Safety and efficiency
Fumes given off by all fuels are potentially lethal. Most fuels will produce a smoke you can see, a taste or smell, but not in the case of gas. Therefore the installation of a carbon monoxide detector is recommended.
If you see smoke, taste or smell fumes or your carbon monoxide detector is activiated you should do the following immediately:
- Open doors and windows in the room where the appliance is.
- Vacate the room, including pets.
- Let the fire go out – do not attempt to put it out since this can be dangerous.
- In the case of gas appliances, turn off and do not re-light the appliance until a competent person has investigated and rectified the problem.
- In the case of a gas appliance the person must be CORGI registered.
Safety recommendations
The National Association of Chimney Sweeps recommends that in normal use, chimneys should be swept as follows:
- Chimneys with solid fuel appliance or smokeless fuels, at least once a year.
- Domestic bituminous coal, at least twice a year.
- Chimneys with wood burning appliance, quarterly when in use.
- Chimneys with gas or oil, one a year.