Gas Safety Week: Heating experts top tips for staying gas safe in your home

Whilst being colourless, gas is also naturally odourless, and a special odorant that gives it that distinctive smell is added to make spotting gas leaks much easier, otherwise known as Mercaptan*. It is non-toxic, and the strong sulphur-like scent can often be mistaken for rotten eggs.

To avoid potential problems with your systems and risks to your health, experts at Ideal Heating have provided their top 5 tips behind staying gas safe at home:

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 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. However, if you’re renting your property, your landlord should be ensuring 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

An annual Boiler Check

• Servicing your boiler once a year will not only keep the warranty intact, but it will also ensure it is running smoothly and efficiently. If you haven’t serviced your boiler already this year, we would recommend servicing it 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.

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.

Get a carbon monoxide alarm fitted

It’s important to note carbon monoxide can also be leaked from malfunctioning gas appliances, and a carbon monoxide detector should be in place to help spot this, as it 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, we recommend placing the alarm roughly 15 cm away from the ceiling. Also, make sure you’re regularly testing the batteries to make sure your system is working smoothly.

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.

Look out for warning signs on your appliances

By monitoring your heating system, you can keep it healthy and ensure faults or concerns are addressed straight away. Look out for any leaks, cracks and unusual noises from your appliances, and if there is something out of the ordinary, get these checked by a Gas Safe Engineer.

Top tip: remember to check outside of your home to ensure any external vents are not being blocked.