Planning a laboratory gas installation? Whether you're setting up a new lab, extending an existing system, or converting a space, this page covers what's involved and what to expect.
Laboratory gas installation means designing and fitting a fixed gas system to deliver the right laboratory gases - nitrogen, hydrogen, helium, argon, compressed air and specialist gases - at the right pressure and flow to where they're needed in research laboratories and industrial settings.
It's not a standard trade job. The specification depends entirely on what the end user is running on the bench, whether that's gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, HPLCs or incubators.
Lab managers, facilities teams and building contractors often search for lab gas installation when a project is already in motion.
This could include:
New laboratory build in progress
Office or workspace being converted to a lab
Laboratory refurbishment requiring new or extended gas supply
Existing gas system being extended or altered
Contractor asked to spec gas systems without enough detail
Previous installation causing delivery or pressure problems
A lab gas supply question almost always turns out to be a design question first.
If you have fixed gas pipework running from compressed gas cylinders to bench outlets, that's an installed gas system. It applies to most research and industrial labs running analytical instrumentation in pharmaceutical industries and beyond. Common examples include:
Fixed pipework to bench outlets
Gas cylinder cages connected to multiple instruments
Gas risers running between floors
Existing systems being extended or modified
New builds requiring gas from the ground up
Not sure whether your setup counts? A brief conversation will tell you.
There are a few things people regularly get wrong about gas system installation.
If you're commissioning lab gas installations - whether as a lab manager, estates manager or main contractor - responsibility for specification doesn't sit with the installer alone. Getting it right depends on the right information being available upfront. That typically means:
Confirming the laboratory gases required and their purity grades
Specifying outlet positions and bench layout
Agreeing pressure and flow requirements per instrument
Ensuring the gas delivery system is designed for the end user's actual work
Arranging PSSR compliance once the fixed system is in place
A gas system installation that hasn't been properly specified can fail to deliver what instruments actually need - wrong pressure, inadequate flow, incompatible materials.
Once a fixed system is in place, it also triggers legal obligations under the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 (PSSR 2000). Operating a fixed pressurised gas system without a written scheme of examination and annual inspections is non-compliant.
The earlier a lab gas specialist is involved, the smoother the project runs. Specification questions left to the main contractor tend to cause delays and reworking.
A straightforward process looks like this:
Contact a lab gas specialist before the design is fixed
Arrange a site survey to confirm routing, gas pipework and requirements
Confirm which gases, grades and flow rates each instrument needs
Agree outlet positions, trunking routes and gas cabinet or cage location
Plan for PSSR compliance from the outset
If we can get in early with the design team, we can specify exactly what's required - and avoid a lot of back and forth once the build is underway.
We handle gas system installation from initial survey through to compliant handover. All work follows British Compressed Gas Association (BCGA) codes of practice and we hold ISO 9001 accreditation. For contractors and design teams, we can contribute to specification at the tender stage. For direct customers, we manage the whole project.
We install laboratory gas systems for new builds, extensions and laboratory refurbishments. That covers gas cylinder cages, copper and stainless steel gas pipework, panel regulators, gas regulators, bench outlets and trunking - fully specified for the gases and instruments in use.
A fixed gas installation triggers PSSR 2000 compliance obligations. We put written schemes in place and carry out annual inspections so the system stays compliant after handover. Most companies installing gas won't do this - we do it as standard.
We can continue past the bench outlet. We supply gas generators and analytical instruments, and carry out installation, commissioning and ongoing servicing for gas chromatography systems, HPLCs and mass spectrometry equipment.
It starts with a site survey - reviewing plans or visiting the location to understand routing, gas requirements and outlet positions. We then provide a detailed quote, carry out the installation, and sign off the completed system. For fixed installations, we'll also set up a written scheme of examination under PSSR 2000.
Yes. We regularly work alongside main contractors, mechanical and electrical companies, and architects. We prefer to be brought in early so we can contribute to the specification. The further along a project gets before we're involved, the harder it is to avoid costly changes.
We install systems for all common laboratory gases - nitrogen, hydrogen, helium, argon, carbon dioxide, oxygen, compressed air, acetylene and a range of specialist gases. We don't work with clinical medical gases for hospital use.
Yes, if it's a fixed pressurised system - compressed gas cylinders in a cage, fixed gas pipework, bench outlets. PSSR 2000 (Pressure Systems Safety Regulations) requires a written scheme of examination and annual inspection. We include this as part of our installation service.
If your lab uses gases for analytical work, research or industrial applications, you need a laboratory gas specialist, not a medical gas installer. Medical gas installation refers to clinical supply systems in hospitals. We handle laboratory gas installations for research laboratories, universities, pharmaceutical industries, food and drink, and industrial settings.
It varies considerably. A single line extension to an existing system might take a day. A new multi-lab building with several gas types across multiple floors can run to months. Timescales depend on project scope, site access and the customer's readiness to proceed.
Contact us for a no-obligation call or free site survey - we'll tell you what your project needs and give you an accurate specification from the start.
Call now on 01259 222 600.
