Commercial Gas Engineers Serving Plymouth

Gas Services for Britain's Ocean City

Plymouth is the largest city in the far South West, and its economy looks to the sea. The naval base and dockyard at Devonport, marine engineering and research, a large hospital, a university and a busy waterfront all need commercial gas services.

Commercial Gas Certificate works on commercial and industrial gas only. Our engineers are Gas Safe registered and available seven days a week.

What Commercial Gas Work Do We Take On in Plymouth?

Marine, Defence and Dockside Engineering

Workshops around Devonport, Cattedown and Turnchapel use gas for space heating, process heat and hot water. Buildings are large, pipe runs are long, and external pipework is exposed to salt air.

Secure and defence related sites have their own rules for access, inductions and permits to work. We follow the site procedures and supply risk assessments, method statements and test records in the format required.

Salt air shortens the life of external steel pipework, so we check supports, coatings and wall entries closely during inspections and recommend protection where it is needed.

Royal William Yard, the Barbican and Waterfront Kitchens

Royal William Yard is a group of Grade I listed naval buildings, now home to restaurants, bars, offices and apartments. The Barbican and Sutton Harbour have a similar mix in much older streets.

Fitting and maintaining kitchens in buildings like these takes planning. Thick stone walls limit pipe routes. Flues and external pipework may need listed building consent from the council. We install and test kitchen pipework, fit the extraction interlock required by BS 6173 and carry out annual catering inspections. See commercial catering.

Testing Pipework: What Happens on the Day?

1. We agree a time when the gas can be off, and isolate the section to be tested.
2. A gauge is connected and the pipework is pressurised to the test pressure.
3. The pipework is left to settle, so temperature changes do not affect the result.
4. The pressure is monitored for the test period. The permitted drop depends on the pipework volume and the gauge.
5. If it passes, we purge the system and relight the appliances. If not, we find the leak, repair it and test again.

The procedure follows IGEM/UP/1 or IGEM/UP/1A. You receive a signed certificate.

Purging New and Altered Pipework

Purging clears air from pipework and replaces it with gas, under control and with readings taken at an outdoor vent. Larger systems are purged with nitrogen first, so gas and air are kept apart. The same method is used in reverse to make pipework safe before it is altered or removed.

We calculate the pipework volume first, which tells us whether a direct purge is suitable or nitrogen is needed.

Derriford, the University and the Science Park

The north of Plymouth holds Derriford Hospital, the science park and a cluster of medical and technology firms. The university has a large campus in the centre. These estates run boiler houses, laboratory gas and catering on a scale that needs careful planning.

Work is phased so that supply is maintained, shutdowns are agreed in advance and all records go to the estates team for their files.

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 Bristol and Southampton. Commercial Gas Certificate works nationwide.

Mains Gas or LPG?

Plymouth itself is on the mains network, but many premises in the South Hams, on the edge of Dartmoor and across the Tamar in Cornwall are not. Hotels, holiday parks, pubs and farm based food businesses in these areas often run on LPG from bulk tanks or cylinders.

The principles of testing, purging and certification are the same. The details differ. LPG is heavier than air, so ventilation is provided at low level and purge vent points are chosen with that in mind. Appliances must be set up for the correct gas. We work on both fuels.

Industrial Estates North and East of the City

Estover, Belliver, Burrington Way, Newnham at Plympton and Langage hold most of the manufacturing and distribution in Plymouth. We install and test process pipework and high level heating, and we decommission supplies when units are vacated or plant is replaced.

Bringing Plant Into Service and Taking It Out

Commissioning proves that a new appliance is working safely. We check pressures, set burners, take combustion readings and prove the safety controls, then record the results.

Decommissioning is the opposite. Redundant pipework is isolated, purged, capped and labelled, and the remaining live pipework is tightness tested.

For landlords in Plymouth, a decommissioning record at the end of a tenancy is a simple way to show that a vacant unit has been left safe.

Network Operator, Council and Highways

Wales and West Utilities runs the gas distribution network in the South West and owns the pipework up to the emergency control valve.

Plymouth City Council is the highway authority within the city. Devon County Council covers Ivybridge, Tavistock and the South Hams. Cornwall Council covers Saltash and Torpoint. Excavation in a public road or footway needs a permit from the relevant authority.

Across the Tamar and Into Devon: Where We Work

We cover PL1 to PL9 across the city, Plympton and Plymstock, along with Saltash, Torpoint, Ivybridge, Tavistock, Liskeard and Launceston in the wider PL postcode area.

We also travel to Exeter, Torbay, Truro and the rest of the UK.

Gas Emergencies

If you smell gas, call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 first. Our emergency gas repairs team covers Plymouth and the surrounding area 24/7. We repair the fault, test the pipework and purge the system before relighting.