Gas Services for a City That Runs on Hospitality
Few places in the UK have as many restaurants, cafes, pubs and hotels for their size. The Lanes and North Laine are packed with independent kitchens. The seafront has hotels, bars and conference venues. Hove has its own busy stretch along Church Road and Western Road, and Kemptown and the Marina add more.
Nearly all of them cook on gas. For us, that makes commercial catering the largest single source of work in Brighton, followed by boiler plant in hotels, language schools, care homes and offices.
Our Commercial Gas Services in Brighton and Hove
Commercial Catering Gas Services
Pipework, appliance connections and interlocks for kitchens of every size. See commercial catering.
Gas Safety Certificates
Annual inspections of appliances, pipework, ventilation and safety controls. See commercial gas certificates.
Tightness Testing and Gas Purging
Any new, altered or repaired pipework is tested to IGEM/UP/1 or IGEM/UP/1A before use. The purge is vented outside, away from windows, doors and extract intakes, which takes thought in a tightly packed street. See gas testing and purging.
Pipework Installation and Heating
New pipework and heating upgrades for hotels, care homes and offices.
Decommissioning
When a restaurant closes or a unit is stripped for a new tenant, the pipework is purged of gas, capped and labelled, so the next contractor is not working around a live supply.
What Does a Safe Commercial Kitchen Need?
BS 6173 is the standard for gas fired catering installations. In summary, a compliant kitchen needs:
- pipework sized for every appliance running together
- an emergency isolation valve that staff can reach easily
- an interlock that shuts off the gas if the extraction fails
- flame supervision devices on the appliances
- enough fresh air coming in to replace what the canopy takes out
- flexible hoses with restraints on movable appliances
Older kitchens often fall short on the interlock or the ventilation, especially where a small cafe has grown into a full restaurant. The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 also require employers to keep the installation safe, and an annual inspection is the accepted way to show it.
Sea Air and External Pipework
Salt laden air is hard on steel. External gas pipework on seafront buildings, rooftop plant and rear yards corrodes faster here than it would inland, particularly at threads, supports and wall entries where coatings are damaged or water sits.
Corrosion matters because it ends in leaks. During inspections we look closely at exposed pipework. Where it has deteriorated we replace the affected sections, protect the new pipe properly and test the installation before it goes back into use.
If your building faces the sea and the external pipework has not been looked at for some years, a tightness test and visual inspection is a sensible precaution.
What Types of Businesses Do We Serve?
Restaurants, Cafes and Pubs
Independent kitchens in the Lanes, North Laine, Kemptown and Hove, many in basements where ventilation and pipe routes take more planning.
Hotels, Guest Houses and Venues
Regency terraces converted to hotels, plus seafront hotels and conference venues with kitchens and boiler plant.
Universities, Schools and Healthcare
The two universities at Falmer and Moulsecoomb, the Royal Sussex County Hospital and a large number of care homes.
Trade Units and Warehouses
Workshops, food producers and warehouses at Hollingbury, Portslade and Shoreham Port.
Why Hospitality Businesses Choose Us
We work only on commercial gas systems, and we know that a kitchen out of action is a day without income. Visits are arranged for mornings or closed days, and repairs are tested and purged before service resumes.
Much of central Brighton and Hove is covered by conservation areas, and Kemp Town and Brunswick Town contain many listed buildings. Pipework and flue terminals on visible elevations may need consent from the city council. We look at this during the survey so it does not become a surprise later. We are Gas Safe registered, number 568617.
Emergency Repairs During Service
If you smell gas, call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 and follow their advice.
Our emergency repair engineers cover Brighton, Hove and the coast at all hours. We deal with the fault once the site is safe, so you lose as little trading time as possible.
Who Looks After the Roads and the Gas Network?
SGN operates the gas distribution network across Sussex. It owns the mains, the service pipe and the emergency control valve. New supplies, meter upgrades and disconnections are arranged with SGN or your supplier. Our work is on the installation after the meter.
Brighton & Hove City Council is the highway authority for the city. West Sussex County Council covers Shoreham, Lancing and Worthing, and East Sussex County Council covers Lewes, Newhaven and Eastbourne. Any excavation in a public road or pavement needs the relevant authority's consent.
Along the Coast and Over the Downs
We cover the full BN postcode area. In the city that means the centre and Hollingbury (BN1), Kemptown, the Marina and Moulsecoomb (BN2), Hove (BN3) and Portslade (BN41).
Along the coast we cover Southwick (BN42), Shoreham-by-Sea (BN43), Lancing (BN15), Worthing (BN11 to BN14), Peacehaven (BN10), Newhaven (BN9), Seaford (BN25) and Eastbourne (BN20 to BN23). Inland we cover Lewes (BN7), Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath and Crawley. We work across the UK, so coverage does not stop at the city boundary.
When Is the Best Time to Book?
Trade in Brighton is seasonal. Spring festivals, summer weekends and conference dates fill the calendar, so the quiet weeks of winter are the natural time for pipework upgrades, kitchen refits and inspections.
Call 08000 855 077 or send an enquiry, and we will provide a free quote with no obligation.
Book Work in Before the Busy Season
Restaurant and hotel owners, managing agents, contractors and facilities managers in Brighton and Hove can get in touch to discuss a project or arrange an inspection.