The chance of scooping a bargain on the Internet means that more and more private consumers are being tempted into buying gas appliances from abroad. In many cases, these purchases can cause problems when it comes to getting the equipment installed as it has inadequate marking or no marking at all.

This is what Ken T. Olesen of DBI’s gas laboratory tells us. DBI is receiving an increasing number of enquiries from consumers who have bought gas equipment over the Internet.

“As in all other EU countries, it is a requirement in Denmark that gas appliances carry the CE mark before they can be marketed and sold. Furthermore, it is also an EU requirement that the label indicates the gas type and the gas pressure required for installation of the appliance”, he explains. There are three different gas types – or gas families, as they are called in the gas industry. The first gas family is town gas, the second gas family is natural gas and the third gas family is bottled gas (LPG).

In each EU country there is a slight variation between the gases in each family, just as the gas pressure required for each one can vary. With the objective of informing consumers which type of gas and the pressure a given appliance has been approved for, a series of standardised designations has been introduced, called categories, which every appliance must show.

In Denmark, installation of appliances in the following categories and with the following pressure is permitted: 

   

Category	Pressure	Explanation
I2H	20 mbar	Only for natural gas, 20 mbar
I3B/P	30 mbar	Only for bottled gas (LPG), 30 mbar
II2H3B/P	20 – 30 mbar	For natural or bottled gas, 20 or 30 mbar respectively
III1a2H3B/P	8 – 20 – 30 mbar	For town gas, natural gas or bottled gas, 8, 20 or 30 mbar respectively. This category is also called “algas” in Denmark.

“If you have purchased an appliance that is not marked with the appropriate category, in most cases, a unit verification can be carried out; in other words, a CE approval applicable to that specific appliance. However, having a unit verification carried out entails costs which in some instances can exceed the value of the appliance".

“Before allowing yourself to be tempted by smart or cheap gas equipment from abroad, it is therefore a good idea to make sure that the appliance is marked with one of the categories that cover the gas type that the appliance is to be connected to.”
 
Ken Olesen also recommends that you contact the manufacturer directly if the dealer is not able to supply adequate information.

The three gas families First gas family: Town gas This gas type was introduced in the 19th century and was manufactured from coal in local gas works. Chemically, the gas is characterised by a high hydrogen content. In many parts of Denmark, this type of gas has been replaced by other forms of energy but it is still supplied in its original form in Copenhagen and in Fredriksberg. However, in these places it will be replaced during 2007 by Towngas2 which is a mixture of natural gas and air. Towngas2 replaced the original town gas in Aalborg and Kolding several years ago. Town gas has been phased out everywhere else in Denmark. In Denmark there are around 180,000 town gas installations, used mainly for cooking. Second gas family: Natural gas North Sea gas was introduced in Denmark in the 1980s. It is characterised by a high methane content and is used in private homes primarily for domestic heating and cooking. In Denmark there are around 370,000 natural gas installations. Third gas family: Bottled gas This is the type of gas that the private consumer typically buys at filling stations or DIY retailers in bottles of various shapes and sizes. In Denmark, this gas is a mixture of propane and butane. It is typically used in the camping and leisure industries sector, for instance in barbecues and patio heaters. In Denmark there are around 350,000 installations using bottled gas.