Roaster compliance NSW

[snedden9485]

Gday again guys,

Im in the process of looking for a 1-2kg roaster for home, likely a LPG set up. I have seen alot of discussion thrown around regarding Type Certifcation for gas roasters, but I can't seem to find a definition for NSW set ups. VIC seems to be anything over 10 mj/hr output. Im uncertain of the MG output of the JYR 1kg roasters?

Im looking to have this set up under my house, with some ventilation pushed out the side of the house and my LPG bottles stored away from the roaster (outside of the house).

My main concern is obviously my house insurance (I'm sure they will require some level of compliance or all clear from a gas fitter). The purpose of the roaster is mainly home use, with some light commercial sales, but nothing too drastic (10-15 kg a week).

Can anyone shed light on this for me? I intend on purchasing a roaster that comes through Aussie sellers (ie JYR roaster that has local gas fitting requirements, not doing a direct import).

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

[speleomike]

What's mj/hour ?
It can't be milli joules per hour for heat output as that would be far too small.

( Okies then if its mega joules it should be written as MJ/hour. )

[kwantfm]

Megajoules per hour I expect

[snedden9485]

At a guess 15-30 mega joules per hour Max. The HG 5kg is 50 and this would be much less I would think.

[Andy]

Sorry, but your whole post sets-off alarm bells for me.

I think you will be better off paying a Type B gas fitter for advice than getting it from here. $200 well spent and a penny in the overall costs of setup.

It's only a matter of time before we hear of the nightmare under house fire and subsequent insurance breach which at best will leave someone a lot out of pocket and at worst... well I don't really want to think too hard about that. I understand you are trying to cover your bases but I don't think we are the right place for this level of advice.

Use the forum for roasting advice after you have a safe and compliant setup!

[snedden9485]

Thanks Andy, I understand your advice totally, just seeing if others have been through similar set up issues and can steer me in the direction where to research in NSW for some answers. Starting to look like an electric may be far more suitable for a ~1kg home set up in the scheme of things.

[Andy]

The gotcha with advice is it's not just the state and federal regulations, your local council will have it's own set of regulations too and if you setup, annoy the neighbours with smell, smoke or chaff you might find yourself well out of pocket moving the whole thing to commercial premises.

So unless you can find someone in Newy that's done this the replies you get will be well intentioned fluff at best.

I would suggest starting with the council to see what they say and work from there.

[speleomike]

Hi

..... Starting to look like an electric may be far more suitable for a ~1kg home set up in the scheme of things.

But as you mentioned in your first post "The purpose of the roaster is mainly home use, with some light commercial sales, but nothing too drastic (10-15 kg a week)."

If it's just for home use then electric would be fine but I think for even 10-15 kg a week electric will be too expensive to make any reasonable return. Check the wattage of an electric one that can do 2 kg per run and work out your cost for the power based on 20 mins per run x 8 runs to do 15 kg (or 1kg capacity x 20 mins x 15 runs). Gas is far cheaper.

Mike

[Andy]

slight math correction...

...2kg capacity x 20 min x 9 runs to yield 15kg
...1kg capacity x 20 mins x 19 runs... to yield 15kg...

Round figures of 20% moisture loss means a 1kg roaster will give 800g of roasted beans and a 2kg one roughly 1.6kg

[snedden9485]

Yeah no doubt the running costs of the electric will be higher, I guess I can offset that slightly with claiming it as a deduction on tax, but yes it will be more than lpg. Definately not an easy decision!

[snedden9485]

I guess if I go an electrical set up, I'll be aiming to roast according to my smart meter times at home as the rates vary massively once I hit peak.

[upl8]

I would forget the gas and go electric. I'm paying $0.188/kWh after discount for electricity. My 2.4 kilo electric roaster uses a maximum of 3,200 watts. So it costs me about $0.60 per hour to run. I'm not roasting full batches, so I never run it at full power - not even close. Even if you ran it at full power for three hours a week (warm up +16 kilos), it's still only $1.80 per week, some of which is tax deductible.

Gas will cost thousands to set up legally, and will require regular inspections. The inspections will probably cost more than the electricity. Also consider the cost if you ever decide to move. Gas is better for large roasters, but way too expensive for home if you want to do it legally. On the downside, electric will require element replacement, but they should last long time if kept clean and only used a few hours a week.

Also, don't assume that a roaster from a local importer is AGA certified. When I was shopping around, none of the small roasters I looked at were certified by the importer. That's where the thousands of dollars comes in. You can buy a certified BBQ for $150, but not a $20,000 roaster.

[chokkidog]

Andy is right about the 'fluff' re roaster regs and set-up costs. There's a bit of bull in this thread already.

Follow Andy's advice.

You had also better chat to your accountant re tax deductions on what will essentially be a hobby.

You may well be a candidate for an Aillio Bullet, if they past muster from the early adopters.

Early signs seem good.

[upl8]

There's a bit of bull in this thread already.

Where? ___

[MattyRay]

I would forget the gas and go electric. I'm paying $0.188/kWh after discount for electricity. My 2.4 kilo electric roaster uses a maximum of 3,200 watts. So it costs me about $0.60 per hour to run. I'm not roasting full batches, so I never run it at full power - not even close. Even if you ran it at full power for three hours a week (warm up +16 kilos), it's still only $1.80 per week, some of which is tax deductible.

Gas will cost thousands to set up legally, and will require regular inspections. The inspections will probably cost more than the electricity. Also consider the cost if you ever decide to move. Gas is better for large roasters, but way too expensive for home if you want to do it legally. On the downside, electric will require element replacement, but they should last long time if kept clean and only used a few hours a week.

Also, don't assume that a roaster from a local importer is AGA certified. When I was shopping around, none of the small roasters I looked at were certified by the importer. That's where the thousands of dollars comes in. You can buy a certified BBQ for $150, but not a $20,000 roaster.

For an electrician with a Type "B" gas licence, this ^ makes a whole lot of sense.

Regards,

Matt