects the building, and raise consent issues early so they do not delay opening.

Sea Air and External Pipework

Salt laden air is hard on steel. Pipework on seafront roofs, in lightwells and on rear elevations corrodes faster in Brighton than it would inland, and fixings often fail before the pipe does.

During inspections we look closely at external runs, supports and wall entries. Where pipework is being replaced, we specify suitable protection such as factory coated pipe, wrapping and stainless fixings. It is a small cost compared with an unplanned shutdown in high season.

Tightness Testing and Gas Safety Testing Explained

A tightness test proves pipework is not leaking. The section is pressurised, left to settle, then watched for a set period. The method comes from IGEM/UP/1 and IGEM/UP/1A. New pipework is strength tested first. See gas testing and purging.

Gas safety testing of appliances goes further. We check operating pressure, combustion, flues, ventilation and safety devices. The results are recorded on a gas safety record. See commercial gas certificates.

How Is a System Purged After Work?

Once pipework has passed its test, the air inside has to be replaced with gas. The engineer opens a vent point outdoors, lets gas in at a controlled rate and takes readings until the pipe holds gas only. Appliances are then lit and checked.

Small kitchen systems are purged directly. Larger systems, such as a hotel boiler house with long pipe runs, may need nitrogen purging so that gas and air never mix inside the pipe. We record every purge.

You can read more about our full range of commercial gas services, including commercial catering and commercial gas certificates, or see the other areas we cover, such as Southampton and London. Commercial Gas Certificate works nationwide.

Campuses, the Hospital and the Stadium

The university campuses at Falmer and Moulsecoomb, the Royal Sussex County Hospital and the stadium at Falmer all run central boiler plant and large catering operations. Work is phased so heating, hot water and kitchens stay in use, and we follow the permit procedures of each estates team.

Trade Parks and Light Industry

Industry in Brighton is limited by the sea on one side and the South Downs on the other, so it is concentrated in a few places: Hollingbury, Moulsecoomb, Woodingdean and Portslade, with heavier uses at Shoreham Port and Newhaven. We install and test pipework for workshops, food production units, breweries and warehouses, including high level heating. See commercial heating systems.

Commissioning and Decommissioning During Refurbishment

Premises here change hands often, and each new operator tends to refit. We decommission the pipework that is no longer needed by isolating it, purging it, capping it and labelling it. New pipework is then installed, tested and purged, and each appliance is commissioned with its settings recorded.

Landlords receive a clear record at the end of one tenancy and the start of the next.

Who Manages the Gas Network and the Highway?

SGN runs the gas distribution network across Sussex. It owns the pipework up to the emergency control valve, and new supplies, upgrades and disconnections are arranged with SGN or through your gas supplier.

Brighton and Hove City Council is the highway authority for the city and issues permits for any excavation in a public road or footway. West Sussex County Council covers Shoreham and Worthing. East Sussex County Council covers Lewes, Newhaven and Eastbourne.

Do You Cover Towns Along the Coast?

Yes. As well as Brighton, Hove and Portslade in BN1, BN2, BN3 and BN41, we cover Southwick, Shoreham-by-Sea, Lancing, Worthing, Lewes, Newhaven, Seaford and Eastbourne.

Inland, we work in Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath, Crawley and around Gatwick, and we travel across the South East and the rest of the UK.

Gas Leaks and Emergency Repairs

If you smell gas, call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. They make the supply safe. Our emergency gas repairs team covers Brighton and the surrounding coast 24/7 for the repair, the retest and the purge that follow.