Maintenance Advice

If you suspect you have a gas leak, switch off the gas at the meter, contact Scottish Gas Network on (0800 912 1700) and call us on 03451 77 22 44.

Signs of a gas leak in the home can include:

• The smell of sulphur/rotten eggs
• A hissing or whistling sound near gas line
• A white cloud or dust cloud near gas line
• Visibly damaged gas pipe

Solutions:-

• Do not operate electrical switches!
• Turn off gas supply at the meter
• You might have an additional emergency control valve if you stay in a flat – turn valve so the handle is across pipe
• Phone engineer
• Open all windows
• Extinguish any naked flames

What to do if you smell gas

• Locate the Emergency Control Valve:-

Usually positioned within 2m of the gas meters or within visual sight of the meter. Controls the flow of gas where it should be switched off in the event of an emergency/gas escape.

Mysterious puddles or damp patches appearing on a floor, wall or ceiling. Contact the Association. Ignoring a leak can lead to more damage to your property.

Leaking/burst pipe in your home – turn off water supply immediately by turning the stopcock. After this, run taps to rid your system of all water.

How to locate stopcock in property:

In most houses the stopcock is located under the kitchen sink, or just after the water pipe enters the house. Simply turn the valve clockwise to turn off the water supply.

If there is no obvious signs of a leak, but you suspect there is one, it is still wise to do something about it. For example, mould may develop within 24-48 hours of water exposure if water leak is behind the wall.

How to avoid damp in your home:-

There are 3 types of damp – Rising, Penetrating and Condensation
Damp can affect your building (e.g. the value). It is possible to have a damp survey carried out by a specialist.

The 4 common causes of damp are – lack of heating, lack of insulation, lack of ventilation, and too much moisture in the air.

• Avoid drying clothes on radiators
• Open windows/vents to circulate air
• When using the bath/shower, open a window or run the extractor fan
• When cooking – open a window/run fan to help get rid of moisture
• Keep home heated to a constant temperature, adjust thermostat to make sure rooms are not too cold, check radiator valves
• Buy/hire dehumidifier – this sucks moisture out of the air

On the exterior of the building – check that the gutters are not blocked, check for cracks in brickwork, make sure there are no gaps between window and wall and check for missing or broken tiles.