Carbon Monoxide Detectors - GET ONE!

My Name is URL

My Name is URL

Well-Known Forumite
Afternoon everyone...

As per title, if you have gas in your house, please get a carbon monoxide detector.

Ours went off this afternoon and so we called National Grid and it turns out the boiler had a leak:(

We only got our detector a couple of months ago but its scary to think what could have happened if we hadn't had the detector... especially as the wife is "with child".

Now just got to get Super Rikki to find time in his busy schedule to fix the boiler and we can have some heating / hot water again :)
 
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The Stafford Beast

The Stafford Beast

Well-Known Forumite
Mine went off the day after I bought it. Turns out that the whole house acts as a better chimney than the flue when:
a) The outside temperature is below 5°C
b) The wind is blowing in the wrong direction

I have since got a chimney balloon to stop the warm updraft from the chimney that pulls cold air down the flue. The carbon monoxide detector hasn't gone off since.
 
Gas Engineers

Gas Engineers

Active Member
Well done URL for such an important post. We often read what's happening on the forum but to be honest don't often reply.

CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS SHOULD BE FITTED IN EVERY HOUSE IN THE COUNTY - IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE.

Rikki is a well respected forum member & hoping will not be offended if we post on this subject but if anyone requires any free information on fitting these devices please don't hesitate to contact either of us.
Carbon Monoxide Detectors are not expensive and yet are not recognised as much as smoke detectors, we all fear a fire in the home, however with carbon monoxide you cannot see it, smell it or hear it & can kill you

Symptoms include:
  • Headaches
  • Nausea
  • Exhaustion
  • Drowsiness
  • Dizziness
  • Vomiting
  • 'flu like' symptoms
  • Palpitations
  • Chest pain
  • Collapse without necessarily losing consciousness, followed by unconsciousness and perhaps death.

These can be purchased from most D.I.Y stores or supermarkets
More information on this subject can be found on www.gassaferegister.co.uk or www.co-gassafety.co.uk


Don't purchase the card type detectors which turn a different colour, carbon monoxide puts you to sleep you won't be looking at a colour but you will hear an alarm.
 
Withnail

Withnail

Well-Known Forumite
Gas Engineers said:
Don't purchase the card type detectors which turn a different colour, carbon monoxide puts you to sleep you won't be looking at a colour...
Click to expand...
But you will be turning a different colour yourself - Carbon Monoxide binds with the haemoglobin in your blood and turns it even redder, making the haemoglobin unable to release the bound oxygen around your body, giving you a rather 'flushed' appearance. You look in rude health - but you are in fact dead.
 
staffordjas

staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
Carbon Monoxide Alarms saved our lives in the past as well!
One time when our old warm air central heating vent was spewing fumes into the loft rather than taking them outside and another instance with our gas fire. We had been feeling ill for quite a time but putting it down to flu like symptoms. Bought one of those electric alarms and it went off.
We now have 1 alarm upstairs and 1 downstairs as well as the 4 smoke alarms .
 
db

db

#chaplife
thanks for this, URL.. i had never really thought about one, but it's clear from the responses in this thread that it can be a common problem - so i just picked up a detector from asda for £12 when i did the shop this morning..

yes, i'm sure i could have got a better one for half the price on amazon, but whatev's - i saw this thread, then saw the detector while shopping, so thought i'd buy one while it was in my mind..
 
Gramaisc

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
The ad below this, for me, 'guarantees' the best online prices and has one for £9:99 + VAT - so twelve quid seems OK.
 
My Name is URL

My Name is URL

Well-Known Forumite
db said:
so i just picked up a detector from asda for £12 when i did the shop this morning..
Click to expand...

Think I paid about £15 for mine and that was the cheapest I could fine, so £12 is good. What sort is it? Might get another for upstairs.

Like you say, doesn't matter what they cost at the end of the day, well worth it for the peace of mind.
 
db

db

#chaplife
My Name is URL said:
Think I paid about £15 for mine and that was the cheapest I could fine, so £12 is good. What sort is it? Might get another for upstairs.

Like you say, doesn't matter what they cost at the end of the day, well worth it for the peace of mind.
Click to expand...
this is the one i bought - as i say, i saw it on the shelf just as i walked up the first aisle (so all the clothes are on your left, and their new electrical fittings section is on your right), and figured i'd better get one:

http://groceries.asda.com/asda-esto...14921923802&aisleid=1214921925048&startValue=

0047871074259_21000_IDShot_2.jpeg
 
Rikki

Rikki

Well-Known Forumite
I agree with what everyone says about how every house should have them fitted, but I will make a couple of poInts that have been missed so far.

Just because you have a CO detector do not assume you are safe. They can fail and you should still have your appliances periodically checked/serviced by an appropriately qualified person.

In my opinion they should be a legal requierment with all open flued appliances such as older boilers or fires. There is a far greater risk with these types of appliance and again having a CO detector does not replace proper maintenance. It certainly does not mean it is safe to block up any air vents fitted thinking the alarm will protect you.

I also feel it is important to point out that with a modern room sealed appliance that has been properly installed and maintained the chances of you ever having a problem are incredibly small. To quote one of my favourite books "don't panic"
 
db

db

#chaplife
Rikki said:
I agree with what everyone says about how every house should have them fitted, but I will make a couple of poInts that have been missed so far.

Just because you have a CO detector do not assume you are safe. They can fail and you should still have your appliances periodically checked/serviced by an appropriately qualified person.
Click to expand...

yeah - i would defo recommend all blokes swallow their pride and actually read the instructions, as they have to be installed in quite a specific way (e.g. not laying flat, not in a draft, etc.)..

the one i got has a handy pop-out stand, so it can sit upright on a surface as well as being wall-mounted, so i just have it in the living room (right next to the kitchen, where the boiler is, with just an archway separating the rooms) on top of a unit.. it's unobtrusive, and i can see the green "i'm working" LED blinking should i need to. :)
 
Gramaisc

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
db said:
this is the one i bought - as i say, i saw it on the shelf just as i walked up the first aisle (so all the clothes are on your left, and their new electrical fittings section is on your right), and figured i'd better get one:

http://groceries.asda.com/asda-esto...14921923802&aisleid=1214921925048&startValue=

0047871074259_21000_IDShot_2.jpeg
Click to expand...
That link says 'product not available' to me. Was it a 'special'?

Argos have them for £26:99 for a pair - http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/7002984/Trail/searchtext>CARBON+MONOXIDE.htm
 
Em L

Em L

Mental Floss
Thanks guys, I've been meaning to get one for a while and this has just reminded me - will do it now while it's still in my mind!
 
staffordjas

staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
I got my latest ones from Argos .They look like the one featured above and can be either wall-mounted or free-standing with a pop-out stand . Got mine free standing and look quite decent sitting on the side.They sell them either in a single or a double pack,which works out a lot better.Even had the batteries included !
 
S

sooty

Active Member
can i add that co monitors should also be installed in any room with an open fire or woodburner

better safe than sorry
 
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