Gas Safety

If you smell gas

• Check all gas appliances are turned off
• Open your windows and doors
• Do not smoke or use a naked flame
• Do not turn electrical appliances on or off (including light switches!)
• If smell persists, turn gas off at the meter

Call Bord Gáis on 1850 20 50 50

For more information on gas safety visit the Bord Gáis website

Always use a Registered Gas Installer

It is illegal for gas work to be done by someone who is not a Registered Gas Installer (RGI). Make sure you always use a RGI to install, service or repair your gas appliances, including your boiler, because they have the required safety qualifications to carry out gas work in your home.

Each RGI will carry a valid ID Card, so make sure you ask to see it, and check they are qualified to carry out your gas work.

If you suspect an installer is not registered, please report them to the Register of Gas Installers of Ireland (RGII), to protect your own safety and that of others.

Annual service

Having your gas boiler serviced every year is a good way to make sure it is working safely and efficiently. The annual service should be done by an RGI.

Your boiler works hard every day to provide you with heating and hot water. Just as your car needs to be serviced, and have the brake pads and oil replaced from time to time, your boiler needs a service. If it is working more efficiently, it will use less fuel, which can help to reduce your gas bills.

Your installer will check to make sure the boiler is burning the right mix of gas and air, and that the flue gases contain a safe level of carbon monoxide. They will check that the flue is carrying the waste gases away safely, and that all the components of the boiler are working properly and safely.

An annual service is required to keep the manufacturer's warranty valid.

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless, tasteless, poisonous gas that is produced by the incomplete combustion of organic fossil fuels such as oil gas and coal. If an appliance is not working properly, there isn't enough ventilation or the chimney or flue is blocked, dangerous levels of CO can accumulate.

Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide poisoning can be similar to those caused by other illnesses such as a cold or flu. They include:

• Unexplained headaches, chest pains or muscular weakness
• Sickness, diarrhoea or stomach pains
• Sudden dizziness when standing up
• General lethargy
• CO poisoning can lead to unconsciousness and death

If anyone in your home has any of these symptoms, go outside straightaway and get plenty of fresh air. Open all the doors and windows, then visit your doctor and ask them to check for Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Do not use gas, oil or solid fuel appliances again until they have been checked by a qualified professional to make sure they are safe.

Find out more about Carbon Monoxide

Get a Carbon Monoxide alarm

For your safety install an audible Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarm.  Make sure the alarm complies with EN 50291, carries a CE mark, has an end of life indicator and carries an independent certification mark.

Ideally, you should fit a CO alarm in every room that has a fuel burning appliance. They should be fitted on the ceiling, about 300mm from any wall. If it is positioned on a wall, it should be above the height of any windows or doors. It should be between one and three metres from the appliance. You can find more advice on CO alarms and watch a useful video here

You can get more information on gas safety on the Register of Gas Installers of Ireland website