Gas Cooker regs

[JonathanRyan]

The internet is a confusing place so I wondered if anybody here knew the answer....

I have a gas cooker (one those free standing ones that combines oven and hob). I want to replace it pending a complete kitchen refurb in about 2 years where we'll swap to electric. The current cooker has a bayonet fitting and a 3 pin plug for the ignitors. I already know that I either have to get a gas engineer to "plug" it in to the gas or do it myself and then get a gas engineer to check it. So whatever happens, a gas safe person will visit.

My question is ventilation. The kitchen has double doors to a large conservatory and a single door to a utility room which is a brick and double glazed lean to. It also obviously has a door to the rest of the house. All of these doors are within 3 metres of the cooker. Over the cooker is an extractor fan which I believe to be recirculating.

Question.....can a gas safe engineer legally replace the cooker I already have in the place it already is?

AO say no - because


is that true?

I have no interest in doing anything illegal but I would have thought that replacing like for like might be allowed.

 

[srichards]

I think you'd have to switch the recirculating fan to one that is a proper extractor and removes all the fumes to outside. There was a thing in the Guardian or BBC the other day about how noxious gas hobs actually are.

All those are doors to the inside of the house so you are just filling the house with the cooker fumes so it's just spreading the problem indoors rather than sending it off outside.

 

[JonathanRyan]

I think you'd have to switch the recirculating fan to one that is a proper extractor and removes all the fumes to outside. There was a thing in the Guardian or BBC the other day about how noxious gas hobs actually are.

All those are doors to the inside of the house so you are just filling the house with the cooker fumes so it's just spreading the problem indoors rather than sending it off outside.

Thanks - unfortunately I can't change the extractor as it's on an internal wall. Extractors used to be to remove cooking smells from the house so recirculating with carbon filters are fine. It's a shame we've decided gas is suddenly toxic - looks like I'll have to leave a 20 year old appliance in place instead of a brand new one in the name of safety

Of course when I redo the kitchen I'll get it cabled properly for electric but until then I'll have to use an old "dangerous" cooker. A bit like when I was told I couldn't change the drafty cheap wooden door to the garage because a new one needs to be fire proof and unfortunately fire proof doors to fit a standard doorway don't exist.

 

[srichards]

These look interesting but I have no idea what they cost.

Venting Hob Installation Info - Everything You Need To Know

Learn all the venting hob installation information you need if you're considering one as part of your new kitchen design project.

kitchinsider.com

 

[Box Brownie]

Not sure how relevant this might be......

We used to have a back boiler but it was condemned. We replaced that with a conventional boiler in the kitchen.

However, possibly germane to your situation....
We put in a gas log fire in the fireplace where the back boiler was located and in the room, the lounge we had one of those desert plate sized plastic shutter ventilators but we got double glazing we were reassured by the company that fitted the fire (this was IIRC in the CORGI days) that the trickle vents on the double glazing frames were sufficient ventilation for the fire.

So, AFAIK it is down to what ventilation in the room where the cooker is located that you have and discussing it with Gas Safe engineer should keep you on track.

 

[JonathanRyan]

These look interesting but I have no idea what they cost.

Venting Hob Installation Info - Everything You Need To Know

Learn all the venting hob installation information you need if you're considering one as part of your new kitchen design project.

kitchinsider.com

Thanks - looks good but for my current need that's not suitable. I'm looking at getting a free standing cooker rather than a hob. Once I redo the kitchen I'll probably go all electric with induction.

Not sure how relevant this might be......

We used to have a back boiler but it was condemned. We replaced that with a conventional boiler in the kitchen.

However, possibly germane to your situation....
We put in a gas log fire in the fireplace where the back boiler was located and in the room, the lounge we had one of those desert plate sized plastic shutter ventilators but we got double glazing we were reassured by the company that fitted the fire (this was IIRC in the CORGI days) that the trickle vents on the double glazing frames were sufficient ventilation for the fire.

So, AFAIK it is down to what ventilation in the room where the cooker is located that you have and discussing it with Gas Safe engineer should keep you on track.

Thanks - I'll have a chat with a gas safe installer but I suspect a simple job has become a non starter due to new regs. The kitchen has no external walls. If we believe gas cooking is dangerous (and honestly, I'm struggling) then venting it into another room is almost as bad as not venting it.

 

[Suvv]

This may be of interest https://registeredgasengineer.co.uk/technical/technical-bulletin-005-withdrawn/

It would be good to know the reason for the window or door requirement.
If it was for ventilation to the hob or to get rid of fumes then using the hob without the window or door open would be dangerous !
Most people without internal kitchens do not have windows and doors open when cooking, especially at this time of the year.

 

[Nod]

There's a vent in our kitchen wall that goes direct to the outside. Wanted to close it off (to reduce the possibility of draughts) but we weren't allowed to for ventilation reasons. We MIGHT have been allowed to since we're open plan and have a proper chimney but would have needed a visit from (IIRC) the building regs people and frankly, we CBA!