Keep Living Spaces Living with Gas Safety

A Matter of Life and Death

You would think that, when moving into a property, gas safety would be prioritised over redecorating and other such concerns. After all, no one is likely to die from a redecorating fiasco, but unsafe gas appliances and pipes can be extremely dangerous, even fatal. Inadequately maintained or badly fitted gas appliances, and damaged or faulty gas pipe systems, can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, fires, explosions and gas leaks. Yet research conducted by the Gas Safe Register found that Gas Safety ranks very low on new homeowners’ lists of priorities. Furthermore, 24% of homeowners never have their boilers serviced, let alone annually.

The importance of Gas Safety is stressed in Gas Safety Week every year, from September 16th through to September 22nd. Organisations across the UK raise awareness of the fact that illegal or ineffective gas work can have horrific repercussions.

Landlord Gas Safety Certificate

If you are a domestic landlord, you are required, by law, to take Gas Safety very seriously.

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 legally requires landlords to have a currently valid Gas Safety Certificate, or CP12, for every gas appliance in a rental property before the property can be rented out to tenants. CP12 refers to what used to be the Corgi standard for gas safety standards, which was replaced in 2009 in the UK by Gas Safe Register as the official registration body. Failure to comply can result in a significant fine.

The landlord must get Gas Safe registered engineers to test the gas appliances, flues and pipes in a rental property annually so as to keep within their legal obligations. Once a registered Gas Safety engineer issues a Landlord Gas Safety Certificate, a copy must be supplied to tenants so they know that everything is safe and ready to use.

The Landlord Gas Safety Certificate contains all past annual check results and records of any repairs made.

Of course, there is a moral obligation too. No landlord should rent out property that has unsafe gas appliances for tenants to use.

Where commercial properties are concerned, some commercial properties hold the tenant responsible for arranging Gas Safety checks, so check who is responsible.

Don’t forget Gas Pipes as well as Appliances

A gas heating system involves a boiler, gas pipes and radiators. Steel and copper are the most common materials used for gas pipes inside buildings, although brass and aluminium may also be used. Materials like polyethylene are used for gas pipes buried outside a building. The piping that runs inside a building is called the gas supply line or building line, and there are branch lines connecting to individual appliances. Gas piping cannot be run through duct systems or chimneys. All gas connected appliances must have a shut-off valve next to them.

Gas Safety Registered Plumbers and Engineers

Gas pipes and boilers should always be installed, repaired and maintained by a plumber registered with the Gas Safety Register. Despite this being a legal requirement, illegal and unqualified fitters complete over one million gas jobs every year, according to the Gas Safety Register. Given the fact that faulty gas appliances can be fatal, this is appalling!

Do not cut corners on your choice of gas engineer because it could cost lives. Always check that your gas engineer is on the database provided on the national Gas Safe Register website. Ask to see a Gas Safe photo ID card and check all the card details: the Gas Safe security hologram, expiry date, license number embossed on the card, and that the business listed on the card matches. Turn the card over to see which appliances the engineer is qualified to work on.

Let MP Plumbing Take Care of Your Gas Safety

So, a Landlord Gas Safety Certificate is a legal obligation if you are a landlord and, in order to get the Certificate, a registered Gas Safety engineer must check all the rental property’s gas appliances. If you are a Bristol-based landlord, then let Bristol-based MP Plumbing Services keep your Bristol-based property gas safe and tenant ready. We have Gas Safe registered engineers who are fully certified, ready and able to do those vital gas safety inspections.

Our engineers communicate with your tenants to set up a convenient date and time.

During our visit we check for leaks and signs of wear, test the gas pressure, and ensure there are no carbon monoxide issues. All gas appliances are checked for tightness. Burner pressure and gas rates are checked against manufacturer’s appliance information. Ventilation is thoroughly assessed, because blocked ventilation tubes can result in carbon monoxide build up within the property. A flue flow test is done. We ensure that brackets are stable and that flame supervision devices are operating correctly. Any unsafe appliances are investigated and reported.

Once the testing has been completed to our satisfaction, we will issue your Gas Safety Certificate immediately via email.

Call us today on 07779 303880 or complete our contact form.