Many people are not aware of how often they should get their boiler serviced. More concerning, they also don’t know the tell-tale signs that mean they need an emergency safety check from a qualified Gas Safe plumber. Read on, to make sure you know what to look for.
The Gas Safe organisation is in charge of gas safety in the UK, and it also ensures that plumbers are properly qualified to work with gas. Gas Safe says that you should get all your gas appliances, including your boiler, serviced every year. In fact, they go further, and say that you should also get the gas pipe work checked at the same time. If you’re a landlord, you have to do this check by law.
A gas boiler that isn’t checked could put you at risk of poisoning from carbon monoxide. You can suffer from this without realising it, as carbon monoxide does not smell. Mild carbon monoxide leaks may cause headaches, but there’s no safe level, and the gas can easily prove fatal.
Signs that you need an emergency safety check
The signs to worry about are if any gas appliance, especially the boiler, is not working properly. Look at the flame, if it’s visible. It should have slim, blue flames, rather than rounder yellow ones.
Another sign of a boiler that is not working as it should be are any black marks or stains appearing on any part of it. And if the pilot light keeps going out, you should also take that as a sign to arrange an emergency safety visit. Lastly, you may notice increased condensation in the room where the appliance is located. That too is a sign that you need to get the boiler or other appliance checked.
Services and safety checks
If you’re worried about how your boiler is functioning, you may need an emergency safety check. But you’d be wise to follow this up with a full Cheltenham Boiler Service from sites including http://www.blu-fish.co.uk/ , to prevent any further problems. Specialists will have registered certificates and training to deal with this for you.
With gas, it’s always better to be safe than sorry, and a safety check followed by a service can put your mind at rest if you’re worried about the safety of your boiler.
