Buying gas appliances

Each year, household accidents are caused by faulty gas appliances, misusing gas appliances and incorrect gas installations.

Buying appliances that have been safety tested and certified for use in Australia, and regularly maintaining them, reduces the risk of this happening to you. If any damage is caused to your property by a non-certified gas appliance, your insurance company might not cover you.

Gas safety testing and certification

In South Australia, it is illegal to sell, hire out or install gas appliances that are not certified by a recognised Australian organisation.

There are legal safety requirements for gas appliances and components used in Australia, so they must be tested and certified as safe to use by a recognised Australian organisation.

Recognised Australian certification organisations

Each organisation below maintains an online database of certification numbers. Compare the certification number on the compliance plate or sticker of your appliance with the online database to ensure the appliance is certified as safe for use.

These organisations undertake safety testing and certification:

• Australian Gas Association (AGA)
• SAI Global
• International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO)
• Global-Mark
• BSI.

Gas certification labels and markings – what to look for

Hoses and regulators must also have safety certification from one of the recognised Australian certification organisations. The details will be printed on the hose. Make sure the whole appliance is certified rather than just having certified components.

Buying appliances online or from overseas

Online (from Australia)

It can be difficult to check if a gas appliance is safety certified when buying online – for example, Facebook or Gumtree. It could be a problem even if you are buying from an Australian seller.

Make sure you request the certification number or model number. Always purchase from a reputable supplier so you can contact them about any problems with the appliance.

You can check if the gas appliance is certified on the national database. But you will need the certification number or model.

Overseas

Gas appliances from overseas might not be safe to use in Australian conditions, even if they are certified overseas. Gas appliances used in Australia must be tested and certified by a recognised Australian organisation because:

• the quality of the natural gas found in Australian can differ from gas used in other countries
• climate and building materials are different in Australia, so untested appliances:
  • might not operate efficiently
  • could leak gas
  • could ignite or explode.

Report non-compliant products

Contact the Office of the Technical Regulator if you notice a product you bought online or overseas is not compliant:

• Report online
• Phone (08) 8429 0622.