'A' Gas fitting

SpeyFitter

Where I live (Province of BC) all Plumbers usually get their 'B' Gas ticket when they do their last year/term of Plumbing school. The 'B' Gas ticket is only approved in our Province of BC (although I've heard they may be trying to almalgamate the ticket with Alberta or something along those lines), and allows Plumber/Gasfitters to install/work on pretty much just about anything you might find in a residential application, a serious chunk of the commercial gas, and very few industrial gas fitting applications. As far as I'm concerned it is almost too easy to get your 'B' ticket when you consider what you are allowed to work on, although the test to get it is fair, but it's still just a bunch of school books.



After you have held your 'B' Gas ticket for 2 years in BC, you are allowed to take your 'A' ticket. Basically the 'A' ticket takes off where the 'B' left off and lets you work on virtually anything. You're not just blowing up families, you're working on stuff that could blow up entire city blocks. And subsequently the 'A' ticket I'm told is quite difficult to get. Lots of math/formulas/theories you have to learn, and I'm told there is a high failure rate. I've heard as high as 50% but then an instructor at BCIT told me it's more realistically like 20%. However I have heard in the entire Province of BC (about 4 million people) there are less than 100 'A' GAs fitters.



Well challenging the 'A' ticket is something I think I might aspire to do potentially next year. There is supposedly a night school course you can take a few days a week. I really like gas fitting actually, in fact I think I like it more than I like plumbing, despite the risk. I think it's because I enjoy heating so much (hydronic heating that is, boilers, mainly).



So I'm curious for those of you guys who took the time to read my little blurb, how does it work for you gas ticket wise south of the border - do they have similar levels of tickets for gas? I know you guys have your own code, etc, much like we have ours (CSA B149.1).



Also, any 'A' gasfitters here (or equivilent? - are you allowed to basically work on any gas system you want?).



Also, any advice/suggestions?

Tim McElwain

Suggestions for you

buy some of my manuals on gas they will be of great help to you. Contact me at my e-mail of gastc@cox.net .



My understanding on Canada and the various requirements the different provinces have is the requirement are much more stringent than here in the US.



You also just went to all 90 + efficient gas equipment as of January 2010. We are really dragging our feet here in the lower 48.