A guide to carbon monoxide

Carbon Monoxide can cause death and serious health problems such as brain damage, depending on the level of exposure.

In the past year, fourteen people have died and over two hundred have suffered from serious health problems as a result of CO exposure.

CO is produced when gas is burned without a sufficient amount of oxygen present. This state of affairs can be induced by an incorrectly installed, or poorly maintained, gas burning appliance.

If you use gas for any reason in your house, be it central heating or cooking, it is essential that you install some kind of audible carbon monoxide (CO) alarm system.

Sound alarm details:

A carbon monoxide alarm is just like a smoke alarm, only it alerts you to the presence of the invisible, odourless, and deadly gas that is carbon monoxide, also known as CO.

Make sure that you buy an audible carbon monoxide alarm, of the type that adheres to the British Standard EN 50291, for every room in your home that has a gas appliance.

It should also be marked by a national or European approval mark, such as a Kitemark, if you are to be sure of its safety and reliability.

Carbon monoxide alarms usually have a battery life of up to 5 years, although it is wise to test the unit at least once a month to check that it is still working.

Black Spot alarms:

Although they are a good deal cheaper, avoid the use of "black spot" detectors that change colour when carbon monoxide is present in the air, as they do not make a sound.

Above all else, it is important that you are alerted as soon as CO levels start to become dangerous, and this may occur while you are sleeping, when you are unlikely to be woken by the changing of colour of a piece of cardboard.

If you are not sure of which alarm to buy or how to fit it, ask a Gas Safe registered engineer, who will be able to advise you.

CO alarms are a vital last line of defence against carbon monoxide poisoning, but they are no replacement for making sure that all your appliances are installed correctly and maintained by a qualified engineer.

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