Can you install a new gas cooker yourself – or do you have to pay a lot of money for a gas safe engineer to to it? Also, is it OK to disconnect a gas cooker (with bayonet fitting) to clean behind it and then reconnect? The answer to these questions was quite surprising when I investigated the issue.
Gas regulations
Firstly, it should be obvious that if there is no current gas installation then you need a gas safe engineer to install some. It’s illegal for anyone else but a gas-safe engineer to install or repair anything to do with gas.
What about the bayonet fitting?
Let’s say you already have a gas cooker installed and you just want to disconnect it and connect up a new cooker. The easy-fit bayonet fittings make it so simple you could do it in less than a minute. But if it is a new gas cooker (or a second-hand one) the regulations say that it must have a gas safe engineer to connect it up. It is illegal to connect it yourself!
Read on for a full explanation, and advice about when you can and can’t connect and disconnect a gas cooker.
Rules on connecting a different cooker
On this particular subject I have corresponded with someone at the official gas safe website. I asked if it was OK to unplug the hose on the old one and just connect the new cooker up. I said that the bayonet fitting is clearly designed to be easily connected and disconnected so surely this isn’t classed as “installing” is it?
Any new gas appliance must be installed by Gas Safe Registered engineer as described in Regulation 3 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998
Forbes rent appliances and specialise in renting Bosch appliances so they know them inside out. They also rent other brands and many other products – more details at ForbesWhat about disconnecting to clean cooker?
If you already have a gas cooker fitted and connected, and it has the bayonet fitting at the end of the hose that can be undone by pushing and twisting anticlockwise then you are allowed to disconnect the cooker in order to pull it out and clean behind it. You can then push it back in place and reconnect it. This was clarified in the following reply to 1 of my emails –
A bayonet fitting is designed for as a quick release fitting to enable the easy removal of a cooker for cleaning purposes. To do so would not be classed as gas work.
However, when installing a new appliance, that appliance must be commissioned and set up correctly. This IS classed as gas work, and as such any person who does this must be Gas Safe Registered
Summary
It’s very annoying to have to pay for a gas safe engineer to connect up a new cooker, especially as it’s likely to be an extremely quick and simple job for them. Hopefully there may be a local engineer who might not charge too much. We mustn’t forget that these regulations are made to protect us. You cannot take risks with gas.
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Can you fit a gas cooker in front of Artex?
Hello Helen. I’ve not heard of any reason why not? Is it to do with discolouration of the Artex? Is Artex still around? :)
does the connecting hose have to be changed every year. we are thinking of getting an indesit cooker we have had to return a bush and an electra because of the hose having to be replaced yearly
Hello Malcolm. I’m not a gas safe engineer, but I’ve never heard of replacing the connecting hose every year. If the hoses were only of sufficient quality to last a year I would be extremely worried about gas safety indeed. The hoses that connect a cooker to the gas mains should be of very high quality, and normally last longer than the appliance itself.
Hi I am replacing an old gas cooker with a new one.
The gas safe regulations state that there should be a gap of 750mm for the hob to the bottom of the cooker hood.
Because my kitchen is quite old
The max space I have is 670mm . Will the still fit my cooker? Regards Richard
Hello Richard. Unfortunately I can only say that gas safe regulations would need to be adhered to pretty strictly. Doesn’t sound much but I’m struggling to understand the exact situation. Are these regulations for the hob or for the cooker hood?
Hi I have a cooker that was disconnected to have damp proof and plastering done,do you need to be corgi registered to reattach the same cooker
Hello Donna. Yes, you can reconnect it yourself if it’s the same cooker as answered in my article :)
“If you already have a gas cooker fitted and connected, and it has the bayonet fitting at the end of the hose that can be undone by pushing and twisting anticlockwise then you are allowed to disconnect the cooker in order to pull it out and clean behind it. You can then push it back in place and reconnect it.”
Hi – I have a new gas cooker ready to be installed but I do not have a “flexi pipe”. Is this a legal requirement?
Hi TJ. I’m not sure if new gas cookers come with a gas pipe. I would think the pipe is probably part of the installation but as they are rubber and can presumably degrade over time you’d think you’d get a new one for safety.