Rubber gas pipe or steel braided hose: which to fit and how often to change it

Between the regulator and the stove is a metre or so of pipe. It costs very little, it is in the hottest and greasiest part of the kitchen, and it is where most domestic gas leaks start.

Rubber pipe

The traditional option. Flexible, cheap, easy to fit. It hardens with heat and age, cracks near the stove end where it is warmest, and can be nicked by a knife or a cabinet edge. Rated life is about two years; many are used far longer.

Steel braided hose

A rubber or composite inner with a stainless braid over it. Resists heat, cuts and crushing far better. Costs more, lasts longer — five years or more is typical. Slightly stiffer to route around a tight corner.

Which to choose

• Stove close to the cylinder, cool kitchen, disciplined about replacement: rubber is fine
• Hot kitchen, long run, cabinets or drawers near the pipe, or you know you will forget: braided
• Any PNG installation: whatever the supplier specifies, which is usually braided or rigid

Look for the manufacture date printed along the pipe. If it is more than two years old, or you cannot find a date at all, replace it. Do not wait for it to look bad — a hardened pipe looks fine right up until it cracks.

Fitting properly

Cut square, pushed fully onto the nozzle, clamped at both ends, routed away from the burner heat and not kinked. Then soap-tested. A technician does this as part of any stove visit; ask for the pipe to be checked every time.