Is your mobile home safe?

Mobile homes are a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life, but is your mobile home safe to use?

When was the last time you checked it for safety?

I’m assuming they checked it when they bought their house, but that’s probably the first and last time it was checked for security.

Most mobile homes are installed with some type of water heater or furnace, which usually runs on bottled gas.

When it comes to heating your motorhome, it can be equipped with a gas fire, even with a central heating system.

When cooking, your mobile may have an oven and hob, which probably runs on gas.

The gas supply to your home will normally be provided by LPG gas cylinders.

These bottles will be connected to a changeover valve which, when one bottle becomes empty, automatically switches to the full bottle.

All of these gas appliances must undergo an annual safety check to ensure that they are safe to use, but more importantly, that they do not endanger you or your family.

Then what could go wrong?

All these devices produce a flame that, when working, produces combustion products, that is, burned gases, just like the exhaust of a car.

Combustion products must be safely dispersed to the outside, in the case of boilers and fires this is normally done through a flue or chimney.

In the case of kitchen appliances, it is natural draft, that is, with adequate ventilation.

So I ask again, is your mobile home safe?

If your answer is yes then congratulations on keeping your home safe, you are only one in ten people who understand about gas safety.

If your answer is, I’m not sure, I understand, but surely safety comes first for you and your family.

Let me explain a couple of major safety issues that, if left unaddressed, could be life threatening.

Carbon monoxide, as we all know, kills, you can’t smell it or 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 security check is that I only use my mobile home for a short time throughout the year, again I get it.

All gas appliances must have an annual inspection, even if they are only used for a short time during the year.

Overtime LPG gas hoses deteriorate and can cause a gas leak, regulations state they must 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 insured.

So is your mobile home safe?