Thought boiler problems was only a thing in the winter? Think again! Although we most certainly use our boilers less in the summer months, it is exactly this period which has been associated with a high carbon monoxide poisoning risk. Maybe boiler fault finding has its benefits after all hey!
But why is this the case? Well quite simply, the fact that it doesnt get used as much is exactly the reason why it could increase chances of danger. Warning the public are The Carbon Monoxide and Gas Safe Society as they urge us to not drop our guard during the summer period.
CO-Gas Safety President & Director Stephanie Trotter commented:
“We’ve recorded 174 fatalities occurring due to accidental carbon monoxide poisoning in the UK between the months of April and September, inclusive."
"And that is clearly too many. Consumers need to be aware that although they may switch off their central heating at this time of the year, the majority of households still use their boilers on a daily basis to provide hot water"
"Indeed, one of the most high profile cases of CO poisoning in recent times is that of Zoe Anderson, who was killed in 2012 by CO leaking from a boiler as she heated water to take a shower"
“There is also a danger that during the lighter use of the summer months people neglect to carry out maintenance on their appliances, chimneys and flues, as they are not used as often."
“Meanwhile because a boiler is used less, it becomes harder to spot the telltale signs of a deadly defect - such as a pilot light blowing out frequently or changing colour from blue to yellow.”
Naturally, we are not all clued up on boiler fault finding and may be astonished at the fact that 40 people die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning. This doesn't include the 300 people injured yearly each year across England and Wales too.
From the above stats, the Harrow Times reported that precisely 27% per cent of deaths stem from faults within our central heating systems. Need we not remind you guys that Carbon Monoxide can be a silent killer due to its odourless nature, especially if we do not have a CO Alarm!
Stephen Wilkinson, Service and Maintenance Manager with nationwide heating firm STL Heating & Energy, says we shouldn't ignore the simple signs that so many of us are guilty of when it comes to household hazards.
He simply states “If you’re not getting hot water, that’s obviously a good indication something may be wrong."
Here are some more tips from Mr Wilkinson if you feel you need more information:
“If the pilot blows out frequently, or changes from blue to yellow, that tells you the boiler could be producing CO.
“Black stains near your boiler, or on the ceiling above, could indicate a CO leak from your flue, and heavy condensation in your home could also be a sign your boiler isn’t venting properly, and is therefore filling the rooms with CO."
Of course, its normal to not know everything about boiler fault finding and if we are concerned we should consult a Gas Safe Engineer immediately.