The Dangers of Carbon Monoxide
If you use gas, wood, oil, or coal as fuel for your home, you and your family may be at risk for carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Carbon monoxide is extremely difficult to detect because it is colourless and has no smell or taste. Although carbon-based fuels are safe to use under proper conditions, these fuels become quite dangerous when they do not burn completely and emit CO into the air.
The haemoglobin in the blood connects with carbon monoxide that is breathed into the body. Haemoglobin is the oxygen-carrying portion of the red blood cells. Carbon monoxide restricts the haemoglobins ability to carry oxygen throughout the body, and the bodys tissues, organs, and cells begin to die. Brain damage, paralysis and even death can occur from only small amounts of carbon monoxide that are breathed in over long periods of time.
It is easy to miss a diagnosis of CO poisoning because the symptoms are very much like other common illnesses. Viruses, the flu, food poisoning, and tiredness may cause a person to feel nauseous and drowsy and can be accompanied by vomiting and stomach pains; these are all symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. Vision difficulties, unexplained behaviours, trouble breathing, and chest pains are also symptoms of CO poisoning.
Two of the most prevalent causes of CO poisoning in the home are flues and gas appliances. According to the HSE (Health and Safety Executive), an average of twenty people in the UK die every year from carbon monoxide poisoning. Most home CO poisoning cases are the result of gas applicances or flues that are not installed correctly or are not maintained as instructed. There is a higher risk of carbon monoxide poisoning if there is not plenty of fresh air circulating throughout the home.
The best protection against CO poisoning is being prepared. You must be aware that wherever there is carbon-based fuel being used, the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning exists. Everyone in the home needs to know the dangers and signs of CO in the air. A properly installed carbon monoxide alarm can give you an early warning of the presence of carbon monoxide. Make sure your alarm has a British or European approval mark and complies with British Standard EN 50291. These audible alarms are especially useful if carbon monoxide begins to fill the air at night while everyone is asleep.
To make sure your gas appliance or flue is installed according to established safety standards, hire a CORGI-registered technician for the job. These professionals are trained to install these appliances properly, decreasing your risk for carbon monoxide poisoning. Gas appliances and flues need to be checked at least once a year to ensure there are no operating problems and to make any repairs. In addition, hire a professional chimney sweep to clean flues.
Check Up On Your Engineers
Many residents of the United Kingdom opt for price before professionalism when choosing an engineer to install their gas and heating systems. Cost is important but it is also important to make sure that each engineer you consider hiring is properly certified by the right organizations. Regardless of your repair or renovation budget, making sure that your gas and heating systems are properly installed is of the utmost importance.
The sad fact is that there are a lot of people out there posing as professionally certified Corgi engineers and doing shoddy work that does not get discovered until the final home inspection is completed. These engineers lie to United Kingdom residents about their experience and knowledge and registrations. Some of these impostors even go as far as to create falsified Corgi identification numbers and registration badges to try to convince potential clients of their legitimacy.
The most famous fraudulent engineer in the United Kingdom is David Mees. The David Mees story was reported all over the United Kingdom and the more the story was reported the larger his list of ripped off clients grew. David Mees even went so far as to take out advertisements listing a false Corgi number. If a client questioned David Mees’s standing with Corgi, he would tell them that his work need only be inspected by a Corgi engineer. This was a blatant lie.
The worst part of the story is that the work Mees completed for his clients was never up to code. His work was so poor that it endangered the lives of his clients”clients who only discovered his unprofessional work when they had their homes inspected by the authorities!
Working with gas and having it installed in your home can be dangerous. Gas is a temperamental material and it is vital that the gas and heating systems in your home are properly installed, piped and wired. The best way to do this is to hire a Corgi engineer who is required to keep up to date on local safety and electrical codes. All potential engineers should be double checked through the Corgi organization. Readers can double check an engineer’s Corgi status by calling 0800 915 0485.
