Top Reasons Your Property Might Fail a Gas Safety Inspection

The safety of tenants against the gas hazards is the responsibility of the landlords. The gas safety laws in the UK legally bind them to ensure that all the gas appliances and allied fittings installed in their leased properties are maintained strictly per the safety protocols, as required by the gas safety regulations. 

Accordingly, the landlords must arrange gas safety inspections annually on all gas appliances, allied pipework, and gas fittings, including flues and vents. A gas safe registered engineer can only conduct the annual gas safety inspection. This annual inspection is essential, as it forms the basis for issuing gas safety check records, also known as gas safety certificates or CP12.

A gas safety check record or gas safety certificate can only be issued by the gas safe registered engineer if the property meets all the requirements of gas safety regulations. All the gas fittings, including boilers, flues, vents, cookers, hobs, and burners, are required to pass the gas safety inspection to qualify for the issuance of a gas safety certificate for that particular property. In the event of failing the annual gas safety inspection, the gas safe registered engineer will not issue the gas safety certificate, which will have consequences. 

Hence, landlords must understand why a specific property may fail the annual gas safety inspection.

Understanding Gas Safety Inspection

The gas safety inspection is quite a comprehensive activity. Three persons are involved in this process: the landlord, the tenant, and a qualified gas safe registered engineer. The following factors must be considered before a landlord initiates this crucial activity:

• Gas Safety Inspection is an annual activity.
• A gas safety inspection is required for each property separately. It means if a landlord owns more than one property, he must conduct the annual gas safety inspection for each property separately.
• The gas safety inspection is specific to the gas fittings and appliances installed on that property. It includes boilers, cookers, kitchen hobs, burners, flues, vents, pipe networks, and heaters.
• The gas safety inspection also includes checking the performance of safety gadgets, such as carbon monoxide detectors, gas leak detectors, and fire alarms.
• Although the radiators are not directly connected to the usage of gas, they are also included in the annual gas safety inspection, being part of the heating system of the premises. 
• Annual gas safety inspection is a pre-requisite for issuance of a gas safety certificate.
• The validity of a gas safety certificate is 12 months. It has to be renewed annually. 
• The gas safety inspection must be carried out before the current gas safety certificate expires, preferably during the last two months before expiration.
• The date and time of the annual gas safety inspection have to be scheduled per the availability of the gas safety engineer and the tenant's convenience.
• Only a registered gas safety engineer is authorized to conduct an annual inspection.
• Any such work done by a non-registered gas engineer will have no legal standing. 
• The gas safe registered engineer must inspect the entire rented-out property, including all gas fittings and allied pipework. Hence, the gas safety engineer must be given access to every part of the property where any gas appliances or pipework is installed.

The Process of Annual Gas Safety Inspection

Once the landlord initiates the process of annual gas safety inspection, the first thing he would require is the selection of an appropriate gas safe registered engineer. This can be done by searching the official website of the Gas Safe Register, which contains the complete list of qualified engineers, registered with them. You can find one near your location.

The next step is to coordinate with the engineer and the tenant to reach a workable date and time, per their availability and convenience. Although the physical presence of the tenant is not mandatory, his consent is necessary, as he would be required to provide physical access to all parts of the premises for uninterrupted inspection. Similarly, the landlord can also appoint any of his representatives to facilitate the inspection.

Process Flow of Gas Safety Inspection 

The process of annual gas safety inspection includes the following sequence:

Locate the Gas Appliances on the Property

The engineer will first check the entire property to locate all the gas appliances and fittings installed therein. Preferably, he should make a list of all these appliances. 

Visually Inspect the Appliances

The formal process starts with physically inspecting all the gas appliances and allied pipework. It aims to detect any visible deterioration or corrosion that may further damage the appliances and pipework. The engineer will also see if water leaks from the boiler.

Gas Leak Detection

The engineer will inspect the connections and joints to see any gas leakage. Sometimes, gas may also leak out of any faulty appliances. The engineer will identify the spots where gas leakage is detected.

