Tückische Thermen - Berlin - Tagesspiegel Facebook

The six residents who had to be taken to the hospital in two houses in Steglitz after gas accidents will continue to be treated in the clinic.According to the police, there is no danger to life.The investigation into suspected negligent bodily harm continues."Expert reports are now being created on both thermal baths," said a police spokesman.However, some time is needed for results.

As reported, on Wednesday evening, poisonous carbon monoxide had escaped from a gas boiler in a rental apartment on Steglitzer Damm.Two boys (three and six years), who had become dizzy in the bathtub, were taken to the hospital.Six hours later, the same thing happened in an apartment building on forest road.Here, too, a gas boiler was obviously defective.The color and odorless carbon monoxide flowed into the apartment.A two -year -old boy, his mother and grandparents were brought to the clinic by rescue workers.

In a first analysis, experts from the chimney sweep guild and the responsible network operator NBB suspect two factors in a first analysis: Firstly, the strong summer heat that prevents the carbon monoxide from being deducted, in conjunction with a defect on the exhaust system.This is supposed to cause that the gas cannot flow out unhindered for more than two minutes.

In order to avoid such accidents, the guild SHK Berlin (sanitary, heating, air conditioning technology) strongly advises to have the thermal baths wait at least once a year by a certified specialist company.It must be recorded in the gas installation directory of the network operator NBB.

But who is responsible to hire a maintenance company?According to the SHK spokeswoman Stephanie Irrgang, there is often confusion here.In the "technical rules of the gas installation" it can be read, "the operator of the thermal bath is responsible" - but depending on the agreement in the rental agreement, this could be both the apartment owner, the property management, but in some cases also the tenant."A look at the rental agreement is worthwhile.If this is not clearly regulated, we recommend that those involved agree who will take care of it, ”says Irrgang."Tenants have the right to request this if this has not yet been regulated."Otherwise it could happen that thermal baths will not be waited for years because nobody feels responsible.Because regular maintenance is not controlled.It should not be confused with the visit to the chimney sweep, which - as stated by law - comes once a year."It only measures the emission values, but does not maintain the device," emphasizes Irrgang.

According to the SHK, there are around 300,000 gas boilers in Berlin, including 268,000 in apartment buildings."The city has an enormously high old building stock.Some of the houses are unanimized and the thermal baths are accordingly, ”says the spokeswoman.So very old devices did not have an exhaust gas sensor at all, which is supposed to prevent an uncontrolled gas exterior current.The current weather conditions are tricky, but tenants with a thermal bath should not be panicked according to the recent incidents.In addition to regular maintenance, the guild also recommends that the room in which the thermal bath is located is easy to ventilate."It is best to let the window tip over overnight, or even during the day so that the carbon monoxide content is diluted."

Nach dem tragischen Gasunfall im Juli 2011, bei dem eine sechsköpfige Familie in ihrer Wohnung in Köpenick ums Leben kam, haben die SHK und die Schornsteinfeger-Innung reagiert und raten nicht nur zur regelmäßigen Wartung, sondern auch zum „Gas-ganz-sicher-Check": Bei dieser zusätzlichen Kontrolle spürt die Fachfirma beispielsweise undichte Stellen in den Leitungen auf, kontrolliert die Rohre, Absperreinrichtungen und untersucht die Belüftung in den Wohnräumen.Tanja Buntrock