No. This is prohibited. See clause 8.4.1.

An annex is considered to be a living area. A flue cannot, under any circumstances, terminate inside a vehicle or caravan, nor inside an annex.

At least two sides of any covered area must be open. See clause 8.4.2 and Appendix K.

Note also that flue terminals must be placed so that they minimise any ingress of combustion products into the living space. See clause 2.8.6. In basic terms, all flues must vent to an outside area.

It is not lawful to manufacture or fit an after-market flue cover.

Firstly, the flue must be fitted to the manufacturer’s instructions. See clause 8.6. The addition of a flue cover is considered a modification by the technical regulators. Caravan appliances are Type A certified, so no modification is allowed, even to the installation instructions.

Secondly, the technical regulators agree this changes the appliance to a stowed appliance, and as such the cover requires an interlock to prevent gas flow when the appliance is stowed. See clause 6.3.2.

If you intend to do this, plans must be submitted to the gas technical regulator for approval, and you must prove it is safer than the deemed to satisfy clause.

Yes, but there are some conditions.

Fitting an after-market cover over a cooking appliance burner makes the appliance into a stowed appliance.

A stowed appliance must have a means to stop the flow of gas to the appliance when the lid is closed. This can be achieved by using an additional cover over the appliance’s own cover where the appliance is fitted with a flame safeguard system that cuts off the gas flow when the cover is closed. If this is not already present on the appliance, a separate gas interlock system must be designed into any after-market cover. See clause 6.3.2.

If the flue is a proprietary design supplied with the appliance and roof penetration is allowed by the instructions, then you may be able to do this. This means the appliance and flue has been type tested in this configuration.

You cannot extend a flue unless it is part of the design. For example, you can purchase flue extensions for some three way refrigerators to adjust the height of a flue, but extending through the roof would not be lawful.

Clause 8.1 also speaks about flue design, clearances to combustible materials and maximum temperatures. If the flue does not have a protective fire resistant sleeve, then a minimum clearance from combustible material applies, 25mm.

Repair of gas appliances is now controlled under AS/NZS 4575. This is extra training once a gas fitter has gained their full licence. This is a law in the process of change.

You may require a certificate and plate change. Some states will also require the work registered via a portal. To replace an appliance your gas fitter’s licence must be endorsed for this type of work.

No. This is prohibited. See clause 8.4.1.

Yes. All appliances must be fitted exactly to the manufacturer’s instructions. See clause 6.5.

This means you cannot change a flue, or reduce the specified gas pipe size, and the inlet pipe must be correct as specified, that is, a hose can only be used if the appliance is specified to be used with a hose.

There are also other requirements within the standard. Once installed the appliance must be accessible for service, see clauses 2.9.2 and 6.5.3, and the test point must be accessible for testing gas pressure, see clause 5.1.7. When installed and commissioned the test pressure must be correct, see Appendix J.

Every appliance which is designed for use with a flue must have the flue connected. All refrigerators must be flued to the outside. See clause 6.12.

Some vents supplied by manufacturers have a proprietary built flue included. These cannot be modified. See clause 6.12.

Vents are required to be located above the condenser and at the very bottom of the refrigerator. A refrigerator which has the top vent too low will not work correctly.

The manufacturer’s vent cannot be modified. See clause 6.12.

Clause 6.12.2 calls for a 500mm², 25mm diameter, hole at the bottom or rear of the refrigerator recess, through the floor, to allow any unburned gas to escape. It also states the lower vent might satisfy this requirement.

Most installation manuals state it is required, so that makes it mandatory, and most lower wall vents have too high a frame to comply.

Mobile and portable appliances must only be used in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions. An appliance certified for use outside must not be brought inside. This includes the annex, which is considered a living area and part of the caravan.

If the portable appliance is connected to your caravan gas system, for example through a gas bayonet, it must have a flame safeguard system fitted. See clause 6.4.

The refrigerator must be sealed in the cabinets to provide room sealing. The manufacturer’s installation instruction is the place to start, and sealing instructions will be in the manual.

