Commercial Gas Pipework, Testing and Purging in Nottingham

Our commercial gas services

• Commercial gas installation for new plant, tenants and buildings
• Strength testing and tightness testing to IGEM/UP/1 and IGEM/UP/1A
• Gas purging, including nitrogen purging on larger systems
• Gas commissioning and recommissioning
• Gas decommissioning and removal of redundant pipework
• Underground gas pipework and gas hot tapping
• Commercial gas certificates and gas safety testing
• Emergency gas repairs

What should you know before excavating in Nottingham?

Caves and old cellars

The city centre sits on soft sandstone, and caves have been cut into it for centuries as cellars, tanneries, malt kilns and stores. Many are recorded, but not all.

The council treats caves as a heritage asset, and they are considered through the planning process. For a buried gas route in the centre or the Lace Market, it is sensible to check the cave records and speak to the planning team before fixing a trench line.

The tram network

Work close to the tramway, including overhead lines and the track bed, usually needs agreement from the tram operator as well as the council. This can affect road crossings and deliveries on streets shared with trams.

Highways and permits

Nottingham City Council is the highway authority inside the city boundary. A street works permit or a section 50 licence is normally required before excavating in a public road or footway.

The boundary is tight. West Bridgford, Beeston, Arnold, Carlton and Hucknall are all outside it, and the highway authority there is Nottinghamshire County Council. Long Eaton and Ilkeston come under Derbyshire County Council.

The M1, A52 and A453 trunk roads are managed by National Highways.

Private land

No highway permit is needed for work on private land. A utility search and ground scan are still essential before any digging.

Who owns the gas pipe to your building?

The local network is operated by Cadent. Cadent owns the service pipe up to the emergency control valve, and the meter belongs to your supplier or meter operator.

New connections and supply upgrades are requested from Cadent or through a registered utility infrastructure provider. We install, test and maintain the pipework after the meter.

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

The kinds of sites we work on

Life sciences and laboratories

Nottingham has a strong life sciences sector, with incubator buildings near the centre and a large pharmaceutical and enterprise campus at Beeston. Laboratories use gas for heating and steam, and sometimes at the bench.

Layouts change often. Each alteration to the gas pipework needs a tightness test and purge on the section affected, with records kept for compliance.

Universities and hospitals

Nottingham's two universities and two large hospital sites run extensive boiler plant and site mains. Testing is carried out in sections and scheduled around teaching and clinical needs.

Lace Market, Hockley and the city centre

Former lace warehouses now hold offices, bars, restaurants and apartments. Pipe routes are long and often awkward, and listed building consent may be needed for external changes.

Kitchens in these buildings need tested pipework, adequate ventilation and a working gas interlock. Our commercial catering service covers this.

Industrial estates

Lenton Lane, Colwick, Blenheim in Bulwell and the estates off Queens Drive contain manufacturers, food producers, printers and trade counters. Typical gas loads include process burners, ovens and warehouse heaters.

We also install and service commercial heating systems.

How are testing and purging carried out?

Tightness testing

The pipework is isolated, pressurised and allowed to settle. It is then monitored with a calibrated gauge for a set period. The permitted pressure drop depends on the pipe volume, the gauge and where the pipe runs.

A test is needed on new pipework, after alterations or repairs, after a reported gas escape, and before gas is restored to a vacant building.

Purging

Purging replaces what is inside the pipe. During commissioning, air is replaced with gas. During decommissioning, gas is replaced with air or nitrogen.

The purge is vented to a safe place outdoors, away from openings and ignition sources, and checked with a gas detector. On larger pipework, nitrogen is used as a buffer so that gas and air never mix.

Commissioning

After purging, each appliance is lit, adjusted and checked. Safety controls are proved and the results recorded. Contractors receive the certificates they need for handover.

Removing gas from buildings being redeveloped

Regeneration around the Broad Marsh area, the Island Quarter and the canal side means older buildings are being cleared or converted.

Before strip-out, the internal gas system should be decommissioned. We isolate it, purge the gas, cut back and cap the pipework, and record what has been done. Removal of the incoming service pipe is a separate job for the gas network.

Repairs and faults

We trace leaks, investigate pressure loss and repair commercial pipework across Nottingham. After a repair the system is retested and purged before gas is restored. Our team is available seven days a week.

Serving the city and nearby towns

We provide commercial gas services across all city postcodes from NG1 to NG9 and NG11, including Bulwell, Basford, Sneinton, Lenton, Clifton and Wollaton.

Gas Main Installation also works in West Bridgford, Beeston, Arnold, Carlton, Long Eaton, Hucknall, Eastwood and Ilkeston. Mansfield and Newark are covered too. As a UK-wide provider, we can support businesses with sites in other regions.