Gas Safe Certificate for Caravan

May 12, 2019
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I am buying a 2013 (made in 2012) Caravan. Should I be given a Gas Safe Certificate. The gas hoses appear to be the original.
I know that in a house I was selling the rubber hoses to the cooker had a date of manufacture and even though they were fitted 8 years before, the date of manufacture was 3 years before that (probably sat on a shelf) and the hoses had to be replaced.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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I am buying a 2013 (made in 2012) Caravan. Should I be given a Gas Safe Certificate. The gas hoses appear to be the original.
I know that in a house I was selling the rubber hoses to the cooker had a date of manufacture and even though they were fitted 8 years before, the date of manufacture was 3 years before that (probably sat on a shelf) and the hoses had to be replaced.
Gas bottle hoses should be replaced at the end of their stated life based on the DOM printed onto the hose case. 5 years rubber hoses, longer stainless steel. There is no Gas Safety Certificate required for a touring caravan, just like there isn’t one required for domestic properties, unless they are a tenancy.
You could have a AWS technician check over the system and appliances if you have concerns. The annual service checks some aspects of the caravan and its equipment but the gas using appliances are basically checked for function. They are not serviced.
 
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Aug 24, 2021
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I asked Calor about this issue ( in the days when they still had thir retail outlets ). They told me that the date on the hose is largely irrelevant. Their rule is that it has a life of 10 years - FROM THE DATE OF INSTALLATION.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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Again the poor caravnner has conflicting information.



Storage - see BS ISO 2230. Hose generally has a shelf life of 7 years as long as it is stored at reasonable temperatures in dry conditions away from direct sunlight. This life can be extended by another 3 years if it is examined and tested and proved to be in good condition.

Service life - From the date the hose is first used we would recommend it is replaced after a further 5 years and that it is examined regularly for signs of cracks or wear or gas leakage and is replaced if it is not in good condition. Generally discolouration due to sunlight is not harmful as long as there are no signs of cracking.”

I would think that the service life starts when the van comes off the production line as it will be tested for leaks at 37 mb. So for all practical purposes when the van starts to be used it’s a five year life from date of installation, but the owner can control this to some extent by only buying or having recently made hose fitted to the caravan, then there’s much less under about if it was correctly stored.


Post #3 is at odds with the advice on Calor own website.

https://www.calor.co.uk/-/media/sit...hash=AB2FD8630F837547ECE79AB84E2BE3DAA3B9F96F

Now on to regulators…….😱
 
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Damian

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Mar 14, 2005
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When buying a caravan second hand it is only sensible to replace the gas hoses so that you know when they were fitted , and then you know when to replace in future.

Regardlesss of the date of manufacure on the hose, providing it has been stored correctly, its serviceable life starts as soon as gas is passed through it .

Depending on the type of gas hose determines how long it should be in use before it is changed.
The Black hose is recommended to be changed annually.
The Orange hose is recommended to be changed at the 5 year mark
Pigtails have a 7 year recommended life span

As with all hoses those time spans assume the hose is in good condition with no cracks , cuts or damage of any kind, in which case they should be replaced immediately.
 
Jul 18, 2017
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The annual service checks some aspects of the caravan and its equipment but the gas using appliances are basically checked for function. They are not serviced.
You would be surprised at the number of people that think servicing of the gas appliances is included in the annual service. We thought the same many years ago,
 
Mar 14, 2005
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You would be surprised at the number of people that think servicing of the gas appliances is included in the annual service. We thought the same many years ago,
It does seem to be the case that many peopel asking for a full service are unaware that the "servicing of gas appliance's" does not form part on the annual caravan service.

In my view that is an issue and customers should have that omission made very clear to them, but again it's a case of consumers not reading the T&C or scope of works they ask service centres (not just caravans ) actually carry out.

Getting back to the OP's question. From a professional perspective, I have had to work on some systems where it was very clear the owner had never had any of the gas appliance's serviced correctly, and in a few cases where enthusiastic DIY'ers have actually compromised the safety of the appliance's with serious consequences. If the sale of a caravan also required a record of gas safety testing and electrical safety should in my opinion be a good idea.
 
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