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Here are some of the most common
Frequently Asked Questions that we come across:
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What if I cannot afford to do a safety check/service every year?
You have a legal duty under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations
1998 to maintain all appliances and flues, which you have provided for your
tenants to use and have them checked for safety at least once every 12 months
by a CORGI registered installer. |
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What if I ignore the regulations?
You are putting lives at risk and breaking the law. The HSE gives gas safety a
high priority and will take the appropriate action to ensure compliance with
the regulations. In certain circumstances this could result in a substantial
fine and/or a custodial sentence. |
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Can I use a handyman or plumber for gas work?
A
CORGI registered installer with the required competence to do the particular
work should always be used. By law (a) anyone (whether an employer or
self-employed) running a business, e.g. a plumber, who carries out work on a
gas appliance/fitting must be CORGI registered, and (b) any individual doing
gas work must be competent to do it safely. DIY gas work could be dangerous
and is likely to be illegal. Landlords must use only a registered installer
for maintenance and safety checks on gas equipment provided for tenants use.
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How can I ensure an installer is CORGI registered?
CORGI registered installers should have a current CORGI identity card on which
is an expiry date and details of the appliances they are competent to work on.
If in any doubt you can ring
CORGI or check on their web site to see if an
installer is registered. |
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What should I do if the installer is not CORGI registered and/or has falsely
claimed they are CORGI registered?
It is
against the law for a non-registered installer to do any work on gas
appliances and/or flues. Phone your local
HSE area office or CORGI.
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What do I have to do if I change a room
containing a gas appliance into a bedroom for the first time?
Since 31 October 1998, any room converted to use as sleeping
accommodation should not contain the following types of gas appliances:
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A gas fire,
gas space heater or a gas water heater (including a gas boiler) over 14
kilowatts gross input unless it is room sealed. |
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A gas fire,
gas space heater, or a gas water heater (including a gas boiler) of 14
kilowatts gross input or less or any instantaneous water heater unless it is
room sealed or has an atmosphere-sensing device. |
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If you are
unsure, you should ask a CORGI registered installer to check for you.
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What responsibility do I have if my tenant is ill and has to sleep downstairs
in a room with a gas appliance?
You should advise your tenant at the start of the tenancy of any rooms that
are unsuitable to be slept in due to an inappropriate appliance, for example a
gas fire. However, if you find out that your tenant is sleeping in a room with
a gas appliance that does not comply (as above), you should arrange for the
appliance to be changed as soon as possible. Sometimes the change of use will
be short term, for example when someone is recovering from an injury or
illness, and is expected to start using his or her proper bedroom again in a
few days/weeks.
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The current
law is not entirely clear and interpretation would finally be for a court to
decide in particular circumstances. However, a reasonable approach might be
to allow the continued (short-term) use of the appliances concerned provided
that they have been maintained within the last 12 months, have an up to date
landlord's gas safety certificate, a carbon monoxide detector (choose one
which complies with BS 7860 or BS EN 50291) is fitted in the room and advice
is sought from a CORGI installer as to the need for additional safety
checks. Another alternative is to provide alternative heating such as an
electric fire. |
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