Gas Leaks
If you can smell gas:
Carbon Monoxide
What is carbon monoxide?
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a highly poisonous gas that is odourless, invisible and is often referred to as the silent killer.
Only a small amount of CO can poison you, CO is released into the air when a gas appliance has been incorrectly fitted, badly repaired or poorly maintained. CO can also be found in oils and solid fuels such as coal, wood and petrol.
Every year 30 people are killed by CO and thousands of people are affected by CO poisoning.
What is carbon monoxide poisoning?
When you breathe in CO it gets into your blood stream and prevents your red blood cells from carrying oxygen. Our body’s need oxygen, without it our tissues and cells die.
When CO is released in small amounts over a long period of time, this can be extremely detrimental to your health. Long term effects of CO poisoning include paralysis and brain damage.
Make sure you are aware of CO poisoning symptoms as they are similar to food poisoning, flu and being tired. Symptoms include:
If you suspect CO is present in your home you should:
How do I avoid a carbon monoxide leak in my home?
Your home may show signs of CO. Any one of the following could be a sign that there is CO in your home:
If you have a faulty appliance in your home, it could lead to CO poisoning. Get it checked as soon as possible by a Gas Safe registered engineer. All of our engineers are Gas Safe registered; however, you can find your nearest engineer here.
Why should I get a carbon monoxide alarm?
CO is known as the silent killer, it has no taste, smell or colour… therefore we strongly recommend you fit an audible CO alarm in your home.
This alarm will alert you to CO in your home. It looks like a smoke alarm and can be purchased for under £20 at your local DIY store, supermarket or energy supplier. When purchasing an alarm make sure it is officially approved to EN 50291, it must have a British or European approval mark on it.
You are more at risk from CO exposure whilst sleeping, therefore avoid using the “black spot” detectors that change colour at the presence of CO. This will only give you visual indication and will not wake you whilst sleeping.
What preventative measures can you take against carbon monoxide exposure?
As your landlord we have to make sure that all gas appliances, fittings and flues that we own and you use are safe. It is a legal requirement for irwell valley homes under regulation 36 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, to carry out a gas service every 12 months and to ensure the safe operation of all gas appliances owned and installed by us in your home. Regulation 36 places important duties on landlords of domestic properties to ensure that gas appliances and flues are maintained in a safe condition.
We must:
*You can confirm our Gas Safe engineer’s qualifications online by visiting www.gassaferegister.co.uk and entering the engineer’s unique registration number from their I.D badge. Select "check a gas engineer" and enter the number shown in the image below, which we have highlighted in red.
Access
Gas and carbon monoxide leaks are extremely dangerous - and we want to make sure that you are safe. You must let our contractors in to your home to carry out the safety checks or repairs to any gas appliances that we provide. We will let you know when we're calling to carry out the test. Not giving us access is considered a breach of your tenancy agreement and may result in legal action to get access or, in extreme cases, possession of your home. Any legal costs incurred to obtain access will also be considered your responsibility.
Monthly Prize Draw
You will be entered into a £100 monthly prize draw when your home is due for its Gas Servicing and you allow us first time access. The draw will be made at the end of each month – it could be you who collects that £100!
Your Responsibility:
When you are due a gas service in your home, we will send you a letter stating the date and time of the appointment. If this time is not convenient for you please call us to re-arrange your appointment.
If your heating is not working, this could be because of a loss of pressure in your boiler. You can find the water pressure indicator on the front of your boiler, this should read between one and two bars of pressure. If the indicator is below one, then your water pressure is too low.
Re-pressuring your boiler is an easy job you can do at home yourself. To top up your system and increase the water pressure you will need to find the filling loop on or near your boiler, this can usually be found underneath your boiler and looks like a silver flexible hose with small valves at each end.
Once you have located your filling loop make sure the boiler is switched off before you perform any work. You should also make sure that the valves at each end of the hose are securely attached.
Open both valves to allow the mains water into the system, the valves can be opened by tap handles or by using a flat head screwdriver. Once you have opened the valves you should hear water filling the system, keep an eye on the indicator and once it hits 1.5bar close both valves.
Once your boiler is at 1.5bar, turn the boiler back on and your heating should be working again. If this hasn’t worked or the pressure immediately drops please call us on 0161 610 1000.
If you have any queries or concerns about gas safety in your home, please call us on 0300 561 1111 or alternatively you can fill out the form below and we will be in touch.