Gas Engineers Will Require CPA1 From 1st April 2012

Flue gas analysers are essential for heating professionals to use when working with heating appliances. From April 2012, gas engineers who do not hold the CPA1 will have their CEN1 and/or HTR1 suspended.

During the past 10 years, gas analysers have become a vital part of every heating professionals’ tool kit. Today’s electronic instruments are multifunction in their operation, enabling gas escape detection, temperature, pressure and carbon monoxide (CO) environmental monitoring as well as analysis of flue gases. These functions can help to assist in completing forms such as landlord certificates, gas safety certificates and Benchmark commissioning checklists.

Due to recent changes in the building regulations, there are now over 7.8 million high efficiency appliances installed in the United Kingdom with a further 1.5 million being fitted each year. These changes have made it more important to use a flue gas analyser as part of the day-to-day working practice of a heating professional.

The Gas Safe Register announced just under a year ago that all registered gas engineers who have or due to gain ACS modules CEN1 or HTR1 now require the flue gas analyser qualification CPA1. Those gas engineers who do not hold the CPA1 qualification after 1st April 2012 will have their CEN1 and/or HTR1 suspended.

British Standards such as BS 6798, BS 7967 and BS 5871 Part 1 state the requirement to use a flue gas analyser when maintaining and servicing particular heating appliances. The CPA1 Combustion Performance Analysis of Domestic Appliances assessment is intended to provide gas engineers with the essential knowledge of correctly using a flue gas analyser.

There are numerous professional instruments on sale, which are made by several different manufacturers that include Kane, Telegan, Testo and TPI but heating professionals should select an instrument that is capable of measuring all combustion gases and appropriate pressures to make sure that a heating appliance is working safely and efficiently.

Monitoring the products of combustion will ensure a heating professional has the ability to precisely control levels of carbon monoxide (CO), oxygen (O2), the ratio of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide (CO/CO2), excess air and flue gas temperature.

When testing a gas installation for soundness, many instruments have the facility to measure pressure enabling a let by/tightness test. The temperatures of flow and return water can also be monitored using a suitably equipped flue gas analyser making commissioning of a heating appliance considerably easier.

Another unique feature of today’s professional instrument is to monitor ambient carbon monoxide levels that will inform the heating professional as to the amount of CO at each given minute during a test period.