For aspiring gas engineers, one of the big considerations when planning your training is whether you want to work in a domestic setting, a commercial setting, or a mixture of both. 

Given the potentially hazardous nature of unsafe gas work, all engineers must undergo robust training, assessments and join the Gas Safe Register before they can begin working in the industry. 

Domestic engineers are experts in household gas systems, generally working on the installation and maintenance of appliances like boilers, cookers and fires. Commercial gas engineers tend to work with larger, more complex systems found in properties such as office buildings, factories, schools and hospitals. 

It’s vital to understand that further training and several additional qualifications must be completed before an individual can transition from domestic to commercial gas work. 

What qualifications do domestic gas engineers need?

The key qualification for domestic gas engineers is the CCN1 (Core Domestic Gas Safety). The CCN1 ensures that candidates understand gas safety principles and legal responsibilities. It also forms the foundation for the mandatory appliance-specific qualifications that come next, which include:

  • CENWAT: Central Heating Boilers and Water Heaters
  • CKR1: Cookers
  • HTR1: Gas Fires and Wall Heaters
  • MET1: Meters

Completing a work-based portfolio also forms an essential part of gas training. This is a mandatory requirement for all trainee engineers, and includes performing a specific set of tasks while under the supervision of a qualified engineer to prove competence. 

Once your training and portfolio are complete, you’ll be in a position to undertake your Accredited Certification Scheme assessments (ACS), which you’ll need before joining the Gas Safe Register. 

Typical daily responsibilities of a domestic gas engineer

  • Installing and maintaining gas appliances such as boilers, cookers and fireplaces
  • Diagnosing and repairing faults with household gas appliances
  • Responding to emergency call-outs such as boiler breakdowns and gas leaks
  • Issuing landlords with gas safety records and certificates

A frequent career pathway is for engineers to begin working in a domestic setting, gaining industry experience before completing their commercial qualifications and expanding the services they can offer. 

What additional qualifications do commercial gas engineers need? 

Given the increased power, size and complexity of systems that commercial gas engineers tend to work with, the core training and assessments are very different to that of domestic engineers. 

The core training module that commercial gas engineers will need to complete is the COCN1 - Core Commercial Gas Safety. Following this, other base qualifications include ICPN1 - First Fix Pipe Installations and TPCP1A - Testing and Direct Purging of Small Low Pressure Commercial Gas Installations.

Like domestic engineers, appliance-specific modules are also required for different systems, such as:

  • CIGA1: Indirect Fired Commercial Appliances.
  • CDGA1: Direct Fired Commercial Appliances.
  • CORT1: Overhead Radiant Tube & Radiant Plaque Heaters.

For those expecting to move into catering gas work, specialist modules like CCC1 – Core Commercial Catering Gas Safety will also be needed.

For domestic engineers who already hold their CCN1 and want to expand their services to commercial gas, there is also the CODNCO1 (Change over Core Gas Safety - Domestic to Commercial, which bridges the gap between both skill sets. 

While in some scenarios it is possible to jump straight into commercial gas training (such as dedicated Managed Learning Programmes (MLP) and significant relevant industry experience), it is far more common for an engineer to begin by training as a domestic engineer and gain commercial qualifications at a later date. 

Typical daily responsibilities of a commercial gas engineer

  • Installing and maintaining gas appliances in commercial properties like factories, schools and offices
  • Installing and repairing commercial pipework
  • Conducting planned preventative maintenance on gas systems to ensure optimum and safe operation
  • Issuing and reviewing gas safety certificates for businesses 
  • Responding to emergency call-outs 

What gas training options are available? 

For complete beginners, Able Skills offers an in-depth New Entrant package designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge needed for your domestic ACS assessments, including an option to include the portfolio segment of your training. 

Beyond this, we also offer a Commercial Gas Changeover course. This is perfect for anyone who has held their CCN1 for at least 12 months and is ready to add commercial qualifications. This training package can also be valuable for those who may have previously held commercial gas qualifications, but need a refresher before renewing their ACS and Gas Safe membership.