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Heating, Gas & Plumbing Advice in Woodford

Full Guide to a Gas or Water Emergency at Home

If you are experiencing a gas or water emergency and are unable to get a timely response from the team here at Beales Services, or we are unable to attend your property within the hour, we would always refer you to the 24-hour National Gas Emergency helpline or Thames Water.  Please check out this blog post to find out what to do in a Gas emergency!

What to do if you suspect a gas leak in your property?

If you can smell gas, you suspect a gas leak or a carbon monoxide leak, we advise that you turn off the gas at the meter immediately and avoid using any naked flames or electrical switches. This means that if you have and use a gas hob for cooking, you need to turn these off and not use them as a priority. Electrical appliances are also advised to be turned off, but we understand that it may not be possible to keep these off for the entire duration of waiting for a Gas Safe engineer to visit your property, so we advise that you keep these off unless absolutely necessary, for example, if you need to charge your phone to call a gas engineer.


What should I do if I start to feel ill from a gas leak?

If you are feeling unwell at all at home, and you aren't sure why you should always visit your GP or hospital immediately. Tell them you may have been exposed to a gas leak or carbon monoxide poisoning if you suspect there has been a gas leak at home.

If your carbon monoxide detector activates, you should make it your priority to move everyone outside and into the fresh air, and leave the doors and windows open for at least 15 minutes.

Immediately telephone the National Grid on 0800 111 999 to report the alert and do not re-enter your home until it has been deemed safe by the authorities.

While Flu-like symptoms can suggest that you have contracted COVID-19 or any other respiratory virus, it is also possible that you have gas poisoning. If you notice these symptoms, telephone 999 immediately.

The National Grid engineers will aim to attend to all uncontrolled escapes of gas or carbon monoxide within one hour.  They will investigate the cause of the leak-free of charge and make your home safe until one of our engineers can attend to make a repair.  Please note the National Grid engineers can 'make safe' in an emergency by capping off the gas supply but are not insured to carry out repairs within the home.

What should I do if my local gas engineer can't visit my home?

It is likely that your tried and trusted gas engineer is unable to visit your property at this current moment in time, due to their busy schedules and current commitments. If this is the case, we advise that you immediately contact the National Grid on 0800 111 999 to report the fault. Only use a mobile phone from outside the property. The number is free and available 24 hours a day.

You should then follow the advice given by the emergency adviser and wait outside the property for a gas engineer to arrive.

What should I do if I have noticed a water leak at my property?

If you have noticed some dampness or an obvious leak in your property, you should try to locate the stop valve and shut off the water supply to the property. Where possible, contain and manage the leak until you are able to obtain assistance, then give us a call on 07921705246 and wait for further assistance from us. 

Should you experience an interruption to your supply of water, try your kitchen cold water tap (the main water supply normally enters your home through the cold water tap located in the kitchen or utility room). Check that your stop valves are open, check for frozen pipes, and check with your neighbours in case the issue is a communal issue affecting the local area. Finally, if you cannot get through to us, we suggest that you contact Thames Water on 0845 9200 800 for further assistance.