It would be difficult for your household to continue running as normal without a functional boiler in your home. Your boiler provides heating and hot water; two essential things that you probably use on a regular basis, especially during the colder months. However, a faulty boiler could be more dangerous to you and your household than you might realise. Along with inconvenient breakdowns and lower energy efficiency, it’s worth looking out for the tell-tale signs that your boiler could become a hazard to your health and safety. While the majority of boiler faults are not usually dangerous and can be repaired by a professional, knowing the signs of a dangerous boiler could potentially save your life.
Yellow Pilot Light
A boiler that is running well and reliably without any danger should have a blue pilot light. A pilot light that is burning at any colour other than blue could signify that something is wrong with the boiler. However, if it is yellow, this could mean that you are in danger and you will need to get the boiler checked by a professional as a matter of emergency. A yellow pilot light tends to mean that there is a problem with the gas-to-air ratio in your boiler, which is a common indicator of a carbon monoxide leak. Carbon monoxide is a colourless and odourless gas that can be seriously hazardous to your health and can even cause death if you are exposed for long enough. To be extra safe, it is worth investing in a carbon monoxide alarm for your home.
Soot and Black Marks
If there are black marks on your boiler that you cannot explain or you have noticed soot around the area where the boiler is installed, this could be a sign of a serious hazard. This is often an indicator of an electrical fire or another electrical problem that is causing your boiler to burn internally, which will put your property at an increased risk of catching fire. If you notice this problem, the first thing that you should do is switch your boiler off which will prevent any further burning before it can be checked over by a professional gas engineer. Bear in mind that this might cause internal damage to the boiler and it might be necessary to get a new one. You can find out more about the average new boiler cost and how to choose the right new boiler for your home at Boiler Central. Boiler Central offer a range of different boilers for every home including combi boilers from all the leading brands, along with installation arrangements.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Symptoms
Even if your boiler does not have a yellow pilot light and there appears to be nothing wrong with it on the surface, it could still be experiencing a carbon monoxide leak. In many cases, companies will add an odour to carbon monoxide to make leaks easier to detect or if you have a carbon monoxide alarm at home, this will alert you to the presence of a leak even if nothing appears to be wrong with the boiler. However, physical symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning experienced by you or your family should also never go ignored, even if nothing else appears to be wrong. Getting a lot of unexplained headaches, nausea, and fatigue particularly when the heating is turned on could mean that the boiler is leaking carbon monoxide that is affecting your health.
Odours from the Boiler
While carbon monoxide gas is naturally odour-free, it will usually have a smell when it is leaking from the boiler since, as mentioned, companies will add an odour to it, in order to help you quickly detect a leak before it becomes hazardous to your health. If you are noticing a strong gas or sulphur smell, particularly from around the boiler, it’s important to immediately switch the boiler off and call a professional who can help. You should never ignore the smell of gas coming from anywhere in your home since gas leaks can lead to much more serious problems like gas explosions. Even if you have noticed the gas smell coming from elsewhere in the home and it is not close to the boiler, it’s important to call the gas emergency services immediately since this could be a sign of a gas leak in your central heating system which is a huge danger.
Next Steps to Take
If you have noticed any of the above signs, it could indicate that your boiler is failing in a very dangerous way that could be causing a health and safety hazard to your household. The longer you leave your boiler running in this condition, the more dangerous it will become. It is important to act quickly if you notice any of the above signs, and never try to resolve them on their own since they will need to be treated by a registered Gas Safe engineer. If you believe that there is a gas leak in your home right now, you should immediately call the gas emergency services, switch off the boiler, and open all the windows in your home before exiting. Stay out of your home until a professional has been able to get access to check for the leak. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, so take these steps wherever you smell gas in your home.
A dangerous boiler can sometimes be repaired; however, it is more likely that you will need a replacement. While replacing your boiler can be expensive, it is the best way to get peace of mind if your current boiler is faulty to the point of becoming a health and safety hazard in your home. A Gas Safe engineer will be able to provide you with more information on what has happened with your current boiler and the best next steps to take to ensure that your home is safe.
Boilers are essential in modern homes, but there are some circumstances where they could become dangerous. Understanding the signs to look out for will help you determine if your boiler has become a hazard, and what to do next.
