All businesses in Ireland have a legal responsibility to ensure the premises are safe for their employees, their customers, and any other visitors. Complying with health and safety laws is an important part of being a business owner, and that includes ensuring all gas appliances are safe. Any that are not could produce carbon monoxide, which is potentially lethal to anyone that breathes it in.
Health and safety in the workplace, or in any area the public have access to, is a matter that needs to be taken very seriously. Ignoring your gas boiler or central heating maintenance can lead to hefty fines, as well as putting peoples lives at risk.
Reduce Your Risk Of A Breakdown With A Gas Service
The risk of a boiler breaking down is significantly reduced if it has been regularly serviced and maintained. It will also ensure it’s working to its optimum efficiency, making it cheaper to run. Servicing your boiler annually means any repairs will be spotted before they cause too much damage. All in all, a gas service of your boiler and heating system could save you significant amounts of money.
There is also your productivity to consider. During winter months there are minimum temperatures you have to make sure your premises are above or your workers have the right to refuse to work until something is done about it. The acceptable temperatures for indoor workers are between 16 and 75 degrees celsius, although there are some that start at a higher level. Offices for instance, where people do not move away from their desks all day, should reach at least 17.5 degrees celsius within one hour of employees starting work.
This is all part of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Applications) 2007, which deal with workplace temperatures, and there are severe sanctions if you breach these rules at your business.
Can Anyone Carry Out A Gas Service?
A gas boiler service, regardless of whether the boiler is located in commercial premises or in the home, can only be carried out by a Registered Gas Installer, and it is illegal for anyone else to carry out the work.
This has been the case since 2006 when the Commission for Energy Regulation worked with the gas industry to put safety regulations in place. Prior to this registration was voluntary. This increased the risk of someone who was not qualified carrying out work they may not have been qualified to perform.
Each individual is registered in his or her own right, and they all have a Registered Gas Installer ID. Gas companies can also register to obtain their own ID.
A Registered Gas Installer (RGI) is fully trained and insured and will be able to give you a conformance certificate once the work has been completed. This will give you peace of mind knowing you gas boiler is safe, and you will have it to show the Health and Safety Authority should they decide to call.
Genuine Parts and Makers Recommendations
An RGI will use genuine replacement parts in most cases. Of course, there will always be the odd screw or gasket that is universal when they are carrying out a gas service, but generally they will follow the maker’s recommendations.
The manufacturers will also state how often the boiler will need a service. This is usually annually, but the makers might recommend that it is done more often, This is more likely to be the case with a commercial boiler than a domestic one, as they get more use and are under more pressure.
Replacing Your Boiler
There comes a point where no matter how often your boiler is serviced or how many new parts it has, a replacement would be a better option. New equipment is more efficient than older boilers. This applies to many gas and electric appliances. For example, a dishwasher that is more than 4 years old will use about 10 gallons of water for each wash cycle. A new model will only use 7 gallons and will consume less electricity. It might not sound like a big difference, but if that dishwasher is used just once a day, that is a saving of 21 gallon’s a week or 1092 gallons a year.
The same principle applies to your gas boiler, although they do tend to stay efficient for around 10 years rather than 4. Newer models are more environmentally friendly and will reduce your heating bills.
Call Gas Safe Engineering Ltd For Your Gas Service
We have been servicing gas and oil boilers since 2006. We also offer a range of other services, including gas safety checks, leak detection, pump replacement, plumbing maintenance, heating installation, bathroom refurbishments, cooker and gas fire installation, and most other things you can think of relating to gas and plumbing work. In fact, if it’s not shown on the list you should contact us anyway as there’s still a good chance we will be able to help.
We have a reputation for high quality workmanship and excellent customer service, which is why estate agents, housing associations, nursing homes, public houses, hospitals, restaurants, churches, schools, factories, offices and hotels are among the large variety of businesses we have worked with. We also offer all our services in the domestic market, and will gladly do a gas service in your home.
If you want a gas service, a quote for a regular maintenance contract, some plumbing work, a new heating system installed, or anything else you think we might be able to help you with, call us today on 01 969 5219. We are a friendly bunch who will be glad to answer any questions you have.
If you prefer to contact us by e-mail, the address is info@gassafe.ie, or you can complete our contact form for us to get in touch with you.
However you decide to get in touch, you will not regret speaking with the experts at Gas Safe Engineering Ltd.
