1Gas can take care of your gas service pipe connection from the mains and gas meter. However, anything downstream of the meter is determined customer’s own equipment. Therefore you will need to source a gas engineer or plumber to help you. This article explains more about this.
Natural gas is a potentially dangerous and deadly substance. It should be handled with respect and care and only qualified engineers are legally allowed to modify, install or disconnect gas installations. Using unqualified engineers is illegal and potentially dangerous. You only have to look at the news from time to time to see the disastrous consequences of an ill fitted gas appliance or pipework. Huge explosions can destroy streets and many properties at a time.
All the engineers and contractors that 1Gas employ are Gas Safe registered, previously known as CORGI. The Gas Safe Register is the national registration scheme for qualified gas companies and engineers. It’s run by a company called Capita Gas Registration and Ancillary Services Ltd, part of Capita Plc. Their role is to ensure individuals working without the correct licences down are tracked and stopped. They also perform regular inspections of approved engineers and their work, whilst looking into claims of unsafe work. Gas Safe often advertise to raise awareness of the dangers of gas and imperativeness of using only Gas Safe qualified people, including newspaper & television adverts and setting up stands in shopping centres or at exhibitions.
To ensure your gas engineer is approved, you should always ask for ID and you can verify the card is genuine by calling Gas Safe. The ID card should show the name of the engineer, the company they work for, their registration number, a valid from and expiry date and the back should show the areas of work they are approved to carry out e.g. boilers or gas fires. The dangers of using a non-qualified individual include explosion and carbon monoxide poisoning. Only recently, TV soap Coronation Street has featured a story like highlighting the risks. Carbon monoxide poisoning can bring about flu-like symptoms which can cause headaches, sickness, feeling dizzy, short of breath, and can eventually lead to feinting and unconsciousness. Left untreated it’s deadly. It’s sometimes known as the silent killer in homes, whereby an individual can go to sleep and simply not wake up in the morning. A carbon monoxide alarm is a good idea for any home or business to highlight an issue before it causes serious harm. Carbon Monoxide doesn’t produce a colour or smell and a lazy orange flame suggests their could be a problem as not enough air is being supplied.
To find a Gas Safe engineer, simply call 0800 408 5500 or visit www.gassaferegister.co.uk.
