Whilst you\u2019re airing your house, avoid using light switches or any electrical appliances in your home as sparks could ignite the gas and cause a fire or explosion.<\/p>\n

\n
1. Call the National Gas Emergency number<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

   The telephone number to call if you suspect a gas leak in your home is 0800 111 999. Make sure that you have the number saved in your phone or pinned up somewhere easy to locate in your home. If you\u2019re calling on a mobile phone, make sure you go to a neighbour\u2019s house or walk a safe distance from your home before using your phone, never use a mobile phone whilst still inside your house if you suspect a gas leak.<\/p>\n

   Signs and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning<\/h2>\n

   If carbon monoxide is leaking out into your home this can be more difficult to detect as it is colourless and odourless. If you don\u2019t have a carbon monoxide alarm or your alarm is not working properly, and carbon monoxide starts leaking into your home then you may start to experience some physical symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.<\/p>\n

   Symptoms include:<\/p>\n

   \n
   • Headache<\/li>\n
   • Light-headedness<\/li>\n
   • Dizziness<\/li>\n
   • Nausea<\/li>\n
   • Visual problems<\/li>\n
   • Drowsiness<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

     Warning signs that there may be carbon monoxide leaking into the home are the same as the signs that there could be a problem with a gas appliance.<\/p>\n

     If you suspect that you or someone else may be suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning it is important to act fast to remove them from the property and get them outside in the fresh air before calling for medical help.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

     Getting your gas appliances checked or serviced<\/h2>\n

     Safety check versus service \u2013 what\u2019s the difference?<\/h3>\n

     When having your gas appliances checked it\u2019s important to understand the options available to you to ensure that you request the appropriate service from your engineer.<\/p>\n

     The first thing to work out is whether you require a safety check or service of one single appliance, a safety check for all appliances, or an entire installation.<\/p>\n

     The exact details of what is involved for each service will vary depending on the type and model of the appliance and the manufacturer\u2019s instructions.<\/p>\n

     Generally, an appliance safety check will just ensure that the appliance is safe to use, whilst a service is more thorough and may include more specific checks as well as an inspection of the appliance\u2019s condition and cleaning.<\/p>\n

     A full gas installation safety check should include inspection of all gas appliances as well as all accessible pipework.<\/p>\n

     Why are gas safety checks and services so important?<\/h3>\n

     Most importantly, having your gas appliances safety checked annually will give you peace of mind that they are not putting you, your family, or your home in danger, and that they are safe to use. There are other benefits of regular safety checks and services as well though.<\/p>\n

     \n
     • Keeps appliances working efficiently.<\/li>\n
     • Catch any problems early on before they become more expensive to fix.<\/li>\n
     • Regular boiler servicing makes it less likely your boiler will pack in on you in the middle of winter.<\/li>\n
     • More efficient appliances mean money saved.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

       What happens during a service?<\/h3>\n

       The exact details of what will happen during your gas service will vary depending on the appliance or installation being serviced. However, as a rough guide, most services will include the following:<\/p>\n

       \n
       • Check that the appliance is in full working order.<\/li>\n
       • Check that the appliance is operating safely.<\/li>\n
       • Inspection of the condition of the main components.<\/li>\n
       • Check the gas pressure.<\/li>\n
       • Check for corrosion or leaks.<\/li>\n
       • Cleaning of parts if needed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

         As well as having your gas appliances serviced, it is advisable to have ventilation measures and flues cleaned and maintained on an annual basis.<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

         Hiring a Gas Safe engineer<\/h2>\n

         When dealing with a substance as dangerous as gas, you will want to ensure that any professionals fitting, maintaining, or servicing your appliances are experienced and qualified to do so to avoid problems going unnoticed or appliances being installed incorrectly.<\/p>\n

         Luckily, the Gas Safe Register makes it simple for everyone to gain access to a list of reputable, professional, and competent gas engineers in their local area.<\/p>\n

         All reputable gas engineers are listed on the Gas Safe register and carry a Gas Safe identification card, anyone working with gas appliances who is not registered with Gas Safe is breaking the law.<\/p>\n

