Is My Boiler Safe? Signs Of A Faulty Boiler
What precautions do you take when checking to make sure your boiler is safe? Having a faulty boiler is no fun at the best of times, but when there’s a possibility of you and your family being put at risk, you have every right to be concerned about the safety of your boiler.
Noticing whether your boiler may put you and your family at risk is hard to determine if you don’t know what warning signs to look out for.
Your central heating could be fatal in your sleep if you choose to ignore the crucial signs of a boiler that could pose danger in your household.
Note: Faulty boilers are usually safe.
To give you that much-needed reassurance, as much as a faulty boiler can kill, in most cases, a faulty boiler may just need a simple reset.
The technological advancement of modern boilers in new homes means that boilers are usually ‘danger-proof’ as they come packed with safety precautions such as thermostats, overheat stats, pressure relief valves and oxygen depletion sensors.
If you believe that there is something seriously wrong with your boiler, it will most likely cut off and refuse to work. Your boiler will more than likely not pose a threat if it is functioning normally but making strange noises.
There is minimal risk of danger to you as long as you make sure that your boiler is serviced annually.
How to tell if my boiler is dangerous
A vague, strange smell (Carbon Monoxide)
Any boiler system that runs on coal, gas, or oil, can give off carbon monoxide if it is faulty or if is not serviced regularly. Also known as the silent killer, carbon monoxide is widely known to be difficult to detect if there is a gas leak in your boiler. Carbon monoxide only takes a small amount of inhalation to result in either a coma or death. Every year in England and Wales, According to the NHS, 40 people are killed and an extra 300 injured from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Carbon monoxide is usually odourless, but if it is being emitted because your boiler isn’t burning properly, your boiler will let off a faint, indistinct smell. If you suspect this, it may be worth getting an engineer out to look at this and maybe even consider having a boiler replacement.
Visible signs of soot, or black spillage songs
If you can see black marks on the boiler itself or around the area where it is kept, that is a reason to switch it off. It is essentially a boiler leak coming from your flue. Leaking boiler emissions can include carbon monoxide. Get an engineer out to review as soon as possible, as there could be a potential carbon monoxide leak.
Pilot light constantly going out or showing a yellow flame
If your pilot light is constantly going out or showing a yellow flame, this is because the boiler cannot draw fresh air to burn and draft up the chimney, the boiler starts burning a wavy yellow flame instead of blue, spilling carbon monoxide into the room. If this is the case, do not keep resetting the boiler, get an engineer out to take a look at it.
Headaches or nausea when the boiler is running
Before getting serious, carbon monoxide poisoning can cause headaches and nausea in victims.If you notice that these feelings increase when your boiler is functioning, it is more than likely that your symptoms are caused by the boiler.
Our advice on the best way to protect yourself and your family is to have your boiler serviced on a regular basis by a professional boiler installation and repair company. However, to make your household extra secure, it is always worth investing in a carbon monoxide detector which works very similarly to a fire alarm. Although, do not use this device as your only way to ensure that your boiler is safe. Always carry out regular boiler servicing.
If you are a homeowner and reading this, it is your responsibility to make sure that the boiler is in good working order and that there is always enough ventilation in your boiler room, which is essential for reducing the possibility of any gas leaks.
Those of you who are worried about a possible leak can call Gas Emergency Services, the Health and Safety Executive or the Gas Safe Register for further advice on the matter.