What is the difference between a gas appliance service and a gas safety check?

Landlords are legally required to ensure “as far as is reasonably practicable” that any gas appliances – or, indeed, any appliances – that they provide to tenants are safe. This involves arranging gas appliance services and gas safety checks at least once a year—something offered as standard in our landlord cover plans!

But many people think that a boiler service is the equivalent of a gas safety check. This is not the case, although services may form part of gas safety checks.

It is important to note that the only people who are legally allowed to perform gas safety checks and gas appliance servicing are engineers who are on the Gas Safe Register and who are competent to undertake this work. If you are unsure about whether your engineer is competent to conduct a gas check, please visit the Gas Safe Register website and check their ID card number.

Gas safety checks

During gas safety checks, Gas Safe engineers check that appliances work in the following four ways:

• They check that safety devices work properly.
• They check that the appliance is not leaking harmful gases and combustion byproducts and is instead expelling them into the outside air.
• They examine if the appliance’s operating pressure is correct, if it is on the right setting and if it is burning gas correctly.
• They check that ventilation routes are effective and clear.

Although gas safety checks are strongly recommended in all residences, landlords are legally obliged to arrange these checks every year. They must also receive a CP12 certificate and provide this to their tenants.

Engineers do not necessarily have to provide CP12s to people at the conclusion of a gas safety check, so it is a good idea for landlords to ensure that they will receive a CP12 before they make a payment to the engineer.

Gas appliance services

Services, including boiler servicing and gas appliance servicing, are a more comprehensive way of determining the safety of appliances. Although it is not essentially necessary, a service will likely involve an engineer inspecting the appliance’s internal components, possibly by removing the gas appliance cover, taking the installation apart, and fully inspecting each part.

Engineers may then clean the components of the appliance and check flues, vents, pipework, and everything else for signs of ventilation. They will then test the performance of the appliance and, in most cases, repair any issues that are present immediately. In some cases, of course, serious defects may be present, and engineers may be unable to fix them without the right parts and tools and without enough time.

Once the service has been completed, the engineer may provide the property owner with a report that states what checks they have completed and when the next service should take place.

Gas appliance services will ensure that the items that are tested are safe to use and that they are adequately efficient and meeting their expected performance.

24|7 Home Rescue is dedicated to helping customers in the event of a boiler issue or problem with their household appliances. We can even arrange for CP12 certificates, and some of our plans include a FREE boiler service once a year. To find out more about how you could benefit, please call us at 0345 3192 247 or see our contact information on the website.

If you’re having trouble with any aspect of your boiler, home appliances or if you’re suffering from a home emergency such as an electrical breakdown, plumbing problem or security issue then be sure to get in touch with us.

You can face a hefty bill if something goes wrong at home so eliminate the possibility and speak to us today.