Gas hob installation - cost?

Currently looking for my PPOR, and one of my requirements is a gas kitchen for the cooker. If the property currently doesn't have a gas hob but has gas points and connection (I'll make sure of that), how much would it cost to install a normal gas hob including buying the thing, maybe changing the fan and installation?

This is in Sydney, Hills area.
Alex
 
In a house with easy access it will just be a few hundred plus the gas hob itself. I had an old house on stumps and paid this. The plumber just soldered new pipes on and ran it under the house to the kitchen then up to a tap on the kitchen floor.

If the house is on a slab then I guess it runs through the ceilings and floors and might be a bit dearer.

Cheers,
 
Hi Alex

You will also have to ensure that there is adequate clearance between the top trivet of the gas cooktop to the underside of the exhaust fan. Current regulations stipulate a minimum of 650 mm for gas while it is only 600mm for electric so to swap later can sometimes be non-compliant unless you adjust your overhead cabinetry or rangehood. We allow 700mm for gas now to allow for the varying heights of the trivets that you can get on different brand gas cooktops.

Any work done by a plumber over $500 should be accompanied by a certificate of compliance; this is your guarantee that his work is covered and it also means that he could be spot audited on his job which ensures good practice al 'round. I'm sure there are plenty of plumbers who may do little jobs like these without the paperwork but that could be risky and as a tradie I couldn't recommend it.
 
You will also have to ensure that there is adequate clearance between the top trivet of the gas cooktop to the underside of the exhaust fan. Current regulations stipulate a minimum of 650 mm for gas while it is only 600mm for electric so to swap later can sometimes be non-compliant unless you adjust your overhead cabinetry or rangehood. We allow 700mm for gas now to allow for the varying heights of the trivets that you can get on different brand gas cooktops.

Very useful information. Thanks! Can I 'create' more clearance by getting a gas hob that's simply lower to the ground? With Chinese cooking it's better to have a
lower hob anyway. Though if I was changing it I'd probably look to get a more powerful fan as well.

Any work done by a plumber over $500 should be accompanied by a certificate of compliance; this is your guarantee that his work is covered and it also means that he could be spot audited on his job which ensures good practice al 'round. I'm sure there are plenty of plumbers who may do little jobs like these without the paperwork but that could be risky and as a tradie I couldn't recommend it.

If I get it done I'll definitely be looking for the full documentation, etc. I've just been seeing a lot of potentially good PPOR houses with electric hobs. I figure if it only costs me a couple grand, I can just change it to a gas hob.
Alex
 
Hi Alex

Why did you go and have to mention Chinese cooking? Now I'm hungry!

I need to know what your definition of 'hob' is; are you talking about getting a freestanding unit with oven/cooktop etc all in one, where the legs are adjustable to a certain degree. If not, then by hob I presume you mean cooktop, as that is what I envisage by the term. In this case the cooktop is set into the benchtop. Standard benchtops are 900mm high. Unless you get involved at the design stage then you wouldn't probably find a lower benchheight. The measurement is taken from the top of the cast or metal trivets that sit on the gas hob and support the pans etc above the flame.

As you are looking at existing houses...if you have overhead cupboards with a retractable or fixed rangehood then adjustment could be costly. But if you find something with a canopy rangehood that is free of surrounding cabinetry then you can change your cooktop and adjust the height of the rangehood to make it all comply; you may have to patch up some tiling etc (or just run a new stainless splashback behind the cooktop) but this will be easier and quicker. I think this more open plan might suit your culinary skills better too. Otherwise make sure you get the height adjusted correctly between the cooktop and fan as condensation and frequent cleaning of filter pads and splashback could be the result.

Yes chinese cooking would involve high temp's so a good fan would be essential, I would consider a twin fan a necessity in your selection of rangehood just to ensure you don't trip your smoke alarm every time you cook! Now you will have to post us all a recipe!
 
I saw one house that had a gas hob, but it was set in the MIDDLE of the kitchen (with the 'island' design).

I'm thinking you guys have never cooked Chinese food, have you.....
 
OK, so all you would have to do is change your cooktop to gas and then adjust the drop of your rangehood...easy.

As for the chinese food...I do make stirfry occassionally...kids complain but Daryl and I like it!
 
OK, so all you would have to do is change your cooktop to gas and then adjust the drop of your rangehood...easy.

As for the chinese food...I do make stirfry occassionally...kids complain but Daryl and I like it!

I'm rather partial to stirfry. Genetic AND upbringing.

Gives me another possibility, anyway. It seems that my budget is at the low-ish end of 'ready to move in' homes in my target suburb. I'm ok with compromising with an electric cooktop as long as I have the option of changing to a gas hob later for a couple of grand, which it sounds like I can do as long as there are already gas points? I've heard that it's really expensive to actually get gas connected, if you can at all.

Can anyone advise how to find out if a property has gas connections? Can I just call AGL?
Alex
 
why don't u get just get one of those $99 electric woks? they're pretty good, easy to clean or a bbq with a gas cooker and do your stir frys outside.

I cook malaysian chinese on electric and it's fine. It's more important to have good ventilation, have the exhaust fan ducted out, lots of windows etc coz it gets so smoky and the aroma from the chilli is strong enough to bring tears to your eyes.

another really dumb thing I did....my new house has an electric stove and we only found out after the house was built that the estate has natural gas!
luckily I'm not living there.

However, not all is lost. We are using gas for our hot water system. Because the builder and I only found out a few weeks back about the natural gas, there a really longw ait to get natural gas connected. I have been wiating 3 weeks already and seems like there are only 2 contractors and AGL and origin both use them...it's ridiculous. I actually spent the entire day on the phone to AGL and Origin yesterday, most of time just waiting on the phone. Anyway, we can't afford another 2 to 3 weeks wait with no hot water so we are going to use bottle gas instead. People on the estate are gonna see our bottles outsides and think we are idiots.
 
I couldn't recommend the electric woks - they cycle on and off and simply don't stay hot enough to cook stirfries successfully, IMHO. Hubby has a gas BBQ with a separate wok hotplate and does all the stirfries on it - it is also wonderful for cooking curries (which we love) - and the biggest advantage of cooking outside on the BBQ is that the spicy smells don't circulate throughout the house.

Cheers
LynnH
 
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