Gas Boiler Safety Tips
Gas boilers, and indeed all gas appliances, are generally very safe to use and cheap to run. However, gas boiler safety is a very important part of owning gas appliances and to keep yourself and your family safe and healthy, it’s important to make sure your boiler and any other gas appliances are running correctly.
What is carbon monoxide poisoning?
Carbon monoxide is a byproduct of the combustion process. Leaks can be very dangerous and even fatal. Faulty boilers and boilers that aren’t regularly serviced and subjected to gas boiler safety tests run the risk of leaking carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is odourless, colourless and difficult to detect without a carbon monoxide alarm. However, there are some warning signs you can look out for:
• The gas flame itself appearing orange or yellow instead of blue
• Fires struggling to light and to stay ignited
• Sooty stains near appliances
• A blocked flue or chimney
The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are notoriously hard to spot and often go unnoticed for a long time, but if you notice any of the following symptoms you should take appropriate action:
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Lethargy
• Breathlessness
• Collapse and loss of consciousness
Carbon monoxide tends to ‘clear out’ of the body fairly rapidly once the affected person is no longer in contact with it. For this reason, many people find that their doctors are unable to detect the cause of their frequent malaise.
What is a gas leak?
As well as carbon monoxide leaks, faulty or damaged gas boilers and appliances can run the risk of leaking gas which is immediately very dangerous. This is rare, but if you smell gas (or suspect a carbon monoxide leak) you should shut off the appliance, open the windows, leave the house immediately and contact the national gas emergency number on 0800 111 999.
Gas boiler safety tips
To ensure gas boiler safety, and indeed the safety of other gas appliances in your home, follow the advice given here.
• The most important thing to do to ensure gas boiler safety is to have your boiler, and other gas appliances, serviced and safety checked at least once a year by a Registered Gas Installer. This will keep your boiler running in tiptop condition, detect any developing faults, and ensure that it is running safely with no risk of leaking gas or carbon monoxide.
• If you suspect your boiler has a fault, switch it off until the engineer arrives.
• If your boiler starts making unusual noises, don’t take any chances call an engineer to get things checked out.
• Install a carbon monoxide alarm at the recommended distance from your gas boiler and any other gas appliances in your home.
All Gas Services Ltd engineers are fully qualified and RGI registered for your peace of mind. To ensure gas boiler safety, call us today to arrange a gas boiler service and safety check.