Validate Gas Pressure

The gas appliances work perfectly with the correct gas pressure. The engineer will also check this important factor, especially in burners, which need a certain gas pressure for proper functioning.

Inspection of Ventilation System

The engineer needs to check the chimneys and vents. Gas appliances work perfectly under an effective ventilation system. The engineer will ensure that the ventilation system is effectively working.

Inspection of Safety Gadgets

The gas safety inspection also includes checking the performance Safety equipment such as gas leak and carbon monoxide detectors.

Boiler Inspection 

Boiler inspection is the most crucial part of the gas safety inspection. It involves gas as well as water. Water may cause rusting, which ultimately damages the body of the boiler and allied pipes. Hence, the engineer gives special attention to the safety aspects of the boilers.

In addition to the above, the process of gas safety inspection also includes checking flue gases and radiators. Once the process is completed, the engineer lists the faulty appliances. He would categorize these appliances into one of the following three categories:

1. Immediately dangerous 
2. At Risk
3. Not to the current standard

The engineer will make a gas safety certificate upon completing the gas safety inspection. However, he will not make the gas safety certificate if the inspection fails.

Common Reasons Why Your Property Can Fail a Gas Safety Inspection

There might be different scenarios under which a property may fail the annual gas safety inspection. Here are the top reasons why it may fail the gas safety inspection:

• The most common reason for failure of gas safety inspection is faulty gas appliances. The fault may be in the shape of gas leakage, incomplete combustion of gas, and other technical faults in the appliances. This often happens due to lapses in routine maintenance and service of these appliances.
• A practical and properly working ventilation system is very important for the perfect operation of gas appliances. Any blockage or choking in the vents may result in carbon monoxide poisoning. Any severe blockage of any of the vents may cause a failure of gas safety inspection.
• Flues also play a vital role in throwing out hazardous gases such as CO. Any noticeable fault or severe blockage in the flue system may fail gas safety inspection.
• If the property has a few gas appliances that are pretty old and do not meet the safety standards, it may also be a significant reason for the failure of gas safety inspection.
• Damaged or rusty gas pipework may cause gas leakage. Gas leaks can also happen due to unprofessional and wrong installation of gas appliances. Loose joints and connections also result in gas leaks. Any such detection will also fail gas safety inspection.
• If the landlord fails to produce a valid gas safety certificate at the time of the annual gas safety inspection, it will result in the instant failure of the whole process. That's why it is always recommended that the gas safety check records be preserved for at least two years.
• The engineer needs unrestricted access to all the gas appliances on the property. If he cannot reach any of the gas appliances for any reason, the gas safety inspection will fail.
• The nonavailability of safety gadgets, such as carbon monoxide detectors, is yet another reason for the failure of the inspection. Malfunctioning gas safety equipment can also cause failure of the inspection.
• If detected by the engineer, signs of carbon monoxide emission will result in failure of the gas safety inspection. 
• Regular upkeep and servicing of the gas appliances are key to successful gas safety inspection. If appliances like burners, heaters, and boilers are not regularly serviced and maintained, they may fail the gas safety inspection.

Above all, non-adherence to the gas safety regulations may also fail the annual gas safety inspection. 

Conclusion

The success of the annual gas safety inspection is crucial. The annual gas safety inspection is an essential step for issuing the gas safety certificate. A failed gas safety inspection will result in the non-issuance of the much-required gas safety certificate (CP12). 

The landlord is responsible for arranging the annual gas safety inspection on all the gas appliances installed on the property. At the same time, he is also responsible for making this inspection a success. Among many other reasons for the failure of the annual gas safety inspection, non-adherence to the provisions of the gas safety regulations is critically important. Similarly, regular servicing and maintenance of the gas appliances, especially the boilers and kitchen hobs, is also a key factor in the successful completion of the gas safety process. 

Hence, the landlords are required to keep the gas appliances maintained and regularly serviced to ensure the safety of the property and tenants.