For years, people have enjoyed the benefits of cooking on gas but have we become complacent when it comes down to maintain our cooking appliances. We did a survey of our customer base over a period of 20 years. We found that on average, only 15% of consumers who possess a gas cooking appliance, actually had it serviced regularly.
Unlike modern boilers and certain gas fires, gas cooking appliances do not utilise a flue for extracting the burnt waste gases (inc carbon monoxide), rather they are designed to burn gas at a slow enough rate to prevent rapid & excessive build up of carbon monoxide in a room. However, just like any other gas appliance, external factors can influence how well or poorly the gas actually burns. Every year we receive a number of call-outs to faulty burners on hobs & cookers. Often they are burning yellow flames as in the picture above. We always try always try to encourage consumers about how they can protect themselves from poorly maintained appliances. We recommend the following advice;
- Remove and clean all detachable burners & burner caps regularly.
- Soak them in hot water to dissolve grease & fat.
- Remove any excess food deposits and solids.
- Clean up spillages as soon as it is safe to do so.
- Be aware of yellow flames and unusual smells.
- Have carbon monoxide alarm installed nearby.
- Don’t take risks.
All of the above action points should be considered regularly. But sometimes, the above actions cannot be relied upon alone. Carbon Monoxide is an invisible and odourless deadly gas. It can even be deadly when there appears to be a clear blue-looking flame. So how do you know if it is present? The only way to confirm this is via an annual safety inspection. By doing this, we can use special analysing equipment to take sample readings from the burnt gases. From the readings given, we can assess if the appliance is safe to continue to use or if requires immediate professional attention. Of course, we always recommend a carbon monoxide alarm as a 24 hour back-up, but don’t be tempted to solely rely on just having a detector. An annual service could be a life-saver.