It is a good idea to check with your local business bureau to find out if any complaints have been filed against the engineer that you are considering for your home’s construction or renovation. You should also ask any potential engineer for a list of references and his work history. If the engineer hesitates before providing either of these, you should seriously consider moving on to the next candidate.
Always make sure that your gas and heating systems are professionally installed to ensure that you and your home are as safe they possibly be!
Gas Supply is Carefully Managed
Regulations for gas mains and services are established to protect UK residents, and the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) monitors the compliance of these regulations. HSE publications provide homeowners and construction workers with essential information about gas supply lines. Questions about any aspect of pipeline safety, including installation and maintenance, should be directed to a Health and Safety Executive representative.
The depth of gas mains and services pipes is a concern for many. Although the Pipelines and Safety Regulations 1996 (PSR) reports regulations for pipe design and installation, it does not address the issue of minimum gas pipe depth. A Guide to the Pipelines Safety Regulations 1996, a publication by the HSE, and Approved Code of Practice and Guidance Design, Construction and Installation of Gas Service Pipes, a Health and Safety Commission (HSC) publication, supply detailed information about depth requirements of gas lines. HSE oversees adherence to the requirements. Service pipes in heavily travelled areas, such as footpaths and highways, must be a minimum of 450mm underground, while service pipes on private land must be buried at least 375mm. Gas mains must be buried at least 750mm.
Anyone that digs in the ground can damage a gas main or service pipe, which is unlawful according to PSR regulation 15. Practical instructions and guidelines to decrease the risk of damaging a gas pipeline can be found in HSE HSG47, Avoiding Danger from Underground Services, and information sheet, Avoiding Damage to Buried Services.
Gas mains and services must be in good condition in order to comply with PSR regulation 13. HSE ensures the safety of all gas pipelines, and the agency has determined that all existing iron gas pipes near occupied territories must be replaced with pipes of polyethylene or other suitable material. Pipeline operators have until March 2032 to decommission and replace all iron pipelines in their systems. Any pipes that are known to be in questionable condition are expected to be replaced as soon as possible.
HSE is monitoring the highly publicized Milford Haven Pipeline, which is owned by National Grid Gas. National Grid Gas must follow all established regulations for pipe design, system construction, and operation. The pipeline operators must comply with the health and safety laws of gas mains and services. HSE will inspect the construction and operation of the project to verify that all regulations are met. The agency will also determine land planning zones for areas affected by the pipeline construction. HSE regulation will continue after the completion of the pipeline.
Citizens can be assured that the Milford Haven Pipeline will be constructed according to careful planning. HSE considers all aspects of the pipeline, such as diameter, wall thickness, type of steel, depth of pipe burial, and pressure limits to determine the zoning regulations. The risk of thermal radiation from the pipes is assessed, and HSE advises the pipeline operators where and how to construct the pipeline.
Capita Takes Over for Corgi
United Kingdom homeowners have understood the Corgi certificate to be a stamp of approval for gas plumbers and now that approval is going to be given by a company called Capita. In three months’ time, the certification for gas plumbers will be issued by a company named Capita. The same company will monitor those certifications. Corgi will cease its involvement in the process.
For almost twenty years, Corgi has been in charge of making sure that homes meet gas safety standards. In April of 2009, the Capita Company will take over for the Corgi Company as the official gas safety protocol company for the Health and Safety Executive office.
For the most part, the day to day operations of the gas plumbing industry will remain much as they were before the switch in regimes. Both companies stress that operations for Corgi employees will continue to operate on a “business as usual” basis until the end of business on March 31st. As of April 1, 2009, Capita will be in charge. As of yet there is no word as to how the transition will take place or what the affects will be for natural gas consumers. Both companies are working very hard to ensure that there are no major hiccups in operations.
If you have natural gas, you do not have to worry about whether or not you will be protected once Corgi officially steps down and Capita steps up. It has been made apparent by the Health and Safety Executive office that Capita’s takeover is largely because the company proved that it was more than ready to ensure that consumers of natural gas would be well educated about the concerns involved with their consumption of natural gas.
