Checking gas safety at home (revisión periódica de gas)

Key rules

• Review interval: A fixed gas installation must be reviewed every 5 years.
• Who arranges it: The holder of the gas supply arranges the review, usually the tenant in a rented home, and the landlord is responsible for fixing defects.
• Butane hose: Replace a rubber butane hose by the date printed on it, normally 5 years after manufacture.
• Regulator: Replace the regulator within 10 years of its stamped date.
• Overdue review: The distributor can suspend your gas supply after a formal warning if the review stays overdue.

The short answer

If your home has a fixed gas installation, it must pass a review every 5 years. The person who holds the gas supply contract arranges it. If you use butane bottles, the hose and regulator have their own replacement dates, and you must follow them.

The periodic review (revisión periódica de gas)

The review applies to homes with piped natural gas and to homes with piped butane or propane from a tank or network. A qualified inspector checks the fixed pipes, connections, appliances and ventilation. You then get a certificate of inspection. Keep it, because you may need to show it later.

The distributor (the company that owns the gas network, not necessarily your seller) normally writes to you before the review is due and offers appointment slots. You can use the distributor or another authorised firm. The inspection is billed to the user. Some regions add their own details, so ask the distributor what applies where you live.

Who arranges it

The holder of the supply arranges the review. In a rented home that is usually you, the tenant, if the gas contract is in your name. The landlord is responsible for fixing any defects the inspector finds. Who pays the inspection fee can depend on your contract, so check your lease or agree it with the landlord before you book.

Butane bottles (bombonas)

A bottle installation has two parts that wear out.

• Rubber hose: replace it on or before the date printed on it, normally 5 years after manufacture. Older hoses may carry 4 years. Do this even if the hose looks fine. Replace it at once if it is cracked or hard.
• Regulator: it has a stamped date, often as a code. Replace it within 10 years of that date.
• Metal-reinforced hoses: these state their own, longer validity on the hose. Follow what is marked.

The installer or the cylinder distributor can fit new parts. Always follow the date on the specific part, as it can differ by model.

If the review is overdue

The distributor sends notices first. After a formal warning it can suspend your gas until the installation passes a review. Regional industry authorities can also fine you, with amounts depending on how serious the case is. Your home insurer may refuse or reduce a claim for damage if you had no valid certificate.

If you get a notice, reply and book an appointment. That is the simplest way to avoid a cut-off.

Safety

Gas leaks and carbon monoxide are the real reason for these checks. Read the warning below so you know the danger signs and what to do.

Use the checklist, documents list and timeline below to plan your review.

Timeline and deadlines

• Wait for the distributor's letter saying your review is due, then pick an appointment: before the 5-year deadline

• Have the review done by the distributor or another authorised firm: every 5 years

Documents you need

• Certificate of inspection from your latest gas review, issued by the distributor or an authorised installer company. Keep it up to date: without it, the supply can be suspended and your insurer may refuse or reduce cover.

• Gas supply contract in your name, as the holder of the supply. It shows who must arrange the review. In a rented home, check whether it splits the cost differently.

Checklist

• Find the printed date on your rubber butane hose and replace it on or before that date, normally 5 years after manufacture.

• Find the stamped date on the regulator and replace it within 10 years of that date.

• Look at the hose for cracks or hardening and replace it straight away if you see either.

• Ask the installer or the cylinder distributor to fit the new hose or regulator.

• Check the date of your last gas review and book the next one before it is due, through the distributor or another authorised firm.

• Reply to any distributor notice about an overdue review and book an appointment, to avoid the supply being suspended.

Gas and carbon monoxide danger signs at home

• If you smell gas, act at once: A gas smell means a leak. Any flame, cigarette, light switch, doorbell or appliance could set it off. Do not light flames, smoke, or touch electrical switches, doorbells or appliances. Open windows and doors. Close the gas tap or cylinder valve and the main gas valve. Leave the building and warn neighbours without using the lift. From outside, call the gas distributor's 24-hour emergency number or 112. Do not go back in until a technician confirms it is safe.

• Carbon monoxide gives no smell: Carbon monoxide is colourless and odourless, so your nose will not warn you. Look for headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, tiredness, confusion, shortness of breath and chest pain. In severe cases people pass out. Several people or pets feeling ill at once, with symptoms easing when you go outdoors, is a key sign. If anyone in the home feels like this, treat it as carbon monoxide until proven otherwise and follow the steps for suspected poisoning.

• Appliance signs of carbon monoxide: A yellow or orange flame instead of blue, soot or black stains around the appliance, a pilot light that keeps going out, and condensation on windows or walls in the room all point to poor combustion. Stop using the appliance and have an authorised technician inspect it before you use it again.

• If you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning: Poisoning can get worse quickly, and people who feel better may still be affected. Open windows and doors, turn off the appliance if it is safe to do so, and get everyone, pets included, outside into fresh air. Call 112. Have everyone exposed seen by a doctor even if they feel fine, as treatment is oxygen. Do not go back in or use the appliance until an authorised technician or the gas distributor has inspected it and declared it safe.

Frequently asked questions

Who pays for the gas review in a rented home?

The tenant usually arranges the review as the holder of the gas supply, but the landlord is responsible for fixing any defects it finds. The cost can be split differently in the contract, so read it before you book. The review is billed to the user when the distributor or an authorised firm carries it out.

Will my gas company warn me before the review is due?

Yes, the gas distributor must notify you in advance, usually by letter, and then offers appointments. You can use the distributor or another authorised firm. If you ignore the notices, the supply can be suspended.

Can my insurer refuse a claim if the gas review is overdue?

Yes, insurers may refuse or reduce cover for damage if your installation lacked the mandatory inspection certificate. Keep the certificate from each review with your home insurance papers.

Can I keep using a butane hose that looks fine but is past its date?

No, replace a rubber butane hose on or before the date printed on it, even if it looks fine. Replace it at once if it is cracked or hardened. The installer or the cylinder distributor can do it.