Before the winter season, apartment owners and housing associations should have the gas systems and appliances used for heating and hot water inspected and serviced to prevent accidents. In recent times, there has been an increase in cases where attempting to repair gas appliances independently has led to life‑threatening situations.
All common household gas appliances — such as gas water heaters, gas stoves and gas boilers — should be inspected. The consequences of a gas accident are never limited to a single apartment and often pose a risk to neighbouring units as well. For everyone’s safety, it is advisable to order an inspection for all apartments and gas appliances within the housing association.
Consequences of improper gas appliance maintenance
Under no circumstances should you attempt to service or repair gas appliances or installations yourself without proper training. Not long ago, a person carrying out renovation work in an apartment illegally connected the gas pipeline to the water pipeline while attempting to repair a gas water heater — fortunately, the mistake was discovered before any damage occurred.
In addition, any renovation work that alters the airflow within the living space — such as replacing a bathroom door or a kitchen hood — can create dangerous conditions when gas appliances are present.
According to the Estonian Rescue Board’s statistics, 73% of gas incidents occur inside buildings and 27% outdoors. Most indoor gas accidents take place in residential buildings — typically in apartments or private houses, but also in stairwells.
A detector is mandatory!
Since the beginning of 2018, it has been mandatory in Estonia to install a carbon monoxide detector in all living spaces that contain a gas appliance connected to a chimney. Like a smoke detector, a carbon monoxide detector must be tested regularly, as only a properly functioning device can alert you when the concentration of carbon monoxide in the air reaches a level that poses a risk to human health.
The Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA) recommends inspecting gas appliances and installations once a year. The names and contact details of companies that install and service gas appliances can be found on the TTJA website. The owner is always responsible for ensuring that gas appliances meet the required standards and safety regulations. For appliances located inside an individual apartment, the responsibility lies with the apartment owner; for shared appliances, all apartment owners share the responsibility collectively.
What should you do if a gas leak occurs?
First, quickly open the windows and doors and ventilate the room thoroughly.
Any affected persons must be taken to fresh air. If someone shows symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning — such as headache, dizziness, nausea or vomiting — call an ambulance immediately.
Turn off all heating appliances.
- Kutsuge kohale kvalifitseeritud tehnik, kes aitab probleemi lahendada, enne ärge ise soojusseadmeid sisse lülitage.