The contract came up for bid in 2006 after a survey of United Kingdom homeowners uncovered the fact that more than half of the homes worked on by Corgi employees had not been taught about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning! Consumers will benefit greatly from a new company coming in and making sure that everyone is educated in all areas of natural gas consumption.
Gas regulations and plumber registrations will continue as usual, with Corgi in charge of operations until March 31st 2009. The natural gas plumbers and inspectors in the United Kingdom will start reporting to Capita on April 1st 2009.
Capita will probably directly hire 250 Corgi employees to make sure that the transition goes smoothly. Both companies decided that a definite start and end date would be more beneficial than a confusing transition. Consumers can expect their changes to be few and far between.
Hard Water and Scale Inside Your Pipes Go Hand in Hand
Most United Kingdom homeowners have to deal with hard water problems. Water is considered “hard” when it contains high levels of ions and minerals that have dissolved into the water. The minerals that are the most worrisome are magnesium and calcium. Hard water is made of rain water that has fallen on ion and mineral rich soil”the ions and minerals get into the water and are transferred to the water table. When the rain falls onto hard stone or soil that is especially peaty it will stay soft as these cannot be absorbed into the water.
You definitely want to have soft water and not hard water. The minerals that have turned your water hard have a tendency to build up in a house or building’s plumbing systems and on the inside of your home appliances and things that regularly contain water. When pipes, appliances and machines get mineral scale built up, they stop working correctly or cease working altogether.
The minerals also counter-act the natural lathering action of most soap, which means that keeping your house, clothing and body clean becomes very difficult. The extra work that your household machines and appliances have to do can mean an increased energy and water bill. As the mineral scale builds up in the pipes, the pipes need replacing and this can also be a costly endeavour.
Water softeners have proved to be incredibly useful to United Kingdom homeowners who have to deal with the issues that come from having hard water. A water softener will filter the minerals and ions out of your water as it runs from your well or ground water source and into the pipes of your house. The water runs through the filter which acts as a mineral trap and catches most of the minerals that take away your water’s “softness.”
Some water softener companies build machines that will filter out a variety of other materials as well as hard water minerals. Soft water is much easier to use for household activities and it is safer for the pipes in your house.
Hard water can wreak havoc on a house and the human body and the danger is proportional to the amount of dangerous minerals contained in the water. The worst minerals in hard water are magnesium and calcium because too much of either ion can cause disastrous effects on a home and on the human body.
Mineral scale build up on pipes can cause the walls of a pipe to become weak and eventually those pipes will start to leak. This can cause a person thousands in repair and doctor costs. The easiest way to make sure that you only use soft water is to install a water softener somewhere inside your home or on your property.
DIY: How to Be Safe
There are some home based projects that a person should not attempt to do by himself. For instance, a person should not attempt to install his own solar panels. On the other hand, there are plenty of projects that most United Kingdom residents should feel confident about doing themselves. Taking care of your own home repairs and projects has become quite popular in the United Kingdom and has resulted in its own acronym: DIY. Many home owners get great satisfaction out of DIY projects.
If you are interested in Do It Yourself home projects and repairs, you should make sure to practice proper safety at all times. Safety is not something that should be overlooked or “skimped on.” Taking the proper safety precautions will ensure that you are safe from injury and, depending on the project, can even save your life!
The easiest way to protect yourself while you do your own home repairs and remodelling projects is to wear the proper clothing. This will help you make sure that your body is protected. Always wear a dust mask and safety goggles. You should also invest in thick work gloves and durable, closed toed shoes or boots. While doing the project you should wear long sleeves (that are tucked into your gloves and long pants (that get tucked into your socks or boots). A hat is always a good idea.
Make sure that you have all of the tools you need before you begin a DIY project. Especially if you are a beginner, it is not a good idea to use a different tool than is recommended in the instructions for your project. Unless you are an expert in the type of project you are doing, you should not attempt improvisation. When attempting something new always follow the directions exactly.
