"Services that kill" - Gas

September 12^th 2011 saw the launch of the first ever Gas Safety Week run by the Gas Safe Register. So in the second of our series discussing “Services that kill” we will take a look at Gas and Gas Safety. Gas Safety Week aims to raise awareness of gas safety and the importance of taking care of your gas appliances. Badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide is a highly poisonous gas. You can’t see it, taste it or smell it, but it can kill quickly with no warning.
By taking care of your gas appliances properly you are taking care of your home and your loved ones. Follow these top tips to help keep you and your family gas safe:

• make sure only a Gas Safe registered engineer works on your gas appliances
• make sure gas appliances have a regular service and an annual gas safety check,
• always check the engineer's Gas Safe Register ID card

To view true stories from the Gas Safe website click here

Buying a new home?

In most cases when you commission an independent survey the surveyor will not be able to comment in detail on the gas appliances. Why?

• The surveyor is unlikely to be a Gas Safe Registered Engineer.
• The appliances are rarely “on” during a survey.
• The survey is non invasive

The seller should ask the vendor for an annual gas safety record which shows that a Gas Safe registered engineer has checked the gas appliances. If your vendor cannot supply an up to date annual gas safety record, you should get a Gas Safe registered engineer to check the gas appliances before you move in. This check should include the gas boiler, oven, hob and gas fire. The registered engineer will give the vendor a gas safety record which they should handover to you before you move in.

For a surveyor the lack of testing conducted by members of a government approved Accreditation Scheme is sufficient reason to justify that a Condition Rating 3 (Urgent/Serious) should be applied.

The seller should understand that failure to have the Gas appliances tested could be problematic once they find a buyer. For this reason it is sensible if you are selling a property to have a gas safety report on all the appliances you intend to leave in order to show copies to the potential purchasers, their surveyor and their conveyancer/solicitor.

 Horror Stories video click here.

"Services that kill" - Electricity

A commonly noted issue during a Survey is the lack of an electrical test certificate.

NICEIC recommend testing every 10 years (maximum) on residential properties but in ALL cases testing is recommended “upon change of ownership”.

Electrical hazards are invisible but deadly, causing fires and electrical shocks. A defective electrical system can cause loss of life.

Government figures estimate that each year there are around:
10 fatal and 2,000 non-fatal electric shock accidents in the home
19 fatal and 880 non-fatal shock accidents in the workplace

There are also about 12,500 electrical fires in homes across the UK each year. Although many incidents are caused by faulty appliances rather than the electrical installation itself, a properly installed and well-maintained electrical system could save lives.
The Electrical Safety Council published the results of their National Consumer Survey and found that:

• 42% of those surveyed stated they had never had their electrics checked
• 32% of DIYers stated they had experienced one or more electric shocks while carrying out DIY 
• 59% of people do not use qualified electricians when carrying out electrical work 
• 48% of those surveyed did not know that their electrics should be checked at least every 10 years

Surveyors are insufficiently skilled (beyond a visual inspection) to judge whether the electrics are safe to use and the lack of testing conducted by members of a government approved Accreditation Scheme is sufficient reason to justify that a Condition Rating 3 (Urgent/Serious) should be applied.

So how can the issue be addressed so that it does not stall the sales process?

The first point of contact for the seller is generally the Estate Agent. The Estate Agent could persuade the seller to get the services tested during the sales process. Indeed this offers an “up-sell” opportunity for the Estate Agent. The seller should understand that failure to have the electrics tested could be problematic once they find a buyer.

If you would like further information on Electricity in the home please contact us for a “Free” Fact sheet.

This blog is written by Chris from Dickens Surveyors.