IOPSA 57
A closer look at the amendments to SANS 10254
The first amendments for discussion relate to the scope of SANS 10254 .
By
Mark de Wet
1 . SCOPE 1.3 This standard applies to all water heaters that fall within the scope of SANS 151 , including the storage tanks of solar water heaters that fall within the scope of SANS 1307 , and storage tanks for heat pump systems and gas water heating systems .
( COC ) is required for all gas installations , so the plumber will be required to submit his PIRB COC and receive a COC from the registered gas installer to ensure full compliance when doing gas water heater installations . PA
Amendment : “… and gas water heating systems .” This may seem to be a minor amendment , but it will play a vital role in ensuring that gas water heating systems comply with the SANS requirement .
With many South Africans looking at substitutes for energy saving , gas is becoming a popular choice as an alternative energy used for water heating , with many new developments being required to do away with conventional water heating to meet the XA requirements .
We have seen in the past that with anything new to the industry , the market gets flooded with imported products that do not meet the requirements of SANS , causing endless confusion and problems on site for plumbers .
Although gas water heaters have been available in South Africa for several years , it is not seen as your everyday water heating option . This , however , has changed in the past few years with gas water heaters becoming increasingly popular .
• With gas water heating systems being added to the scope of SANS 10254 , it will ensure safer installation practice , protecting the health and safety of the public and the plumber .
• Great care should also be exercised when plumbers do gas geyser installations . The flow rates and balance pressure requirements need to be considered and the manufacturer ’ s requirements always need to form part of your installation to ensure not only compliance to the SANS standards , but also manufacturer ’ s warranty requirements .
• The gas supply to the water heater also needs to be completed by a registered LPGas installer and should not be undertaken by anyone who is not qualified in the field . A certificate of compliance
Mark de Wet
Mark de Wet is the national technical manager at IOPSA . He is a qualified plumber and registered gas installer . He also sits on the SABS technical committees and working groups on behalf of IOPSA and the IOPSA National Executive Board , as well as being a PIRB inspector .
www . plumbingafrica . co . za March 2018 Volume 24 I Number 1