It is not lawful to foam the fridge in place, as the refrigerator must be able to be removed for service. The sealing material must also be non-flammable.

A flue must be more than 300mm from any opening to the vehicle, including a window. See clause 8.4.1.

See clause 5.2.7.1. A gas shut off valve, a manual isolation valve, is required for every appliance. The valve must be certified and comply with AS 4629 or equivalent, must be quarter turn operation, and the open and closed positions must be clearly marked.

The valve must be readily accessible and if the location is not very obvious it must be labelled. The valve must be prior to the inlet of the appliance. See clause 5.2.7.3.

Yes. See clause 6.15, which requires a durable sticker with minimum 5mm font.

RV Merchandise catalogue sticker code C-5H is compliant and states: WARNING IF FITTING AN ANNEX, CONTACT A GAS FITTER TO ADVISE ON THE VENTILATION REQUIRED FOR THE SAFE OPERATION OF GAS APPLIANCES.

No. Under no circumstances can a gas hose be joined. Hoses must be one continuous piece and as short as practicable. See clause 5.2.5.

Never. No gas carrying pipe or hose can be used for electrical earthing.

No. The main run and branches must be rigid copper, properly fixed.

Hose may be run between a rigid, fixed pipe and an appliance, but only if the appliance instructions allow it, and if it is as short as practicable, and if it is accessible for inspection. A hose can be run from the rigid pipe of the vehicle to the rigid pipe of a slide out.

All hose locations need to be stated in your handover manual. See clause 5.2.5.

Yes, but a hose must be protected where it passes through the wall, and damage to the hose must be avoided.

The hose must be as short as possible, a single length, an approved hose type, fitted only to an appliance approved for a hose connection, and cannot be joined.

You can, but you must ensure the pipe is protected, with a bulkhead fitting if used, or a rubber grommet, or something equivalent.

It must also be 25mm clear of all electrical services, even extra low voltage, protected from stresses and vibration, and protected from kinking and abrasion. See clause 5.2.1. Protection is even more important with hoses.

Yes. The standard requires all hoses to be accessible for regular inspection. Here accessible means a tool may be required to get to it.

If a hose is under a cover or concealed, the vehicle manual must note the location and include an instruction for regular inspection by a competent person. See clause 2.10.2.

You cannot use multilayer composite pipe. It is prohibited in Australia. See clause 2.13.4.1. For compliant material types see Table 5.1.4.3.

No. Hoses must be the shortest length possible. Hoses can be used only between rigid piping and the appliance, or between the regulator and cylinder. If the hose is as short as possible, or on a slide out, clipping is most likely impractical. See clause 2.10.

The standard calls for the hose to be as short as practicable.

Gas hoses must be accessible. The location must be noted in handover documentation, and the customer advised that gas hoses must be inspected.

The gas standard has requirements for fixing copper pipe runs, connections, bends and valves.

The supports, or clips, need to be of the same material as the pipe or a compatible material, and fixed with screws, rivets, or nuts and bolts.

Spacing on a horizontal pipe run is a maximum of 600mm, and a vertical run can have spacing up to 1250mm. There is nothing wrong with closer spacing. Supports are also required within 150mm of tee fittings, branches, bends and valves.

Once an appliance is connected to a gas bayonet, a quick-connect device, it falls under the same restrictions as installed appliances. This means it requires a flame safeguard system, a flame failure device. See clause 6.4. Not all BBQs or other outdoor appliances would be suitable.

If there is an enclosed annex or awning with attached walls, no outdoor appliance can be used within the enclosed area. A patio heater, BBQ or portable gas fridge cannot be used in an annex.

A gas hose may be used between the regulator and the gas cylinders, between rigid piping and a suitable appliance, and between rigid piping on the caravan and rigid piping in a slide out. See clause 2.10.2.

Many appliances prohibit the use of hose. Check the installation instructions.

No. An after-market gas safety gauge cannot be lawfully placed on the cylinder between the cylinder and the regulator.

