Peter Lawson is co-owner of Sydney’s longest established plumbing company, Lawson Bros, a licensed plumbing, draining and gas-fitting company.
A licensed gas-fitter can work on gas lines, boilers, pumps, LPG and natural gas appliances, regulators and meters. Only fully qualified plumbers can apply to train as a gas-fitter.
“Gas is a wonderful medium for [energy – dangerous, but compliant if used properly. It provides the householder and business alike the ability to create products, light a work area, heat space and cook up a treat,”? says Mr Lawson.
“My experience with gas goes back to working during my apprenticeship with industrial furnaces cooking 20 tonne slabs of copper and bronze to enable them to be worked into other products plumbers use, such as copper sheet and bronze brazing rod.”
Business source
Mr Lawson says that gas work accounts for approximately 25 per cent of Lawson’s overall business, with
50 per cent of the company’s gas-fitting work today is in domestic situations.
“Householders are aware of the green benefits that arise from using gas appliances and are keen to take them on,”? he says. “A lot of our domestic work is with clients changing over from storage electric hot water heaters to either gas instantaneous or gas storage water heaters.”?
EcoSmart Plumber, the Plumbing Industry Association of South Australia, expects to see gas-boosted solar and solar hot water systems comprising
90 per cent of all hot water systems sold in Australia within the next ten years.
Meanwhile, industrial and commercial clients account for
25 per cent of the company’s gas work, with new food factories opting for the benefits that gas adds to their processes, explains Mr Lawson. He adds that government entities, which account for the other 25 per cent of Lawson’s gas business, are also taking up gas options when available with water heater replacements.
Applying for gas
The environmental and financial incentives for installing gas appliances are set to see more work for gas-fitting plumbers as households and business install more gas appliances.
Mr Lawson says “Government rebates have seen an increase in interest in gas appliances from domestic clients, and this increase in awareness is across the board of domestic, commercial and industrial clients as people educate themselves regarding energy sources.”?
However Mr Lawson flags the issues arising because of the increase in demand.