Is Your Mobile Home Safe?
Mobile homes are a great place to escape to from the hustle of everyday life, but is your mobile home safe to use?
When was the last time you had it checked over for safety?
I would take a guess, you had it checked when you purchased your home, but that is probably the first and last time it has been checked over for safety.
The majority of mobile homes have some sort of water heater or boiler installed, these normally run on bottled gas.
As for heating your mobile home, it may be fitted with a gas fire, even a central heating system.
When it comes to cooking, your mobile may be fitted with an oven and hob, which probably works by gas.
The gas supply to your home will normally be supplied by LPG gas bottles.
These bottles will be connected to a change over valve, which, as one bottle becomes empty automatically changes over to the full bottle.
All these gas appliances should have an annual safety check to ensure they are safe to use, but more importantly that they are not putting you and your family in danger.
So what could go wrong?
All these appliances produce a flame, which, when working, produces products of combustion, in other words, burnt gases, just like the exhaust on a car.
The products of combustion need to disperse safely to the outside, for boilers and fires this is normally by a flue or chimney.
For cooking appliances, this is by natural draft, in other word having the correct ventilation fitted.
So I ask again, is your mobile home safe?
If your answer is yes, then I congratulate you on keeping your home safe, you are only one in tens of people who understand about gas safety.
If your answer is, I am not sure, I understand, but surely safety comes first in anything for you and family.
Let me explain a couple of main safety issues, that if left unresolved could be potentially life-threatening.
Carbon monoxide as we all know kills, you cannot smell or even see it, but it could be in your mobile home due to lack of maintenance.
Gas leaks are another main problem that seems to go unnoticed, I have come across this many times before.
One reason I hear for not having a safety check is, I only use my mobile home for a short space time throughout the year, again I understand.
All gas appliances should have an annual inspection, even if they are only used for a short time throughout the year.
Overtime LPG gas hoses perish and can cause a gas leak, the regulations state they should be replaced every five years.
By having a gas safety inspection, you can be sure that if something is wrong, it can be addressed, repaired or made safe.
So is your mobile home safe?