Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

Now that the weather is taking a turn for the worse, more people will be reaching for the thermostat or stoking up their wood burners for extra warmth. But Carmarthenshire County Council is urging people to ensure their gas and solid fuel heaters are safe and serviced. Teams from Public Protection, Property Services and Housing are all playing their part in encouraging tenants, landlords and homeowners to check that their boilers, gas and solid fuel fires are properly maintained. Failure to do so could be deadly - on average, 50 people a year across the UK are killed by carbon monoxide (CO2) poisoning due to faulty heating appliances. Carbon monoxide is known as a ‘silent killer’ as it is odourless, colourless and tasteless, making it difficult to detect. It can be given off by appliances that burn fossil fuels such as gas, coal, wood or oil if the appliances are not working properly, the flue is blocked, or the room is not properly ventilated. But simple annual maintenance and regul...

Carmarthenshire County Council housing tenants who have solid fuel fires are being reminded of their responsibility to keep the fires maintained. Solid fuel fires, often referred to as stoves or log-burners, use seasoned wood or coal to provide heating. Around 200 council properties currently have solid fuel fires, which are regularly serviced and maintained by the council’s Property Services department. Although council staff and operatives sweep chimneys and service the fires and flues to ensure they are in good working order, they are also reiterating their general maintenance advice to tenants. A bilingual information leaflet is available to all tenants with solid fuel fires. As well as maintenance advice, it warns about the seriousness of carbon monoxide and tells the tenant what to do if they smell fumes or fell unusually faint or suffering headaches. Maintenance advice includes asking tenants to ensure that the fire’s throat plate and boiler flue is cleaned every 14 days a...