This is not easy to answer with measurements. No flue, of any fuel type, is allowed within the controlled area, the area around the cylinder, and neither is an air intake for an appliance. This also applies to a stored cylinder which is not connected.

The controlled area is a shape like an inverted cone. So while the distance does not really vary, it is not a uniform shape. You need to be more than 500mm at the top and more than 1060mm at the base.

Please go to the gas code and your licensed gas fitter for a more in depth description. See clause 3.1.8 and Figure 3.1.8(A), and our controlled area page.

See clause 5.3. An encapsulated valve is a gas safety shut off valve which is electrically operated, but is encapsulated, fully sealed, in protective epoxy known as flame-retardant polymer.

It must have a minimum ingress protection rating of IP55. Connection cables are also sealed, and commonly there is a cable gland for electrical connection. If an encapsulated gas valve is used, documentation from the supplier must be held.

The list of ignition sources listed in the code is inclusive, not exclusive. The basic rule of thumb is: if it gets hot enough, or could get hot enough, to ignite something, or if it creates a spark, then it is an ignition source.

All switches, motors, lights, exhausts, flues, combustion air intakes, batteries, pumps, motorised jockey wheels and electric gas valves, among others, are ignition sources.

Items required for vehicle safety are exempt. This includes items such as electronic stability controls, electric brakes, Anderson plugs, break-away couplings and encapsulated gas safety valves. See clause 3.1.8.

A spare gas cylinder has the same requirements as the main connected gas cylinders. Note also that a disconnected cylinder in a place where it could be used is considered installed. See clause 3.1.10.

No. Air vents must remain open to maintain safe ventilation and a warning sticker is required.

RV Merchandise catalogue sticker code C-5D is compliant and states: WARNING This vent must remain permanently open, clean and unrestricted to provide ventilation when gas appliances are in use.

Minimum lower fixed ventilation and minimum fixed upper ventilation are required. The area calculation is found in Section 7 of the standard.

Briefly, the amount of ventilation required varies depending on the number and gas rating of the appliances. The minimum required area is 4,000mm². It is termed cross ventilation, in other words opposite each other. Location can be no more than 150mm from the floor and no more than 150mm from the roof.

A window or a roof hatch which can be opened or closed cannot be part of the calculation. If the vehicle has a drop down roof, for example a pop-top caravan, the ventilation must be operational with the roof down.

See our ventilation of living spaces page for the full detail.

All Australian standards are termed performance based standards. There are processes for applying for a performance solution.

For a performance solution to be accepted it must be safer than the deemed to satisfy clause and submitted formally to the technical regulator.

An apprentice must work under the direct supervision of, and in the presence of, a fully licensed gas fitter.

Caravan Industry Association of Australia has an access agreement with Australian Standards distributor Intertek Inform, formerly SAI Global, that provides access to the gas installation standard AS/NZS 5601.2, as well as an additional 200+ standards relevant to the industry.

If you are an accredited business with Caravan Industry Association of Australia, you can access the standard by registering and completing an agreement. To register for this access, complete the online form and we will contact you to arrange access.

If you are not an accredited business but are a member of your State Association, please complete the same online register and we will contact you with pricing options to gain access.

If you are not a member of any caravan industry association, the standard can be purchased individually from the Intertek Inform store or by contacting Intertek Inform direct on 131 242.

No. A gas fitter’s licence is required. To perform service work on, or installation of, a gas appliance you must hold a gas fitter’s licence. The type of gas licence varies between states, but all states require the work to be done by a gas fitter.

Gas system installation work must only be undertaken by the holder of a full gas work licence.

On completion of the installation work, whether it is a complete gas system or an extension to an existing gas system, the installer must issue a gas compliance certificate for the installation work performed. A gas compliance plate must be supplied.

Holders of a gas work licence, Service and caravan certification, cannot perform installation work. In addition, they cannot provide supervision of apprentices or trainees for the purposes of installation work.

The applicable standard for RV gas installations is AS/NZS 5601.2:2020. As a caravan manufacturer you need to ensure your gas fitter has a current copy of this standard.