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What happens if a gas safety check fails
ID, AR and NCS explained in plain English, and how to get your certificate.
Most gas safety checks pass. When something is wrong, the engineer must follow the Gas Industry Unsafe Situations Procedure. Here is what that means for you and your tenants.
The three outcomes
| Classification | What it means | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| Immediately Dangerous (ID) | A risk to life or property right now | Disconnect the appliance with permission, label it and issue a warning notice |
| At Risk (AR) | One or more faults that could become dangerous | Turn off the appliance with permission, label it and issue a warning notice |
| Not to Current Standards (NCS) | Not up to today’s standards, but not unsafe | Record it and advise you. The appliance can stay in use |
Common reasons for a fail
- Flue not sealed, damaged or ending in the wrong place
- Poor combustion from a dirty or badly set-up boiler
- Not enough ventilation for an open flued appliance or gas fire
- A gas leak found on the tightness test
- Flame failure device not working on a hob or fire
Getting it fixed
We give you a fixed price for the repair before any work starts. Many faults are fixed on the same visit. Once the fault is put right, the record is updated to show the appliance as safe.
Questions
Can I still let the property if the gas safety check fails?
Not with an unsafe appliance in use. The appliance must be repaired or disconnected and recorded before the record can show it as safe.
Will you turn off my boiler?
Only if it is Immediately Dangerous or At Risk and the safe course is to turn it off. We always explain why, label it, and give you a price to put it right.