         What is the Gas Safe Register?<\/h3>\n

         The Gas Safe Register<\/a> is the official gas registration and licensing body in the UK, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and Guernsey. For anyone that remembers CORGI, the Gas Safe Register took over from CORGI in 2009.<\/p>\n

         You can rest assured that engineers listed on the Gas Safe Register have been required to provide evidence of their qualifications and experience to prove their technical competence. The work of registered engineers is also inspected regularly to ensure that they are meeting current standards and following best practice.<\/p>\n

         As well as coordinating and maintaining the Gas Safe Register and regulating the standard of work being carried out by registered engineers, Gas Safe also raise public awareness of gas safety and investigate illegal gas work that has been carried out.<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

         Benefits of using a Gas Safe registered engineer?<\/h3>\n

         When you hire an engineer from the Gas Safe Register you can do so with confidence that:<\/p>\n

         \n
         • They can legally and safely work with gas appliances.<\/li>\n
         • They are qualified and experienced.<\/li>\n
         • They are regularly inspected to ensure high standards of work.<\/li>\n
         • You will receive a full and thorough service or safety check.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

           What to look for when checking your gas engineer\u2019s ID card<\/h3>\n

           When the engineer arrives at your property, don\u2019t be afraid to ask to see their Gas Safe ID card. The ID card carries useful information to help you check that the engineer is who they say they are and that they\u2019re qualified to carry out the job you\u2019ve hired them to do.<\/p>\n

           Here are a few things to check on their ID card:<\/p>\n

           \n
           • Name, photo and business they work for<\/strong> \u2013 are they the person you were expecting?<\/li>\n
           • Start and expiry date<\/strong> \u2013 this is important as Gas Safe membership needs to be renewed annually.<\/li>\n
           • Their licence number<\/strong> \u2013 you can check that the license number is valid on the Gas Safe website here.<\/a><\/li>\n
           • Security hologram<\/strong> \u2013 is it present and does it look genuine?<\/li>\n
           • Are they qualified to carry out the job?<\/strong> \u2013 on the back of the ID card it lists what type of work the engineer is qualified to do.<\/li>\n
           • Are their qualifications up to date?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

             <\/p>\n

             Gas safety for landlords\/tenants<\/h2>\n

             In the case of rented properties, it is the landlord\u2019s responsibility to ensure that all gas appliances in a rental property that belong to them are properly maintained and have annual safety checks from Gas Safe registered engineers.<\/p>\n

             Landlords are required to arrange annual gas safety checks under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 and if they fail to do so they are breaking the law.<\/p>\n

             According to the Health and Safety Executive<\/a>, landlords are required to keep a record of each gas safety check for 2 years and supply each tenant with a copy of the Gas Safety Certificate within 28 days of the safety check being carried out.<\/p>\n

             You may sometimes hear a Gas Safety Certificate referred to as a CP12 certificate. CP12 is what the certificate was called back when CORGI regulated gas safety in the UK. The new Gas Safety Certificate is essentially the same thing under a new name.<\/p>\n

             Find a local Gas Safe engineer<\/h2>\n

             Need help with a gas appliance in your home? Post your job on Rated People<\/a> to receive quotes from up to four Gas Safe registered engineers local to you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

             Gas is a dangerous substance, and whilst we couldn\u2019t do without gas appliances like boilers, gas fires and cookers in our homes, all gas appliances should be carefully maintained to avoid them becoming hazardous. According to the Gas Safe Register, 1 in 6 homes inspected by engineers contain unsafe gas appliances. Keeping up-to-date with the …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":28844,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pgc_sgb_lightbox_settings":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3049,3038,3230],"tags":[3284,3282],"class_list":["post-24196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice","category-heating","category-safety","tag-heat","tag-home-safety"],"acf":false,"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/rp-prod-wordpress-b-content.s3.amazonaws.com\/assets\/2016\/08\/01163318\/sm-ho-gassafe-4.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Natalie","author_link":"https:\/\/www.ratedpeople.com\/blog\/author\/natalie-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2"},"yoast_head":"\n