If you have a gas boiler in your home it is important that a safety check is carried out annually to ensure it is operating safely. Appliances which haven’t been checked leave you and your family at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
A gas boiler safety check should only be carried out by a registered Gas Safe engineer who will ensure your system is operating correctly. You can check to make sure your gas engineer is Gas Safe registered here.
I have just had my boiler serviced, do I still need a safety check?
There are key differences between a safety check and a regular service, some engineers will carry out a service without carrying out a safety check and vice versa. Similarly, a boiler safety check is not the same as a system safety check, which covers the whole of your central heating system including pipes and radiators. It is therefore important that you establish exactly what your engineer does when he visits.
Any reputable gas engineer should establish a scope of work before he begins, this should establish exactly what the engineer will actually do and what has been checked. If you have just had your boiler serviced the scope of work will tell you if a safety check has been carried out. If you are unsure it is a good idea to have your boiler checked anyway. At Shaw’s Plumbing and Heating we can carry out both Gas Safety Checks and Boiler Servicing.
What is the Boiler Service Engineer going to do?
When the engineer arrives he will visually inspect the installation including the flue and manually check that your boiler is operating correctly, check the water pressure is in the system. Low pressure can indicate a leak somewhere in the system which may cause your system to fail.
Then he will check the gas inlet pressure and where required the burner pressure, the combustion and air-supply levels are checked via a gas flue analsyer to ensure that they are correctly set to the manufacturers instructions. Inadequate air-supply and incorrect combustion levels not only affects efficiency but it can also lead to incorrect ignition and a loud explosion sound on firing up, cleaning inside the boiler and if required the heat exchanger/burners and condense trap, correct topping up of expansion vessels are also a must and many times overlooked by other boiler service companies, a reading will be taken from the gas meter to check the correct gas rate, he will check to ensure that all safety devices, cutouts and controls are working correctly. Finally he will fill out the required service report paperwork and if available sign the boiler service book.
Who should have a safety check?
While there is no legal requirement for residential premises to have a safety check it is recommended that all homes should have their gas appliances checked by a Gas Safe engineer each year. Some households may be entitled to a FREE check, including those with elderly residents. So check with your energy provider to see if you can take advantage of this offer.
Private landlords and housing associations are legally required to have their gas appliances and pipework checked annually. Your Gas Safe registered engineer will then provide you with a Landlord Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) which can be shown to your tenants and provides proof that you have carried out the required checks.
Remember, carbon monoxide is both colourless and scentless so it is difficult to tell if one of your appliances is leaking. So keep your family safe and get your gas boiler checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer each year.