Living in the same house with the same settings can get boring. But you can do one thing to spice your life a bit; Home Improvement! Living room or Kitchen, you can change the look entirely, according to the trend, and get a brand-new vibe at home.
But when remodelling, keep your family’s safety in mind. We recommend not moving around gas appliances like a boiler or a cooker yourself. It could be dangerous and expose your house to gas leaks, fires, or explosions. So, what should you do?
Get a Gas Safety Certificate
First things first, is your home gas safe? If you’re a landlord, did you get your home inspected for a cp12 certificate or if you’re a tenant, did your owner give you one?
A word of wise; get a gas safe engineer to move your gas appliances. Check their ID to know if they are registered, so you can let them install or fix your boiler without worrying too much.
Remodelling or not: there should be a yearly gas safety inspection. It includes your boiler, stove, gas cylinders, and heaters. This inspection will ensure that your house is not exposing any potential danger and that you are safe.
DIY ft. Gas Appliances
A big NO! Home renovation alone requires a big budget. But to save a few dollars, taking gas appliances at your hands is a big mistake that can lead to unwanted accidents. From installing and fitting to fixing or changing, a gas-safe registered engineer should carry out the work.
A minor mistake from your side can result in a gas leak, at the least, and carbon monoxide gas has had a bad reputation for gas poisoning. These registered engineers can ensure the appropriate installation of your gas appliances.
Apart from safety, a registered engineer can provide you with a better plan and accurate execution. It is also illegal for an unregistered person to install and work with the gas. However, you can do your gas work once you’re knowledgeable enough.
Gas appliances aside, there are a few points to keep in mind;
- Always use a gas appliance for its intended purpose. A stove is for cooking and not heating; better stick to it and let the boiler handle the heating department.
- Get familiar with the locations of your pipelines. You don’t want to damage these pipelines accidentally while doing other renovations.
- Again, don’t try to fix or repair a damaged pipeline.
- Finally, hire a qualified contractor for construction work. Even if there’s minor gas work, your builder cannot do it for you.
- If it involves only replacing a non-gas component like a central heating control valve, you can get an electrician, plumber, or whoever is suitable, to get the work done.
The tasks mentioned in the user manual of a gas appliance are the only gas work that; you are permitted to do without certified supervision. It includes only the replacement or adjustment of a non-gas component and no incidents disturbing the gas flow.
Cleaning and Unblocking
Check if all the vents are neither blocked nor covered. Appliances need to work adequately, and you don’t want to suffocate in a gas-packed room.
Similarly, keep the chimney clean as they are prone to capturing dirt and producing creosote. Creosote is a chemical substance, highly flammable, that can aggravate a gas leak scenario into a fire accident. A clean chimney looks good in a newly renovated house. Regardless, a clean vent and chimney make the home a safe place.
Learn more about how frequent and the right way to clean a chimney in this article.
Get Creative Yet Functional Renovations
Considering a home renovation doesn’t involve only looks, but you have to consider the practical aspect of it, too. Most people forget about the functional factor of home renovations and only go beyond for the looks. But in reality, creativity and functionality go hand in hand.
For example: if you’re renovating a kitchen, consider the stove when you design the look; will it be functional if you put the stove on the far right and the working station on the far left? Preferably, a working station and stove are side by side so there’s lesser walking distance and you can get all your work done in the same place.
Renovations based exclusively on looks are not for the long run and require frequent changes in the design for efficient and smooth functioning.
Handling an Emergency Situation
However safe you think you might be, you should still be prepared to face an emergency. Educating your family to react and handle an emergency should be considered a must and beneficial for the family’s safety.
First of all, look for signs. Do you hear any hissing sounds or experience recurring headaches? Is there a smell of rotten eggs and sudden dead houseplants? Assess physical symptoms like; difficulty breathing, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite, and ringing in the ear.
Experiencing any of the symptoms and suspecting a gas leak means high time to take precautionary measures.
- Open all the doors and windows
- Do not try to locate the gas leak yourself
- Do not use a phone or a flashlight inside
- Avoid lighting and lighter or candle, or anything which may spark a fire
- Do not turn on any light
- Stay calm in such situations and try not to panic.
- Ask every family member to leave the place. Evacuate immediately
- Get far away from the house and call 911 or a gas emergency contact.
Blueprint for Home Renovations
There is a correct order to follow in a home renovation plan. Demolishing work before the structural aspect, electrical wirings, and gas or water pipelines. Therefore, when you decide on a home renovation plan, you better stick to it. Causing changes in a design will affect your gas safety, including other consequences.
When a contractor designs a renovation plan, they keep all gas and other safety aspects in mind; making changes will require you to have it checked again by your contractor. Precise planning while considering gas safety measures can ensure an incident-free house.
Bottom Line
Home renovations are trending. But what’s better than getting a better house with better safety measures? Apart from getting a cp12 certificate, keeping an eye on your gas appliances will benefit your loved one’s safety.
Despite the yearly inspections, home renovations can be a reason to get your gas appliances’ installation and; fittings checked again for gas leaks. The safety tips we mentioned can help you get your desired new look that is also safe and functional.
