As we are sure you’re all aware, this week is a very important week in the UK. Why, you may ask? Well, this week is Gas Safety week.

Efforts are being made all across the UK to raise awareness about the safety hazards a gas boiler can propose. As the week progresses, we urge you to take notice and have your gas boiler checked for faults.

Okay, we admit it – perhaps Gas Safety week isn’t as popular as we would like. But whilst it probably won’t be at the forefront of your mind, the purpose of the week is incredibly important. Each year, around two hundred people are killed in the UK from the inhalation of lethal carbon monoxide fumes. This happens due to faulty heating systems, and often relates to boiler faults. To keep your family safe, you should regularly have your boiler checked by a professional in case damage has occurred.

The facts about carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide is an odourless, colourless gas that can be fatal if absorbed into the blood stream. If proper gas appliance maintenance does not take place on a regular basis, carbon monoxide gas may leak from a fault in a boiler. It can then spread around the family home, ready for inhalation by residents. Carbon monoxide can cause dizziness, sickness and headaches. Often it is difficult to diagnose the problem in time – which is why prevention is always the best cure.

There are a number of measures you can take to eliminate the threat posed by carbon monoxide. Firstly, and most importantly, you should have your gas boiler checked by a qualified Gas Safe technician on an annual basis. Whilst this may incur a cost, it is a worthwhile investment in the safety of your family. Additionally, you could purchase a carbon monoxide detector alarm and place it in close proximity to your gas appliance. This is an extra precaution, which is useful – but not a replacement for proper checks by a professional.

Landlords: your gas appliance responsibilities

If you are a landlord, it is your responsibility to properly maintain your gas appliances and ensure they don’t present a safety hazard to your tenants. You must ensure all boilers in your residencies are fully functioning, and have appropriate measures in place to deal with the threat carbon monoxide poses. Legally, your boilers must be checked every twelve months by an official Gas Safe engineer. You could find yourself in trouble if you don’t comply with this safety law, and are at risk of losing your right to let out properties.

Put simply, leaving your gas boiler to its own devices and not implementing regular safety checks is a risk that shouldn’t be taken. For the sake of around fifty pounds, even when the budget is tight savings like these are not ones that should be made. Don’t ever compromise the safety of your family members to make a last minute cost cutting.

Guest Article by Connor Sephton

CO2, or carbon dioxide, is a silent killer and as most people are more interested in carbon monoxide, it can often go undetected until it’s to late. The air we breathe has around 21% CO2 in it naturally and this suits us fine, however as the percentage rises and we inhale it, this noxious gas takes the place of oxygen in the blood stream and quickly poisons the body. High levels of CO2 can cause organ failure, brain damage and even death in some cases.

CO2 Dangers in the Home
Carbon dioxide is an odourless, colourless gas and is typically produced by gas boilers in the home. In a properly functioning system, the CO2 gas is released into the atmosphere outside the home through the boiler’s flue and there isn’t a problem. Should the flue become blocked or damaged though, the CO2 emissions can seep into the rooms around the boiler and cause poisoning. Even worse is when the CO2 is converted into carbon monoxide because of the lack of ventilation and this gas seeps into the house. CO2 poisoning can occur within minutes in extreme cases and once the victim falls unconscious then it is unlikely they will survive unless found by someone else.

Avoiding the Dangers of CO2
There are a number of ways to avoid a CO2 poisoning tragedy and most are easy to do and relatively inexpensive. So for example:

• You should arrange to have an annual boiler service performed by a Corgi registered gas engineer. These services check your boiler for excessive CO2 production and also check that the flue is fully operational and clear of any blockages or leakages. Should a problem be found then it can easily be fixed at the time of the service.
• Your home should have adequate ventilation which means that built-in vents shouldn’t be blocked in any way – from the inside or the outside. During the warmer months you can have windows and doors open to increase the ventilation if you think that there may be a CO2 problem.
• You can also buy a CO2 alarm which will alert you to the presence of high CO2 levels before they can do any damage. These alarms are inexpensive at around £20 and can be placed at various places around the home if you want, although one should be placed close to the boiler and flue for obvious reasons.

New boilers and flue systems very rarely cause problems however older boilers can and it is worth spending a few extra pounds each year to safeguard the people in your home. CO2 poisoning is quick and the gas is undetectable by the senses so paying out for an alarm to do the detecting is surely a small price to pay in anyone’s book – I know it certainly is in mine.

Guest Article by Clare Lynock