Need a Type A gasfitter for a new appliance install, gas line extension, compliance test, leak repair, or post-renovation reconnect? Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting holds a current BPC Type A gasfitter licence and handles gas appliance installation, gas line work, compliance testing, and Certificate of Compliance lodgement across Melbourne's east, south-east, inner-east and bayside suburbs. Every gas job ends with the certificate sent to Energy Safe Victoria the same day — that is the document that protects your insurance, your warranty and your sale outcome.
At Prime Plumb, we do it all, big or small. Our licensed gas plumbers in Melbourne can help you directly when you want to renovate, need a new gas cooktop installed, or have a gas emergency. One of our most eagerly requested services here is gas appliance installation. We come to you or go on-site to fix the problem.
Under the Victorian Gas Safety Act, only a BPC-licensed Type A gasfitter can legally test, install, alter or repair consumer gas appliances. Energy Safe Victoria can prosecute unlicensed gas work — and does. Past the legal point: an unlicensed appliance install voids your home insurance for any future loss involving gas, voids the manufacturer's warranty (which often runs 5-10 years on hot water and fireplace units), and shows up at sale as an unsigned alteration in the section-32 inspection. Our licence number appears on every quote, invoice and Certificate of Compliance. The certificate is your proof of compliant install — keep it with your property documents.
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All gas installation work in Victoria must comply with AS/NZS 5601. This covers pipe sizing for the appliance load, joint types, ventilation clearances, pressure testing, and combustion air supply. A common Melbourne installation defect is undersized gas line — a 15mm line that suits a single small cooktop will starve a modern continuous-flow hot water heater, leading to flame-out under load. Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting sizes correctly upfront.
Before any new install or alteration is signed off, Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting runs a pressure-drop test on the gas installation — pressurise the system, isolate, and watch the gauge. Any pressure loss over the test period indicates a leak or fitting defect. The test is the proof the install is gas-tight; we share the test result with the homeowner before lodging the certificate.
Completed gas work above the threshold gets a Certificate of Compliance lodged electronically with Energy Safe Victoria the same day. The homeowner receives a digital copy. ESV maintains the public-facing register; insurers, real-estate agents and conveyancers verify against the register at claim time and at sale. Without the certificate, you cannot prove the work was compliant.
On the booking call we ask what the work is — new appliance, alteration, leak diagnosis, compliance test — and check whether existing gas supply, ventilation and clearance are sufficient for the planned work. For new installs we usually need the appliance datasheet (gas input rating, flue requirements) before quoting.
On arrival we check the meter, the regulator, and the existing gas line for capacity. For new appliance installs we confirm the line size at the proposed appliance location is sufficient for the appliance's gas input rating at peak. Where a line upsize is needed, that is quoted upfront.
Scope is quoted in writing — appliance install, line work, pressure test, certificate. The homeowner approves before any work continues. Where the existing installation has defects the new work needs corrected (undersized line, missing isolation valve, non-compliant flue), those are itemised separately.
Install or alteration is completed to AS/NZS 5601. Pressure-drop test confirms gas-tight. Appliance commissioning and combustion check confirms safe operation. Where a flue is involved, flue draw is checked under load. The installation is left clean and the homeowner is shown the appliance operation, isolation valve location and the maintenance schedule for the unit.
Certificate is lodged with Energy Safe Victoria the same day. Homeowner receives a digital copy. Receipt and certificate go as a single PDF pack. For appliances under warranty, registration paperwork is completed and submitted on the homeowner's behalf where the manufacturer requires it.
Gas jobs are scope-sensitive — what you tell us before the visit determines the parts and tools we bring. The four steps below cover the common preparation tasks.
For new appliance installs, the manufacturer's datasheet shows gas input rating, flue requirements, clearances and ignition type. Most are downloadable from the brand's website using the model number. The datasheet tells us whether the existing gas supply is sufficient and whether any flue or ventilation work is needed.
Most Melbourne metro suburbs are natural gas. Some outer-metro and rural-edge properties are LPG (gas bottle supply). New appliances usually need the right injectors for the gas type — natural gas appliances do not run safely on LPG and vice versa. Knowing the gas type before we arrive shortens the job.
The gas meter (and the main isolation lever) is usually at the front of the property near the property line. Find it before the visit so you know how to isolate gas in any future emergency. We isolate at the meter for any work on the installation; knowing where it is shortens setup.
For replacements, clear cookware off the cooktop, remove any items in front of the hot water unit, clear the area in front of the fireplace. Saves time on access setup, especially in tight kitchen and laundry spaces.
Cooktop replacement (like-for-like) is at the cheaper end. New appliance install with line extension is mid-range. Hot water replacement and fireplace install are higher because of flue and clearance work. Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting quotes a fixed price after confirming the existing gas supply is sufficient — there are no surprise costs on the day.
Yes — for any gas installation, alteration or appliance install in Victoria. The certificate is lodged with Energy Safe Victoria by the gasfitter and the homeowner receives a copy. Without the certificate, the work is technically non-compliant — your insurer may decline a related claim, your appliance warranty may be void, and at sale the absence of the certificate can complicate settlement.
No — even a like-for-like cooktop swap requires a licensed gasfitter under Victorian law. The disconnection of the old appliance, the connection of the new one, and the pressure test on the joint all need a licence holder. Doing it yourself voids your insurance and is a recordable offence. The cost of professional install is a fraction of the cost of an insurance dispute or an injury.
A plumbing licence covers water plumbing — water supply, sanitary drainage, hot and cold water lines. A Type A gasfitter licence covers consumer gas appliances. The two are separate qualifications under Victorian law. Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting holds both, so for a hot water replacement (which is plumbing AND gas) one tradesperson does the whole job and lodges one combined compliance pack.
The appliance datasheet shows the gas input rating in MJ/h. Match that to the existing line size and length from the meter to the appliance — AS/NZS 5601 has the sizing tables. As a rule of thumb, a 15mm line will run a small cooktop but starve a modern continuous-flow hot water unit, and a 20mm line is usually needed for two appliances on the same run. Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting sizes correctly upfront and quotes a line upsize where needed before the install.
Yes — disconnect the existing appliances during demolition, install the new ones at the new locations, run any required line extensions, and lodge the Compliance Certificate at completion. We coordinate with the kitchen builder, tiler and electrician so the gas work fits the renovation timeline. Pre-purchase gas inspections for buyers are also available.
Most modern appliances can be converted between LPG and natural gas using injector kits supplied by the manufacturer. The conversion has to be done by a licensed gasfitter — the injectors are different sizes, and the appliance ignition and combustion settings need adjustment. we handle the conversion + lodges the Compliance Certificate. Older appliances without conversion kits cannot be converted; the appliance has to be replaced.
Yes — small commercial gas work for cafes, restaurants, body corporates and offices on Type A consumer gas. Larger industrial gas work (Type B and beyond) is outside our licence. For Type A commercial we cover compliance testing, appliance install, leak diagnosis and certificate lodgement.