Use good quality materials. Do it yourself projects are not the place to buy a cheaper product to save a few pounds. You always want to use quality materials to ensure the integrity of your work. Lesser materials will break or decompose more quickly than quality materials will.
Self Build Your Home ” Alternative to the Construction Industry?
Twenty thousand residents of the United Kingdom self build their homes every year. These are citizens who have decided that they did not want to pay a contractor to build a home for them or pay a real estate agent locate a pre-built home that may or may not meet their needs. How is the construction industry fairing now that so many people are taking on their own home building projects? Will it really be less expensive to build your house all by yourself than it will be to hire a real estate agent to find a pre-built home or hiring a contractor to do all of the building for you?
Obviously the biggest difficulty when a person decides to build his own house comes down to whether or not he is experienced enough to actually undertake all that is involved in self building a home. If he does not have a lot of experience with construction or electrics, he will have quite a hard time building a home that is safe and functional. Of course, if he does that the experience needed to build a home that will meet local safety and building codes, than doing all of the work himself could save him quite a bit of time and money!
If the task of self building is chosen, how does the self builder find an appropriate location on which to build? The easiest way to find a site for the new home is to hire a professional location scout. Local zoning codes will play a large role in whether or not a location is well suited to a self builder’s needs. A professional location scout will know just how to find the perfect location for you and the home that you want to build without asking you to spend too much of your building budget.
Coming up with the funding for a self build project can be a challenge. Banks are more likely to lend a person money if the lender understands what the money is going toward.
Taking out a mortgage on a piece of property that already exists is easy to understand as is hiring a person who can give the bank a certified budget estimate. If you are new to self building, ask your bank if it gives out home loans or financing for self build projects. It might be possible to get a loan that way. If the bank itself does not offer financing for self build projects, someone there might be able to point you in the direction of the financing you need.
Self building can save a person quite a bit of money if he or she is a qualified construction and electrics expert. If this is an area that interests you, it is something that you should consider pursuing.
Asbestos - Favourite Material Yesterday Health Risk Today
Asbestos is a material that residents of the United Kingdom know is dangerous. Asbestos was used in almost all buildings constructed throughout the United Kingdom for three decades near the end of the twentieth century and is well known for being fireproof and working well as insulation. During the 1980s contractors worked exhaustively to remove asbestos from buildings in the United Kingdom because links had been found between asbestos exposure and cancer.
By itself, when left alone, asbestos is not harmful. When the material is harmed or damaged, however, microscopic fibres can become dislodged and travel through the air. Asbestos inhalation can cause an array of illnesses including mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer. Asbestos is responsible for as many as four thousand deaths every year.
Asbestos has been used for thousands of years in a variety of ways. Evidence shows that it was used by the ancient Greeks. This is a material that can resist heat and erosion and it is this high level of resistance that made it so popular among builders and contractors throughout history. It was even used in clothing for a time because of its ability to stand up to fire.
Asbestos falls into two major types and each type has several subsets. According to the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency, asbestos is “a naturally occurring group of fibrous minerals that are very strong can be woven and resist heat and most chemicals.” Asbestos is not pretty. Typically, asbestos looks quite a lot like the insulation people use in their attics”a large quantity of fuzzy looking material (like a big ball of grey dryer lint).
When still and unharmed, asbestos is not dangerous and it cannot harm people immediately upon exposure. It is because asbestos is safe when in tact that most builders and contractors have decided to just seal off the asbestos in buildings instead of completely removing it. Once asbestos is damaged, however, it is vital to remove the material immediately. Damaged asbestos can release microscopic fibres into the air. These fibres can be inhaled and will stay in the lungs permanently, leading to dangerous health conditions.
It can take as long as forty years to develop any symptoms of asbestos exposure, and the amount of asbestos that you have been exposed to will determine how sick a person will get. Unfortunately diagnosis of asbestos exposure is difficult as the symptoms are the same as those of other illnesses. It is important to let a doctor know if you have spent time in buildings built before 1980 should you start feeling ill. This can help make sure that your illness is properly diagnosed.
