Gas safety and carbon monoxide: questions answered

Try another gas appliance such as the hob. If nothing works, check the emergency control valve by the meter is fully on (handle in line with the pipe) and, on a prepayment meter, that there is credit and the emergency credit has not run out. If you smell gas, call 0800 111 999.

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Press reset once, and only after doing simple checks such as gas supply, pressure and a frozen condensate pipe. If the boiler locks out again, stop. Repeated resets can mask a real fault, and some boilers block further resets after several attempts. A Gas Safe engineer should find the cause.

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Open windows and doors, turn off gas appliances if safe, leave the property and call 0800 111 999. Seek medical advice if anyone has headaches, dizziness or nausea. Do not use the appliances again until a Gas Safe engineer has checked them.

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Fit an audible CO alarm in each room with a fuel-burning appliance, positioned as its instructions say, usually between one and three metres from the appliance. Test it regularly and replace it by its expiry date. Engineers check alarms as part of a service.

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In the UK, anyone working on gas appliances or pipework for payment, and any work in rented property, must be Gas Safe registered. Even unpaid DIY gas work must be done competently. For safety, leave anything involving the gas supply, burner or opening the boiler casing to a Gas Safe engineer.

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No. Inside the casing there are live electrics, the gas valve and sealed combustion parts. Removing it can break the seal and create a carbon monoxide risk. Limit yourself to the controls, gauge, filling loop and outside condensate pipe, and call a Gas Safe engineer for anything else.

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A boiler fused spur normally holds a low-rated fuse, often 3 amps. If it blows repeatedly, a component such as the pump or fan, or wiring to controls, may be shorting. Do not fit a larger fuse. Leave it off and book a Gas Safe engineer.

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It is a pressure test of the gas installation using a gauge to prove there are no leaks. Engineers carry one out when work is done on the gas supply and often during safety checks. It is gas work, so only a Gas Safe engineer should do it.

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Yes. Condensing boilers release water vapour from the flue, which looks like a plume of steam, especially on cold days. That is normal. Smoke, soot, a smell of fumes or a damaged flue are not normal and need a Gas Safe engineer to check before you use the boiler again.

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A gas flame should normally be crisp and blue. A lazy yellow or orange flame, or soot staining, can be a sign of poor combustion and carbon monoxide. Stop using the appliance and have a Gas Safe engineer check it.

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Headaches, dizziness, nausea, breathlessness, tiredness and collapse are common signs, often easing when you leave the house. If you suspect CO, get into fresh air, call 0800 111 999 and seek medical advice. Have every gas appliance checked by a Gas Safe engineer before using it again.

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Find the emergency control valve next to your gas meter. Turn the handle a quarter turn so it sits across the pipe, which closes it. Then call 0800 111 999 if you smell gas. Only a Gas Safe engineer should turn it back on once the fault is found.

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It is the switched socket-like plate near the boiler, holding a fuse, that supplies its electricity. Switching it off isolates power to the boiler for safety. If the boiler is dead, check the switch is on. Leave fuse and wiring checks to an engineer or electrician.

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It is a safety valve that opens if heating pressure gets too high, usually around 3 bar, sending water outside through a small pipe. If it has opened, the cause, often a failed expansion vessel, must be fixed, and the valve may need replacing because it can then let by.

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Unvented cylinders have safety valves that discharge through a tundish and outside pipe if pressure or temperature is too high. Regular dripping means something needs attention, often the expansion vessel. Do not block the pipe. Call a qualified engineer. Leave the cylinder's safety valves alone, as they protect the cylinder from too much pressure.

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A dusty smell for a few minutes after the heating first comes on in autumn is common. A persistent burning, electrical or fumes smell is not. Switch the boiler off at the fused spur and call a Gas Safe engineer. If you smell gas, call 0800 111 999.

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No. A damaged or loose casing can break the room-sealed design that keeps combustion gases away from you. Stop using it and ask a Gas Safe engineer to check and repair it before using it again. Never remove the boiler casing yourself, as anything inside it is a job for a Gas Safe registered engineer.

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It is supplied through a fused spur, usually from a ring or radial circuit. RCD protection is common. If it trips, an electrician can check the circuit. Never open the boiler case to check the wiring yourself; wiring inside it is a job for a Gas Safe registered engineer.

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