What is the Difference Between a Gas Safety Check & an Appliance Service

When renting out houses, the landlord holds a lot of burden on their shoulders. One of their significant responsibilities is ensuring the house is safe for any tenant. A house or an apartment has a lot of hazards that can be dangerous for any human being. Gas and carbon monoxide leaks are one of the concerns among this long list of potential dangers. Therefore, any landowner must get their property safety checks done annually. Moreover, they must bear all the costs of these gas safety checks.

Gas appliances are an essential aspect of any place that you live in. It provides comfort and luxury both. Arranging gas services regularly and maintaining them is essential for the safety of tenants. As a landowner, if you are worried about potential gas hazards, you must know the difference between a gas safety check and a gas appliance service.

What Is a Gas Safety Check?

If you want to understand the basics of a gas safety check, read the following:

• During a gas check, you must employ a gas safety engineer to do the work for you. They will come to your place and check the working of all gas-related appliances. Here is a procedure for how they will be carrying out these checks.
• First off, the engineers will start their safety checks to see if they are safe to use by the people in the house. Anything wrong with the gas appliance means it is not a luxury and is considered a danger in the house.
• The gas safety check also includes checking the pipes and appliances for possible leaks. Any type of gas leak in the house or apartment can be highly fatal for anybody. It can even cause an explosion. Carbon monoxide is a fatal gas that can be harmful to anybody.
• A normal functioning appliance does not only mean giving the bare minimum purpose. It must also operate with all of its functions and features. A gas safety engineer also checks if the appliance works correctly on all its settings and features.
• Another essential step of the safety check is to see if the appliances have proper ventilation routes. Additionally, these routes must be clear and compelling so that in case of gas leaks, it does not accumulate in a closed space.

Remember, all residents and landowners must get these safety checks done regularly. All the landlords must also arrange a CP12 certificate for every check. Any tenant can request this certificate before signing the tenancy agreement.

What Is the Legal Requirement for a Gas Safety Check?

If you are a landlord, you are legally obligated to perform an annual gas safety check to ensure the house is safe to live in. If a landlord fails to do these safety checks, they could get a hefty penalty or even jail time for up to six months.

A landlord gas safety certificate is provided after a positive property inspection. This certificate includes:

• What appliances or pipeworks were tested, and what was their location?
• What observations were made during the safety checks?
• Any issues that were identified during the safety check.
• Any corrective action that was taken
• Details of the landlord
• Details of the gas safety engineer.

The gas safety certificate is renewed every year after a new inspection.

What Is a Gas Appliance Service?

Unlike a gas safety check and a thorough property assessment, gas appliance service is relatively comprehensive. It is another way to ensure that the gas appliances in the house are safe to use. Gas appliance service is not mandatory by law but is adequate to ensure the appliance's safety.

During the process of gas appliance service, the safety engineer will check only the specific appliance you will ask them to examine. The engineer will look at every appliance component, function, and feature. It includes cleaning all components of the gas appliance, including the vents, flues, and pipework. These appliances are checked for their performance. The engineer will also do the essential repairs if there are any deficiencies.

If a person is not investing some amount for the service of their gas appliance, then they are risking the life of everyone in that house. Moreover, if by chance you detect any problem with the gas appliance or pipes, the first thing to do is cut off the main gas supply. Professionals are trained to fix the problem regardless of its severity. Gas appliance service also includes boiler servicing.

Once the engineer has completed the servicing, then they may provide the property owner a report on what safety checks they have performed. The service report will also include the due date for the next service.

What Is the Legal Requirement for Gas Appliance Service?

There are no legal obligations when it comes to servicing gas appliances. However, you must perform effective maintenance periodically along with necessary remedial work. You can follow the manufacturer's instructions. However, if the appliance does not have manufacturer instructions, you can include the service as a minimum.

Which One Do You Need?

An annual safety check is required by law; therefore, the landlord is responsible for covering all its required costs. Another positive aspect of getting a safety check is that the safety engineer will let you know which appliances require a service. Some appliances also require regular service to maintain the manufacturer's warranty.

Conclusion

Gas safety checks are more thorough in comparison to the servicing of gas appliances. You are legally obligated to perform the gas safety checks; otherwise, the house or apartment is unfit. Another noticeable difference between the two processes is that a gas safety check will help you identify which appliance needs servicing. Regardless of whichever service you select, making a choice matters since single negligence can harm your lives and neighbors.