Finding a Reliable Tradesman
Each and every United Kingdom home owner will encounter a situation in which he or she will be in need of hiring a Tradesman. One man might need to have his roof fixed. One woman might want a new heating and cooling system installed. Tradesmen are in constant demand throughout the United Kingdom and it is very important that all home owners learn how to hire a Tradesman who is reliable.
Hiring a Tradesman who is reliable is important. If you hire a Tradesman who is unreliable you will run the risk of paying far too much money for work that isn’t up to code or that will need a large number of repairs. Understanding that a Tradesman must be reliable is one thing. Understanding how to tell the difference between a Tradesman who is reliable and a Tradesman who is not reliable is also very important.
Here are a few of the things you should look for if you find yourself in need of hiring a reliable Tradesman:
*References: There are two main methods of obtaining a Tradesman’s references. The easiest and most obvious method is to simply ask the Tradesman for a list of references that you can contact. If a Tradesman is reliable and does good work, he or she will be able to provide you with a list of people that you can ask for more information and recommendations.
The other way to get references for a Tradesman is to simply ask your neighbours and your friends to find out who they (or someone they know) have used in the past. You should make sure to ask whether or not the reference would hire the person again (and why or why not).
*Professional Organizations: Is the tradesman being considered a member of any professional organizations? Check into the local business bureau to find out what the tradesman’s ratings are and whether any formal complaints have been lodged against him/her.
*Professional Organisations: Is your prospective Tradesman up for membership at any local professional organizations? Ask your local business centre about the ratings for your prospective Tradesman. You should also find out if any formal complaints have been filed against the person you are thinking of hiring.
Most Tradespeople are required to obtain specific certifications and join specific organisations. Research the trade and find out what is required. Then make sure that each prospective Tradesman you consider meets all of the requirements.
Cavity Wall Insulation ” Save on Your Heating Bills
A cavity wall is an outer wall of a home or office building that has two “skins.” These “skins” are actually walls in and of themselves, but they work in tandem to create the outer and inner faades of the dwelling or business building. Usually a cavity wall will consist of a brick wall made up of smaller bricks that is constructed a few inches away from a brick wall made up of larger bricks.
Builders began building homes with cavity walls because, according to the builders, cavity walls provided additional protection against moisture and other environmental elements. The cavity between the skins was there to allow moisture to leave the outer skin and return to the ground without damaging the inside skin or causing damage to the inside of the home.
Builders and contractors have discovered that home owners whose homes are constructed with cavity walls are provided with insulation from the colder weather as well as insulation from moisture. When insulation materials are installed in the cavity of a cavity wall can save the home owner quite a bit of money on cooling and heating expenses. Insulation installation also cuts down on the level of carbon dioxide emissions from the house.
Unless a person is a registered installer or has extensive experience in building and home construction, he should not attempt to install insulation into the wall cavity by himself. Insulation installation should always be completed by a registered installer. Residents can contact the Energy Saving Trust Centre to find a registered installer in their local areas.
If a home owner decides to install insulation into a cavity wall, he or she should hire a professional registered installer. Unless the owner has extensive construction and installation experience, he or she should not attempt to install the insulation him or her self. The Energy Saving Trust Centre can help home owners locate a registered installer in the owner’s local area.
The benefits of installing insulation into a home’s cavity walls are mostly monetary. The insulation will help maintain the temperature of the home. It will also provides added protection against the extreme cold temperatures of winter and hot temperatures of summer, which means that a home’s heating and cooling system does not have to work as hard. The reduction in CO2 emissions is also a nice bonus to insulating a cavity wall.
Usually insulation installation involves “blowing in” the insulation. Home owners should make sure that the insulation comes with a warranty and is made out of erosion resistant materials. If the insulation is not structurally sound, the home owner will spend more money replacing it than they would if they chose materials that stand up to time and wear.