Gas Safety Week: Experts share how to stay safe from hidden gas dangers at home
To mark Gas Safety Week (September 8-14), experts at Ideal Heating have shared their top tips for staying safe at home when it comes to your gas appliances.
Gas is colourless and also naturally odourless. To make spotting gas leaks easier, a special odorant, Mercaptan is added to give it that distinctive smell, a strong sulphur-like scent which can often be mistaken for rotten eggs.
The experts at Ideal Heating have provided their top 5 tips to ensure your home is gas safe:
1) Perform annual checks and maintenance
Keeping on top of regular checks and maintenance is one of the simplest measures you can take to ensure your home is gas safe. This includes:
An Annual Boiler Check:
Servicing your boiler once a year will not only keep the warranty intact but also ensure it is running smoothly and efficiently. If you haven’t serviced your boiler already this year, Ideal Heating recommend doing so as soon as possible while demand is lower, as boiler servicing and repairs begin to pick up over the colder months.
Typically, these checks are performed together, meaning you can ensure your home is safe all in one visit.
An Annual Gas Safety Check:
This involves an inspection of all the gas appliances in your home, and should be carried out by a Gas Safe Engineer. If you’re renting your property, your landlord should ensure that these checks are performed every 12 months. This should only take around half an hour, and will ensure your appliances are safe and there are no gas leaks.
2) Learn what to do in an emergency
Acting fast in a gas emergency is vital. If you think you can smell gas, open all the doors and windows in your home to increase ventilation. Then, turn off the gas isolation valve, leave the property and contact National Emergency Gas. Make sure to extinguish any naked flames, and do not turn the gas on again until it has been checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
3) Get a carbon monoxide alarm fitted
It’s important to note that carbon monoxide can also be leaked from malfunctioning gas appliances, and a carbon monoxide detector should be in place to help spot this. Carbon monoxide is an odourless gas. If you have a boiler, stove or a fuel-burning fire, it's recommended you have a carbon monoxide alarm in your home.
Follow the manufacturer's installation instructions; it is usually recommended to place the alarm roughly 15 cm away from the ceiling. Regularly test the batteries to ensure your system is working smoothly.
4) Understand the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning
Would you be able to spot the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning? There are 6 key indicators, including:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Breathlessness
- Collapsing
- Loss of consciousness
If you begin to feel unwell, see your GP immediately, and let them know you may have been exposed to carbon monoxide.
5) Look out for warning signs on your appliances
Monitoring your heating system can ensure faults or concerns are addressed immediately. Look out for any leaks, cracks, or unusual noises from your appliances, and if there is something out of the ordinary, get them checked by a Gas Safe Engineer.