Carbon Monoxide
You are at risk of Carbon Monoxide poisoning if:
You cannot see it, smell it or taste it - but Carbon Monoxide (CO) can kill or cause permanent damage to your health.
Symptoms include:
and perhaps death.
The elderly and young are at higher risk than healthy adults.
If your appliance (fireplace, stove, cooker etc) does not fully discharge all the gases and smoke given off from the fuel you burn, e.g. coal, wood, gas or oil, up the flue and safely to the outside air those gases will need to escape to somewhere else. Usually this is back into your home and then into your body.
Each year, there are around 30 deaths from Carbon Monoxide poisoning and many more people suffer health problems due to Carbon Monoxide exposure.
Some 20 million households in the UK don't have their appliances checked regularly enough or have an audible Carbon Monoxide alarm leaving them under-
protected and at risk of Carbon Monoxide poisoning.
Steps to keep your household safe
Audible Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Audible Carbon Monoxide alarms cost around £20 and can be purchased at your local DIY store, supermarkets or can be bought directly from energy suppliers.
When you buy a Carbon Monoxide alarm make sure it meets current European safety standards. It should be marked EN50291 and also have the British Standards 'Kitemark' or another European approval organisation's mark on it. CO alarms usually have a battery life of 5 to 7 years.
DO NOT use the ‘black spot’ detectors that change colour when carbon monoxide is present, they don’t make a sound. It is important to choose an alarm that will wake you up if you’re asleep, or you may not be aware of early CO Symptoms until it is too late.
When placing and using an alarm in your home it is best to follow the instructions that were supplied with the alarm. However if you can't find these then here are a few guidelines that will help you decide where to place an audible Carbon Monoxide alarm in the home:
You should never ignore a Carbon Monoxide alarm. Check the manufacturer's instructions to make sure you can recognise the alarm sound emitted when Carbon Monoxide is present as well as the low battery signal to avoid any confusion. If the alarm sounds, call the relevant fuel advice line for help and seek medical advice urgently if anyone is feeling unwell, then call Trent Chimney Services 07880645627 to get your chimney/flue and appliance checked.
Carbon Monoxide alarms must never be used in place of annual safety checks.
They are a second line of defence. There is no alternative to proper installation and maintenance of your chimney/flue and appliances.
If you require a Audible Carbon Monoxide Alarm please ask for details, Trent Chimney Services can supply and install. Call 07880645627
You are at risk of Carbon Monoxide poisoning if:
- Your fuel burning appliance was incorrectly or badly
- Your appliance has not been safety checked and
- Your chimney or flue is blocked or has not been
- There is no audible Carbon Monoxide alarm fitted
You cannot see it, smell it or taste it - but Carbon Monoxide (CO) can kill or cause permanent damage to your health.
Symptoms include:
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Exhaustion
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Vomiting
- Flu like symptoms
- Palpitations
- Chest pain
- Collapse without necessarily losing
and perhaps death.
The elderly and young are at higher risk than healthy adults.
If your appliance (fireplace, stove, cooker etc) does not fully discharge all the gases and smoke given off from the fuel you burn, e.g. coal, wood, gas or oil, up the flue and safely to the outside air those gases will need to escape to somewhere else. Usually this is back into your home and then into your body.
Each year, there are around 30 deaths from Carbon Monoxide poisoning and many more people suffer health problems due to Carbon Monoxide exposure.
Some 20 million households in the UK don't have their appliances checked regularly enough or have an audible Carbon Monoxide alarm leaving them under-
protected and at risk of Carbon Monoxide poisoning.
Steps to keep your household safe
- Fit an audible alarm
- Service your appliances and sweep your chimney/flue at least once a year
- Don't block ventilation
- Know the signs
Audible Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Audible Carbon Monoxide alarms cost around £20 and can be purchased at your local DIY store, supermarkets or can be bought directly from energy suppliers.
When you buy a Carbon Monoxide alarm make sure it meets current European safety standards. It should be marked EN50291 and also have the British Standards 'Kitemark' or another European approval organisation's mark on it. CO alarms usually have a battery life of 5 to 7 years.
DO NOT use the ‘black spot’ detectors that change colour when carbon monoxide is present, they don’t make a sound. It is important to choose an alarm that will wake you up if you’re asleep, or you may not be aware of early CO Symptoms until it is too late.
When placing and using an alarm in your home it is best to follow the instructions that were supplied with the alarm. However if you can't find these then here are a few guidelines that will help you decide where to place an audible Carbon Monoxide alarm in the home:
- Place the alarm in a central location in your home (e.g. the hallway or landing if you have an upstairs) where it will be heard if activated.If you want to fix the alarm to a wall then position it at head height ( i.e. your breathing level), however, the alarm does not need to be fixed on a wall, e.g. it can be placed on a table, shelf or bookcase.
- If you have a portable battery alarm you could place this in the room that you spend most of your time such as a lounge or bedroom - you can even move it from room to room with you.
- As with smoke alarms, test your Carbon Monoxide alarm regularly with the test button (follow manufacturer's instructions) and replace the batteries annually or when the low battery signal sounds.
- Do not place the alarm in a cupboard, behind furniture, near an outside door or ventilation, e.g. extractor fans or cooker hoods.
- Do not place alarms directly next to fires, boilers, cookers or heaters - the alarm should be at least 1 meter away from any of these appliances.
- Do not place an alarm in an area of high condensation and steam such as a bathroom or kitchen or sources of steam and condensation.
- The alarm should not be placed on a ceiling like a smoke alarm
You should never ignore a Carbon Monoxide alarm. Check the manufacturer's instructions to make sure you can recognise the alarm sound emitted when Carbon Monoxide is present as well as the low battery signal to avoid any confusion. If the alarm sounds, call the relevant fuel advice line for help and seek medical advice urgently if anyone is feeling unwell, then call Trent Chimney Services 07880645627 to get your chimney/flue and appliance checked.
Carbon Monoxide alarms must never be used in place of annual safety checks.
They are a second line of defence. There is no alternative to proper installation and maintenance of your chimney/flue and appliances.
If you require a Audible Carbon Monoxide Alarm please ask for details, Trent Chimney Services can supply and install. Call 07880645627