Commercial Gas Engineers in Carlisle and North Cumbria

Industry and commerce in Carlisle

Food manufacturing

The city has some of the largest biscuit, bakery and food factories in the north of England. They run ovens, steam boilers and hot water plant on large pipework, and they cannot stop for long. Shutdown windows are agreed weeks ahead, and the pipework is surveyed and traced beforehand so that no time is lost on the day. Alterations are tested and purged during planned shutdowns, with the isolation points, purge route and vent location agreed before the day.

Kingstown, Rosehill and Durranhill

The trading estates around the M6 junctions hold distribution units, engineering firms, printers, vehicle workshops and trade counters. Warehouse heaters, office boilers and workshop process equipment are serviced and tested on an annual cycle. Units that change hands are surveyed and tightness tested before the new occupier moves in, and any redundant branches from previous tenants are decommissioned at the same time.

The city centre

Hotels, restaurants, pubs and cafes around the cathedral, the castle and the station rely on gas for cooking and hot water. Kitchen fit-outs, appliance changes and annual commercial gas certificates go through our commercial catering service.

Hospital, university and public buildings

The infirmary, the university campus and the schools operate boiler plant that is serviced and tested in phases to keep heating and hot water on.

Agriculture and rural businesses

Auction marts, dairies, agricultural merchants and rural workshops around Carlisle are often on buried supplies across yards, or on LPG where mains gas does not reach.

Flooding and plant rooms

The city has flooded badly more than once in recent years. Businesses near the Eden, the Caldew and the Petteril rivers should think about where boilers, controls and gas meters sit.

Plant at ground level in a flood zone may need to be raised, protected or relocated. Gas meters and emergency control valves should be reachable when the ground floor is under water, and pipework routes should avoid trapping gas in low points. After a flood, gas pipework and appliances must be inspected and tightness tested before the supply is restored, and any appliance that has been under water is usually replaced.

Testing and purging for Carlisle businesses

Tightness testing proves that pipework does not leak at working pressure. It is needed after installation, alteration or repair, after a reported gas escape, before gas is restored to an empty building and as part of an annual inspection. New pipework is strength tested at a higher pressure first.

Gas purging replaces the contents of the pipe. Air is replaced with gas to commission a system. Gas is replaced with air or nitrogen to decommission it. On larger pipework, nitrogen purging keeps gas and air apart. The purge is vented outdoors to a safe point and checked with a gas detector.

Commissioning lights and sets up each appliance and proves the safety controls. You receive the records.

Testing and purging follow IGEM/UP/1 or IGEM/UP/1A. Read more on our gas testing and gas purging page.

Highways, planning and the gas network

Cumberland Council is the unitary authority for Carlisle and the west of the county, and is both the highway authority and the planning authority. A street works permit or a section 50 licence is normally required before excavating in a public road or footway. The M6 and the A69 are managed by National Highways.

Heritage. The castle, the cathedral precinct and the historic centre are protected. External flues, meter boxes and pipe routes on listed buildings may need consent.

The gas network. North Cumbria is served by Northern Gas Networks, which owns the service pipe up to the emergency control valve. New connections and supply upgrades are arranged with the network or through your supplier. Our work starts after the meter. Across the border at Gretna, the network operator is SGN.

Private land. No highway permit is needed, but a utility search and ground scan should come first. See our underground gas pipework page.

If you smell gas, call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.

New installations, hot tapping and decommissioning

We install commercial gas pipework to IGEM/UP/2 in steel, copper and polyethylene, from a single supply to a new appliance through to full plant rooms. Where a branch is needed from a live pipe and a shutdown is impractical, gas hot tapping may be an option.

When a unit is cleared or plant goes electric, redundant pipework is purged, cut back to a live valve, capped and recorded.

Repairs and servicing

We investigate leaks and pressure faults and provide emergency gas repairs for commercial premises in Carlisle, followed by a retest and purge so the supply can be restored. Our team works seven days a week.

An annual service and tightness test is the minimum we recommend. Unusual boiler noises, uneven heating, water around a unit and a sudden rise in gas use are signs to call sooner.

Coverage across north Cumbria and the borders

Gas Main Installation covers CA1 to CA6, including Stanwix, Denton Holme, Harraby, Morton, Kingstown and the villages around the city.

We are not limited to Carlisle. Our engineers also work in Dalston, Brampton, Wigton, Longtown, Penrith, Gretna and Hexham, and across Cumbria and the rest of the UK.