It’s never a good idea to cut corners with Gas Equipment, it’s simply not worth the risk!

Gas Regulator Safety should very much be at the top of anyone’s agenda when buying Gas Equipment.

European Standard EN ISO 2503

First and foremost is checking that an Industrial Gas Regulator is conforms to EN ISO 2503. This is the current European Standard.

Unfortunately, it’s not quite as simple as that, because a lot of manufacturers will “Self Certify”.

Self Certifying by marking the Regulator as “Conforming” to the standard is technically legal, but it means you’re taking their word that it does actually conform. Given most Gas Regulators are manufactured in distant Countries, outside the EU, that’s a big leap of faith!!!

For those of us who supply Industrial Gas Regulators to the end user there is the risk of falling foul of Trades Descriptions legislation.

Bizarrely, it’s OK for a manufacturer (or importer), to supply a Regulator with dubious credentials to a Retailer. But it’s not OK for the Retailer to supply a Regulator that claims to conform to EN ISO 2503, but actually doesn’t, to an end user!

It’s a quirk in the Trades Descriptions rules that Retailers of Gas Regulators need to be aware of!

Why should you care?

It’s important! An industrial Gas Cylinder (Oxygen or Argon for example), has a typical cylinder pressure of 230bar (nearly 3,400 psi). You REALLY don’t want a poor quality Gas Regulator holding that kind of pressure back for you!!!

Even the smaller Non Rent Gas Cylinders that are popular for DIY, have a cylinder pressure of at least 137bar (over 2000 psi).

For perspective, a car tyre is typically inflated to between 2bar and 3bar (around 30psi – 45psi). Now think about the bang and the mess a Tyre makes if it blows and multiply that by a few decibels!!!!

My advice would be to make sure an Industrial Regulator not only conforms to EN ISO 2503 but has been independently verified as conforming by an organisation such as Belgium based Apragaz .

Look for the Apragaz logo stamped or etched on fully verified Gas Regulators:

The seller of any Industrial Gas Regulator worth buying will be able to supply independently verified certification, should you want proof!

Gas Regulator Safety

But it’s not just Gas Regulator Safety that’s at stake here, you also want your Gas Regulator to do it’s job well.

A cheap Regulator may seem a great choice if you “only use it now and again”. However, it’s very frustrating if the outlet pressure fluctuates because of poor design or quality. Cheap Industrial Regulators can also be dangerous if not designed well, or are made from sub standard materials!

Quality = Performance and Reliability

Proven build quality to BS EN 2503 ensures you have a decent Regulator that will work well, be safe and have a good service life.

The difference in cost between a cheap Industrial Gas Regulator and a quality assured Regulator that has been verified as conforming to EN ISO 2503 is not that great. So why take the risk!

The Welders Warehouse own brand Gas Regulators are manufactured by UK Company Wescol.

The Welders Warehouse own brand Gas Regulators are manufactured using the best quality materials, inside and out, including an ALL BRASS Body and Bonnet.

ALL The Welders Warehouse own brand Industrial Gas Regulators are VERIFIED by Apragaz as Conforming to EN ISO 2503.

Conclusions

Gas Regulator Safety is VERY important for avoiding the risk of serious injury, or worse!

Buying Regulators that have been independently verified as conforming to EN ISO 2503 will not only ensure you’re buying a SAFE Gas Regulator, but that you’re also buying a Gas Regulator that will work well and give Years of service.

I hope you found this article about Gas Regulator Safety useful.

Please let me know what you thought by leaving a comment.

Don’t worry, your email address won’t be added to a database or shared and you won’t receive any unsolicited email.

Cheers

Graham