As the heating goes on across Cambridge, it is a good moment to check that everyone at home knows what to do if something goes wrong with a gas appliance. Two situations are always emergencies: a smell of gas, and possible carbon monoxide.
If you smell gas
Call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. The line is free and open 24 hours a day. Cadent, one of the gas distribution networks, advises opening doors and windows, not switching lights or appliances on or off, avoiding anything that could cause a spark, and turning the gas off at the meter only if you can do so safely. Then wait outside for the emergency engineer. (Source: Cadent)
If you suspect carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide has no colour, smell or taste, so you cannot rely on your senses to notice it. The NHS lists symptoms including headaches, dizziness, feeling sick, tiredness, confusion and shortness of breath, which may ease when you leave the building.
If you suspect it, get everyone outside into fresh air straight away, opening doors and windows on the way out. Only switch the appliance off if you can do so without delaying leaving. Then call 0800 111 999, and do not go back in until you have been told it is safe. Call 999 at once if anyone has difficulty breathing, sudden confusion, chest or muscle pain, or loses consciousness, and call NHS 111 for advice if symptoms are milder. Do not drive yourself to A&E. (Sources: Cadent; NHS)
Carbon monoxide alarms
A carbon monoxide alarm gives an early warning. Cadent recommends fitting one near gas appliances. In England, since 1 October 2022, landlords of private and social rented homes must fit a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance, such as a gas boiler or a wood-burning stove. Gas cookers are excluded, and some arrangements are not covered, such as lodging in the landlord’s own home, long leases, student halls and care homes. Landlords must repair or replace a faulty alarm once they are told about it. (Sources: GOV.UK; HSE)
Boiler problems that need prompt attention
Gas Safe Register lists signs such as leaking water, a boiler that keeps switching itself off, kettling noises and loss of pressure. If your boiler is leaking or keeps shutting down, stop using it and contact a Gas Safe registered engineer promptly rather than resetting it again and again. If water is near electrics, keep clear and treat it as urgent. Scorching, sooting or black marks around an appliance, or anyone feeling unwell, mean acting quickly. (Source: Gas Safe Register)
Choosing an engineer
Gas work, including installing, servicing or repairing gas appliances, should only be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer qualified for that type of work. Ask to see their Gas Safe ID card: the back lists the work they are qualified to do. You can also check an engineer at gassaferegister.co.uk or on 0800 408 5500.
If you rent
Landlords must arrange a gas safety check every year and give existing tenants a copy of the record within 28 days. If your heating fails, report it to your landlord or letting agent. (Source: HSE)
Three things to do this week
- Save 0800 111 999 in your phone.
- Check you have a working carbon monoxide alarm, and test it as its instructions describe.
- Find your boiler’s make, model and last service date, so you have them ready if you ever need to call someone.
This guide was written by Cambridge Climate Solutions, a Gas Safe registered heating business (registration 974177) serving Cambridge and the surrounding villages. More practical advice is published at cambridgeclimatesolutions.co.uk.