Gas Tightness Testing
& Certified Purging

What it is

Pressure tightness testing and certified purging of gas installations, from a single domestic meter installation through to large commercial pipework runs at medium pressure. Includes let-by, tightness and (where applicable) strength tests, with documented purge volumes and a signed certificate.

Who it's for

Landlords needing pre-let evidence of a safe gas install, builders/developers signing off new gas pipework, facilities managers commissioning a new commercial install, and any property owner who's had recent gas pipework modifications.

When you need it

Immediately after any new or altered gas pipework, before reconnecting a meter, before commissioning new appliances, after a suspected leak, after a building refurbishment, or when an existing certificate has been lost or never issued.

Why it matters

A tightness test is the only way to prove a gas installation is safe and the only document an insurer or new occupier will trust. A correctly executed test catches let-by, micro-leaks and faulty isolation valves before they become incidents, and a certified purge ensures no air or oxygen mix remains in the supply.

Risks of waiting

• Undetected let-by on an emergency control valve means the meter never properly isolates, every disconnection becomes a hazard.
• Hairline pipework leaks lose pressure slowly enough to pass a casual visual check but show clearly on a calibrated tightness test.
• Skipping a certified purge after pipework changes can leave air pockets that destabilise burner ignition and cause repeat lockouts.
• No paperwork = no insurance claim, every loss adjuster asks for the most recent tightness certificate first.

Common mistakes

• Relying on a soap-and-bubble check instead of a calibrated manometer reading over the correct test duration.
• Skipping the let-by test, which catches faulty ECVs that would otherwise leak through a 'closed' valve.
• Forgetting to record stabilisation time and temperature, which makes the test results unprovable later.
• Purging by 'feel' rather than calculating volumes against the actual pipe internal volume.

Certificate on the day

Signed, dated, photographed gauge readings, in your inbox before we leave site. No 'we'll email it later'.

Insurance-grade evidence

Every test follows IGEM/UP/1 or UP/1B and includes the documentation an insurer or loss adjuster will ask for.

Faults found before failure

Let-by, micro-leaks and faulty ECVs caught and addressed before they cause an incident.

Domestic and commercial

Same engineer covers single-meter domestic installs through to medium-pressure commercial pipework runs.

Records kept for 7 years

We store every test result and certificate so we can re-issue copies for landlord re-lets, refinancing or insurance renewals.

Fixed price, no surprises

Quoted per test on the survey, no add-ons on the invoice.

Questions on this?

Talk to a Gas Safe engineer direct.

General work gallery

Recent Heatrite jobs that show the standard of our work.

A broader look at recent installs, hot water systems, testing work and finished jobs across domestic and commercial sites.

Card payments on site

We carry a card machine in the van, tap, chip & PIN or contactless on completion.

Klarna

Spread the cost of your boiler or bathroom install with flexible Klarna finance options.

Clearpay

Pay over time with Clearpay, ideal for boilers, cylinders and full bathroom fits.

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