Regular Gas Safety Checks

Regular gas safety checks…it all boils down to safety

Boilers are an integral part of our domestic set-ups. They heat our homes and our water supply, but they are potentially dangerous and as such, they require regular checks.

All the gas appliances in your home should be gas safety checked once a year by a Gas Safe registered engineer and serviced according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Aside from the crucial point that an appliance left unchecked could leave you at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, the warranty on a new boiler could be invalidated if it is not checked.

It’s also a good idea to have your gas pipework inspected. If you are a landlord it is a legal requirement to have appliances and pipes checked.
Be safe: Around four thousand people a year visit A&E departments with carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of a leaking boiler. And on average, around 50 of these people die. This is known as the silent killer and according to the Telegraph article, British homes are most at risk from carbon monoxide poisoning. This article shows how vulnerable we are.

• Save money: A qualified boiler engineer will make sure your boiler is running smoothly and not wasting energy – important factors in saving money and reducing our carbon footprint.
• More now means less later: Boiler repair in London can become quite costly. By getting an engineer in regularly (say once a year) you will make sure that the boiler is functioning well. If you leave it and a serious problem evolves, it could mean a hefty layout for a new boiler.
• Ensure, insure: Some home insurance policies require regular boiler checks so be vigilant about this because you don’t want to end up with a claim that will not be paid out (but anyway you should check with your insurance supplier).
• Not your business? Oh yes, it is! Businesses are legally obliged to keep gas and oil appliances and installations maintained and safe with an annual Gas Safety certificate. So if you are a business owner or landlord you must provide a genuine Gas Safe certificate for gas boilers.

Gas Safe registered engineers are the only people allowed to work on gas heating systems, boilers, cookers, fires and any other gas appliance. He or she has a badge with the Gas Safe yellow triangle.

You can check if an engineer is registered by phoning the Gas Safe Register on 0800 408 5500 or visiting the Gas Safe website and finally, get a carbon monoxide alarm! For around £20 you can see if there is a problem before there might be one.