Plumbing Connection Winter 2022

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5 4 PLUMBING CONNECTION Winter 2022
UPDATE ON REVISION OF
AS/NZS 5601.1
L ast year I provided an update on
the revision of AS/NZS 5601.1
Gas Installations – General
Installations and at that time indicated
that the project to revise the standard
was at the public comment stage. Over
200 public comments were received
and reviewed late last year, with all
comments resolved. As a result, a
ballot draft was published, and balloting
occurred between 11–24 February
2022.
At the time of writing this article I had
just received the news that the ballot
was successful and that the project
would now proceed to the development
of a pre-publication draft. A final
review of a pre-publication draft will be
undertaken to ensure that there are no
editorial or formatting errors prior to
publication.
The changes to the standard are
many and varied, as I reported last year;
however, in order to provide a recap I
have listed some of the major changes
that gasfitters will need to consider
once the standard is published and
enforced:
∫ Prohibition on
the use of flexible
flue liners for
applications
other than within
chimneys unless
the flue liner is
part of a certified
appliance design
(e.g., balanced flue
system).
∫ Brazing prohibited
within 1m of a joint
with non-metallic
components.
∫ Prohibition on the installation
of multilayer pipe above-ground
external to buildings.
∫ Provision of emergency isolation
for fire protection for buildings with
multilayer pipe.
∫ Increased clearance between
domestic cooking appliances and
range hoods from 600mm to 650mm
for new kitchen installations to align
with the international rangehood
standard IEC 60335.2.31.
∫ Prohibition on the use of semi-rigid
connectors in the installation of
commercial catering equipment.
∫ New diagrams for consumer piping
in wooden joists and metal-framed
walls.
∫ New requirements for the protection
of combustible surfaces adjacent to
commercial catering equipment.
∫ New pipe sizing graphs and tables
based upon the Churchill friction
factor equation, which will allow for
greater flow capacities for complex
gas installations where large pipe
diameters and longer pipe runs are
used.
∫ Information on the effect of altitude
on gas supply pressure for high-rise
building installations.
∫ New requirements and drawings for
the location of flue
terminals under a
covered area, in
a recess, or on a
balcony.
∫ New requirement
for the isolation
of installations
in educational
institutions.
∫ New requirements
for freestanding
commercial
catering equipment
with under-
equipment connection.
∫ New requirements for the connection
of freestanding commercial catering
equipment using a hose assembly.
Subject to a successful review of the
pre-publication draft, it is expected that
the next revision of AS/NZS5601.1 will
be published before the middle of the
year.
Energy Safe Victoria, in collaboration
with the Victorian Building Authority,
plans to run a number of seminars and/
or webinars in the next few months,
which will provide gasfitters with more
information on the changes.
There will also be opportunities for
questions to be answered.
Energy Safe Victoria will provide
further updates on the timing of the
seminars/webinars within the coming
months.
Visit the Energy Safe Victoria website at
Regular contributor Enzo Alfonsetti from Energy Safe Victoria provides an update about the latest revision
of AS/NZS 5601.1, which is designed to enhance public safety in relation to gas appliances and installations.
A final review of a
pre-publication draft
will be undertaken
to ensure that there
are no editorial or
formatting errors prior
to publication.
GAS UPDATE - ENZO ALFONSETTI
Enzo Alfonsetti is the Head
of Type A Gas Appliance and
Component Safety at Energy
Safe Victoria. He is chairman of
both the Standards Australia
AG006 Gas Installation
Committee and Gas Technical
Regulators Committee.