Gas Safety In The Home: What Should You Be Doing?
If you have one or more properties that have gas appliances installed, it’s important to keep them in tip-top condition. As a landlord, or agent acting for a landlord, you have a legal obligation to ensure they aren’t neglected, as they could leak carbon monoxide (CO) and this could be extremely dangerous. To prevent this from happening, find out what you should be doing and take gas safety seriously.
Have all appliances checked annually
You should have the boilers in your properties serviced on an annual basis, but what about the other appliances? All gas-powered gadgets should be looked over at least once a year, so don’t forget to arrange annual gas safety checks. A qualified engineer will make sure everything’s working properly and identify any defects which need remedial repair. Not only will this keep your tenants safe, but improving the efficiency of your products could save energy in the long run. You can find out more about gas safety inspections by visiting the Gas Safe Register website.
Always use a Gas Safe engineer
If you’ve seen programs like Watchdog, you will know there are many con artists out there with people claiming to have skills that they don’t. As a result, you must only employ the services of a Gas Safe registered engineer who has the qualifications to do the job at hand across any properties you may have. If you have doubts about the workman you choose, ask to see their Gas Safe ID card and check if they are registered by entering their ID card number online.
Know the symptoms of CO poisoning
CO poisoning can be fatal, so you must know the symptoms of this worrying condition. They include headaches, dizziness, nausea, breathlessness, collapse and loss of consciousness, and usually return when you reenter the polluted environment. If one or more of the tenants you have complain of any of these symptoms, there could be a gas leak, so it is essential to act immediately.
Protect your house going forward
Even if you have been a bit slack in the past, you can still take gas safety seriously going forward. One of the best ways to do this is to install an audible carbon monoxide detector in every apartment, house and bedroom. This clever device can detect if CO is present and will make a loud noise if you’re tenants are in any danger. Once that’s done, it’s worth updating your boiler cover, home insurance and any other policy you might have, just in case an emergency did happen.
Gas appliances are an absolute essential in some properties, but as a landlord you should make every effort not to neglect them.
By Dan Whiteside of DIY Newbie
