Ensure an annual safety check is carried out on each gas appliance/flue. Before any new lease starts, you must make sure that these checks have been carried out within one year before the start of the lease date, unless the appliances in the property have been installed for less than 12 months, in which case they should be checked within 12 months of their installation date.
A carbon monoxide detector, which can be purchased for around £20, can alert you to the presence of carbon monoxide in your home. You should ideally place one in every room where gas is being burned-for example, in the kitchen near a gas hob or beside a boiler. Opt for an audible detector, which works much like a smoke detector, alerting you via a loud noise. Be sure to test the detector regularly and replace the batteries as needed.
The British Compressed Gases Association (BCGA) Code of Practice 7 (CP7): The Safe Use of Oxy-fuel Gas Equipment (Individual Portable or Mobile Cylinder Supply) and Code of Practice 47 (CP47) The Safe Use of Individual Portable or Mobile Cylinder Gas Supply Equipment provide guidance on maintenance and recommend, for example, that regulators and flashback arrestors are checked annually, both visually and functionally, by a competent person and replaced every five years. See extra info on CP7 Gas Checks.
Generally, an appliance safety check will just ensure that the appliance is safe to use, whilst a service is more thorough and may include more specific checks as well as an inspection of the appliance’s condition and cleaning. A full gas installation safety check should include inspection of all gas appliances as well as all accessible pipework. Why are gas safety checks and services so important? Most importantly, having your gas appliances safety checked annually will give you peace of mind that they are not putting you, your family, or your home in danger, and that they are safe to use. There are other benefits of regular safety checks and services as well though.