Carbon monoxide – what do you need to know?
With the cooler weather drawing in and the darker nights on their way, most of our customers are starting to turn their heating and boilers back on. This is the time you may start to find a few faults with any of your heating systems if you’ve not had your boiler serviced in the last few months… It’s so important to keep your boiler in tip-top condition by getting it serviced annually by a Gas Safe engineer (all our engineers are gas safe registered). Your boiler is the heart of your home and if left unattended and unserviced can be a heath risk to you and your family as it could potentially leak carbon monoxide … after all, you’d never drive around without getting your car serviced or looked at from time to time.
What is carbon monoxide?
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous gas which has no taste, colour or smell. It can make you feel seriously ill and can kill quickly without warning.
What are the signs of a carbon monoxide leak?
Carbon monoxide can be produced when poorly maintained, incorrectly fitted or badly repaired appliances do not burn gas completely. Look out for the following signs that could indicate that a gas appliance is not working correctly, and CO may be present in the house:
• Floppy yellow or orange flame on your gas hob, rather than a crisp blue
• Dark, sooty staining on or around gas appliances
• Pilot lights that frequently blow out
• Increased condensation inside windows
What are the physical symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning?
If you’re suffering from any of the symptoms and feel better when you leave the house, it could be CO poisoning. If you’re concerned you or someone in your household may be suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, make sure you do the following:
✓ Get fresh air immediately
✓ Open all doors and windows, switch off gas appliances and leave the house
✓ Contact your GP, who can check and advise if you need treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning
✓ If you’re concerned there is immediate danger, call the gas emergency helpline on 0800 111 999 (mainland GB), 0800 002 001 (Northern Ireland) or look up the number for your UK region at http://bit.ly/gasemergency.
How to stay gas safe
• Ensure your gas appliances are checked annually by a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer
• Fit an audible carbon monoxide alarm marked EN 50291 which carries the British Standards Kitemark
If you’d like your boiler serviced then don’t hesitate to contact us on 0800 0086 999 or click the button below to request a booking.
