Please tell me about gas!

[starrychime]

Am hoping to move soon. Have been all electric all my life but house will have a gas boiler and radioators and cooker. Haven't got a clue how to work any of this stuff - always been a bit scared of gas. What happens if a dial on the hob gets turned on with no flame? What do I need to know about all this! How does the hot water thing work? Is there a 'gas users instruction manual' somewhere. Do I need to get a gas detector or something? Any hints and tips would be much appreciated!

Don't know everything but have all of the above.

Many newer cookers have a flame safety device (FSD) which means that the gas supply shuts off if the flame accidentally goes out. If you haven't got one of those, you would smell the gas long before it became dangerous.

Hopefully you will have a combi boiler, which means an endless supply of hot water and no tanks- great in our house with 5 people showering every day.

I love cooking with gas as the heat is instant. If a pot is about to boil over you can sort it without moving the pan while you wait for the ring/hob to cool down.

Don't panic, it's ok

Thanks - I guess I worry about being asleep and the gas seeping out or going out and leaving it on.

Boiler - a combi will provide constant hot water/heating and you can set the times you want the heating to come on. See if there is a manual/user guide thing with it, and have a good read through. Radiators often have a thermostat each, which means you can control the heat output on each radiator.

Gas cooker - as MND says you would smell the gas long before it became a problem. On our cooker there's an audible hiss when the gas comes on prior to lighting too.

I would recommend you get a carbon monoxide detector and fit near your boiler. Carbon monoxide is a clear, odourless gas that can be deadly. Also get your boiler serviced each year.

Don't worry!