Wij werken in groot-Amsterdam: Amsterdam en de stadsdelen, Amstelveen, Zaandam, Purmerend, Haarlem, Hoofddorp en Abcoude.
Have your geyser and gas heater serviced every year.
A heater or geyser has to burn fuel, usually natural gas, wood or coal, to produce heat. If that combustion is incomplete, carbon monoxide (CO) is produced. This can happen when the geyser is poorly maintained and not enough oxygen reaches the flame. Oxygen is essential for complete combustion.
Possible signs of carbon monoxide are:
- The pilot light of the geyser or gas heater is orange and higher than normal. In a correctly adjusted geyser the flame is blue.
- Misted-up windows. The water vapour produced is not vented properly through the flue, so the windows steam up.
A geyser and gas heater must be checked and cleaned every year by an approved engineer. A major risk lies in blocking the air supply. Many homes today are well insulated, so little outside oxygen can get in. To still draw oxygen, geysers and heaters have a separate air supply, which must never be closed off. Also make sure the geyser flue is connected to the gas flue and not to the ventilation duct: if it is connected to the ventilation duct, toxic gases are spread through the whole house instead of being vented outside.
It is important to have a chimney swept regularly by a recognised chimney sweep. A blocked chimney can push gases back into the home, with all the harmful consequences that brings. The same goes for replacing the hose of your gas cooker in good time, which is your own responsibility: check the hose regularly for leaks and note the expiry date printed on it.