When it comes to gas usage in Australia, households typically have one of two options to choose from: LPG or natural gas. Depending on your location and lifestyle, one type of fuel may be better suited to you than the other. For example, if you live rurally or off the gas mains, you may favour LPG and its easy transport via tanks over a natural gas connection. But if you’re an inner-city dweller with quick and affordable access to the mains, you may be swayed the opposite way.
If you’ve done your research on which gas type is best suited for your home, and think LPG could be the right one for you, then you’ve come to the right place! In this Canstar Blue Guide, we explain the easiest way to install LPG in your home and reveal the expected costs associated.
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How to install LPG
To install LPG, you will need the help of a licensed gasfitter or certified plumber who can ensure that the installation meets Australian regulatory and safety standards. Households are advised to not attempt to install their LPG tanks without the help of a licensed professional.
Below we have listed a general guideline, outlining the steps you may wish to take when installing LPG in the home:
- Research which appliances you are after
- Purchase the desired appliances and check their gas connection type. It is important to note that natural gas and LPG are not transferrable and cannot be used in place of the other on appliances. So, if you’ve purchased an LPG-powered appliance, you will need an LPG tank.
- Pick your desired LPG supplier – this is the company that will deliver the LPG tanks to your home.
- Hire a licensed gas fitter. Some gas fitters only specialise in certain connection types, such as gas heating, so ensure you are picking the right company.
- Organise for your LPG gas fittings and appliances to be installed.
How much does it cost to install LPG?
The costs of LPG installation will vary depending on a number of factors, such as the number of appliances that use LPG, size of the house, layout of the property and the original configuration of any fireplaces or cookers. The cost can vary from a few hundred dollars up to a few thousand dollars.
As a ballpark figure however, you can expect a brand new LPG installation to cost between $1,200 to $5,000.
How many LPG tanks should I have?
The number of LPG tanks you will need for your home entirely depends on your gas usage, which determines how frequently the gas tank would need to be replaced.
It is generally more efficient to have two bottles on the go than just the one. This can be achieved through a dual gas bottle installation. This is an automatic function that switches the connection over once the first bottle is empty. Some people, however, prefer to switch it over manually so that they know when the first tank is out of gas. It also makes it easier to know when to order your next bottle and ensures you don’t suddenly have to finish washing your hair with cold water.
However, you can make do with just one LPG tank. When you’ve only got one bottle, you have a couple of options for keeping track of usage:
- Run the bottle dry and then make do without gas until the next delivery.
- Continually check the meter and order when it is almost empty.
- Plan ahead: If you can estimate how long it takes for your household to use one entire bottle, you can plan ahead by ordering refills in advance.
Some companies also offer an automatic gas bottle home delivery service. This means that they monitor your gas usage and schedule LPG refill deliveries for you, so that you don’t have to worry about it.
How long does a gas bottle last?
How long an LPG gas bottle will last is dependent on how often you are using LPG in the home. However, as a general rule of thumb, if you are using gas for both cooking and hot water, you can expect a 45kg bottle to last about four to six weeks.
Checking your bottle regularly will allow you to stay on top of your usage, and can indicate when it is time to order a new one to ensure you don’t suddenly run out.
If you’re not sure of how much juice you’ve got left in the tank, here is a quick and easy way to find out:
- Fill a bowl of bucket with warm water (be careful not to make it too hot!).
- Slowly pour the water down the side of the gas bottle.
- A line of condensation may appear, this indicates the amount of gas left in the bottle.
- If a line does not appear, wait a few moments and then run your hand down the side of the bottle where you poured the water.
- There should be a noticeable difference in the temperature, where it gets cooler indicates how much gas if left.
If there is no temperature change, you may already have an empty bottle.
This method is not exclusive to regular LPG tanks either and would work on a smaller buy-and-swap bottle for your BBQ or outdoor heater as well.
Tips to not run out of gas
Unlike natural gas, with LPG you can run the risk of running out of gas. Here are some tips to ensure that doesn’t happen:
- Monitor your gas levels and, if you have two gas bottles, order a new tank as soon as the first gas bottle runs out, rather than waiting for the second one to get low.
- If you have a one bottle system, consider upgrading to two bottles.
- In winter, it is better to be proactive and order early due to the high demand.
- Take into consideration factors that may increase your gas usage, such as guests or the installation of additional appliances, and check your gas level accordingly.
- If your LPG provider offers an automatic LPG gas bottle home delivery service consider signing up so that you can rest assured someone else is monitoring your gas usage and scheduling deliveries when you need them.
Should I install LPG?
Deciding whether or not to install LPG will ultimately come down to your own personal circumstances and gas usage. If you live rurally or off the gas mains, or just have minimal gas usage, you may find LPG more financially beneficial to use than natural gas, purely for its convenient transport options and lack of a supply charge – which you would have to pay in order to get natural gas sent to your house via the mains network.
Households with higher gas usage or appliances that require a natural gas connection, may find it more beneficial to stick with a home natural gas connection, particularly as converting an appliance from natural gas to LPG is no simple or cheap feat. If you’re considering installing LPG in your home, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got yourself a good LPG supplier. This is where our annual LPG Supplier Comparison may come in handy! Here, we reveal the companies that have been rated top-notch by Aussie shoppers for things like customer service, bill & cost clarity, delivery service, value for money and overall customer satisfaction. To see this year’s winner, click the link below.
Image credit: Nor Gal/Shutterstock.com
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