APHC Pledges it’s support for Gas Safety Week

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Allserve Heating & Plumbing

The Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC) pledges its support for Gas Safety Week (15-21 September), now in its fourth year. John Thompson, APHC CEO, is highlighting potential measures which could improve safety and reduce cases of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The fourth annual Gas Safety Week will see the whole industry coming together to bring gas safety to the forefront of people’s minds. Dangerous gas work can kill, so it is vital that gas appliances are safety checked at least once a year. If left unchecked, poorly serviced gas appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. In the last year alone, 343 people were injured and 10 people died as a result of gas related incidents.

John Thompson, Chief Executive at APHC said, “APHC is proposing some solutions to reduce incidents of faulty gas appliances and fatalities. A primary measure would be a mandatory annual MOT style check-up to make sure appliances are properly maintained, with potential faults detected prior to them becoming a silent killer.

“Secondly, it should be a mandatory requirement to have a CO detector installed when replacing a boiler in England and Wales. This requirement is already in place for solid fuels, and we recommend for it to be extended to cover all fuel types. These measures should also apply to all types of combustion appliances to reduce dangers to consumers across the board.

“APHC, along with other leading industry colleagues and led by Plumb Center, are lobbying for CO detectors to become mandatory wherever a carbon-burning appliance is installed. You can join the petition at www.no-to-co.co.uk. Only around 15% of UK homes have CO alarms, yet every year over 4,000 people are admitted to hospital with CO poisoning”.

Installers can get involved with Gas Safe week and help spread the message of Gas Safety; you can help by reminding customers that to stay gas safe they should:

Always use a Gas Safe registered engineer when having gas work carried out in your home.

Get your gas appliances safety checked at least once a year and serviced in line with the manufacturer’s instructions.

Check the front and back of your engineer’s Gas Safe Register ID card, making sure they are qualified to do the specific type of gas work you require.

Install an audible carbon monoxide alarm which will alert you if dangerous levels are present in your home.

Check for warning signs your appliances aren’t working correctly, such as lazy yellow or orange flames instead of crisp blue ones, black marks on or around the appliance and too much condensation in the room.

People can also sign up to a free reminder service at www.StayGasSafe.co.uk where they can also see how many and what type of unsafe gas appliance has been found near to them on an interactive UK map.

Why is a gas safety check important?

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Allserve Heating & Plumbing

Every landlord has to provide a Gas safety certificate to their tenants by law annually. At Allserve Heating & Plumbing, we perform these gas safety checks for hundreds of landlords and letting agents every year. Gas safety Inspections are essential to make sure that all gas appliances within a property are safe and conform to national safety standards. If a landlord does not comply with this requirement, and a fault leads to death from carbon monoxide poisoning through a faulty appliance, the landlord can be charged with manslaughter. Failure to produce a safety certificate (CP 12) can result in prosecution, a fine, invalidation of property insurance and even in extreme cases, loss of life.

A landlord’s gas safety certificate must be given to a tenant within 28 days of issue, and the tenant should keep their copy for two years from the date of testing.

Gas safety inspections consist of the checking of the following appliances:

Gas fired boilers
Central heating systems
Gas fires
Cookers
Ovens

Our engineers are Gas Safe registered and fully qualified in working on gas appliances

Allserve engineers will attend your property and fully test of the appliances using the latest technology. Our instruments can detect even minor fluctuations in carbon monoxide levels so that you can be sure your property is safe.

As part of your gas safety check, our engineers will test the following:

Check for gas leaks on your central heating system
Perform a ‘tightness test’ on your gas meter to make sure there are no leaks
Check Co2 (carbon monoxide) levels on your boiler flue
Check that your flue location is correct and conforms to British Standards
Check your gas hob location and clearances conform to British Standards
Make sure your gas hob and/or oven is functioning correctly
Check your gas fire to make sure it is lighting properly and that there are no leaks
Check your chimney with a ‘smoke test’ to make sure there is adequate ventilation for your gas fire
Check to make sure the space around your boiler is properly ventilated
Check the working pressures on your system

Upon successful completion of the gas safety check, you will be provided with a complete and professional certificate containing the property address, engineer’s name, gas safe number and details of the inspection. This will be sent to you via email or in the post immediately providing that there are no issues that need to be remedied. If there are any problems, we will endeavour to correct these immediately, either whilst on site or by arrangement.

email us at info@ahpltd.com or call us on 01923 254173 to arrange a gas safety check or to arrange remedial works on a failed gas appliance.

How do I know if I have a carbon monoxide leak?

Posted on September 18, 2013 by Allserve Heating & Plumbing

Do I have a carbon monoxide leak?

Carbon monoxide is a silent killer. It has no taste or smell and is invisible, which makes it incredibly difficult to detect by your natural senses alone.

Unfortunately, the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are a little like flu. This makes most people suffering with carbon monoxide poisoning think they have just caught a bug and they often don’t seek help.

Carbon monoxide is everywhere. It is expelled from you car exhaust, your boiler, your refrigerator and your gas fire just for starters. These fumes are usually harmlessly expelled by adequate ventilation, and dispersal systems such as chimneys and the flue on your boiler. However, when these malfunction fumes can escape into your home and have potentially fatal results.

The symptoms

If you start to experience flu-like symptoms that come and go or worsen at different times of the day, call us on 01923 254173 to come and inspect your home immediately. We would also recommend installing a CO detector in your home as a matter of course.