Plumbers
Search
Plumbers
Search
The cost of living crisis and energy price hikes may have left us a little more cautious about our gas usage. But with the weather still a little chilly, individuals everywhere are still relying heavily on their central heating systems to warm their families and wider homes.
If you wake up or come home to freezing cold conditions and a very inconvenient boiler breakdown however, where do you turn?
In an age where everyone has access to YouTube and other online resources, completing your own boiler repairs to keep costs to a minimum may be tempting, but here’s why a boiler repair is one task you should NEVER do yourself!
Unbeknown to most, carrying out gas work as an unqualified person could land you in hot water with the law. While conducting boiler repairs in your own home isn’t technically illegal, recruiting (and paying for) the services of an engineer that is not Gas Safe registered is.
If you recently purchased a new boiler, you could even invalidate your warranty by carrying out your own gas work.
Even if you do feel that you are competent and knowledgeable enough to undertake your own boiler repairs – DON’T. Anything that involves working with gas is dangerous, with boiler repairs particularly complex as a result. The outcome could be utterly devastating and even fatal, with a potential gas leak or explosion putting everyone at risk.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is one highly publicised consequence of incorrect boiler repair. Carbon monoxide is colourless and odourless, a fact that earned it the nickname the ‘silent killer’. Don’t put your loved ones at risk, put safety first every time if your boiler has broken down.
Carrying out boiler repairs to the safe, required standard calls for experience, training and knowledge, which you simply can’t gain from a well-researched YouTube tutorial.
Under the Approved Code of Practice HSE Safety Regulations, all gas work must be carried out by a professional who has gained a qualification in an industry recognised training scheme. They must have also successfully passed an assessment of competence to ensure their gas work is of the required standard.
Your engineer should be on the Gas Safe Register, the UK’s official list of engineers who can legally carry out gas work.
Need help with boiler repairs? Use our handy search tool to find a Gas Safe registered engineer today.