Carbon monoxide leak from gas fire. Is it safe if turned off?

kaya

when i was a gas engineer if it was dangerous we had to make it safe and label it so, if he has failed to make it safe i would guess that either it wasnt dangerous and he was trying it on with the landlady or he does not know what he is doing, either way i would first check him out on the gas safe register to see if he is qualified and registered, if not report him and your landlady to gas safe, a gas appliance giving off carbon monoxide usually needs adjusting rather than replacing, if it cannot be adjusted then it should have been condemned by the engineer, but it cannot produce carbon monoxide if it isn't turned on

NinjaB

I hope you have been able to sort your problem but if not can I make a suggestion ... phone your local council. Each council has what is called a tenants liaison officer. This person deals both with council and private sector rented properties. I had a problem with a landlady coming in and out of the house I was renting when I was and wasnt there and they gave me very clear guidance on my rights as a tenant and also they contacted her themselves to ensure she was aware of my rights and her breach of contract. I understand your tenancy is coming up for renewal and perhaps it is better to move on so as to avoid even further problems but if you do I would worry the new tenants would have the same problem.

Good luck

Paul_Varjak

If he has disconnected the fire and put a label on saying the fire is condemned I think a safety certificate can still be issued. If he has left the fire connected in a dangerous state he could be reported to CORGI.

I had a similar situation in a Council property. The Council OK'd my gas fire but I called in CFORGI to check and they condemned the fire. The Council wanted to remove the fire altogether but I said I wanted it fixed. In the end they had to line the whole chimney!

lemontart

Paul_Varjak wrote: »

If he has disconnected the fire and put a label on saying the fire is condemned I think a safety certificate can still be issued. If he has left the fire connected in a dangerous state he could be reported to CORGI.

I had a similar situation in a Council property. The Council OK'd my gas fire but I called in CFORGI to check and they condemned the fire. The Council wanted to remove the fire altogether but I said I wanted it fixed. In the end they had to line the whole chimney!

Sorry to be pedantic but CORGI no longer exists it is the Gas Safe Register now

https://www.gassaferegister.co.uk

spinningsheep

The landlady must be a total skinflint then! You can buy a new inset gas fire for less than £100 and an outset ceramic bar type one for less than £200, plus the fitting cost of course.

calebdylan

you need to replace the valve even though its expensive else it may cause serious problems carbon monoxide will cause breathing problems and removes the oxygen in that area

alleycat`

Strange i always thought carbon monoxide was dangerous because it binds to the iron molecules in the red blood cells and does not let go (easily) so that your body can not effectively process oxygen.

I didn't think it did anything with regards to taking oxygen out of the air but that your blood cells were unable to do their job properly and you slowly suffocated due to hypoxia.

anyway it is dangerous stuff however you want to think of it:)

oldsam

Inform local Council about the Landlord refusal to carry out essential work on HEALTH AND SAFETY grounds, They issue a license to show that the property is fit to use as rented accommodation in their area, Ask to see this and the landlords buildings insurance . To see if are you covered.

lemontart

calebdylan wrote: »

you need to replace the valve even though its expensive else it may cause serious problems carbon monoxide will cause breathing problems and removes the oxygen in that area

It can cause a lot more than breathing problems - sorry to be blunt but it can kill and does kill if you are at risk this is a potentially lethal problem and the landlord will face manslaughter charges should the worse happens.

I am sorry if this scares you but sadly in my job I hear of these deaths, hospital treatment etc following exposure to carbon monoxide and all are avoidable.

So be scared and act to protect you and yours.

the_seraphim

just to be pedantic aswell, CO binds to the haemoglobin 240 times more tightly than O2 so if both O2 and CO are inhaled, the CO is preferentially bound to the haem in your blood and you get carboxyhaemoglobin leaving less haemoglobin available to make the important oxyhaemoglobin.

carboxyhaemoglobin also damages blood vessels and makes them a little leaky... especially prevelant in the brains of minors causing raised intercranial pressure which can cause similar problems as meningitis... yeah, its that serious!

the first time you notice anything is when your very tired and confused... but by that time, unless you were ready for it (and knowing an appliance is dangerous usually isnt enough) even opening a window wont help.

at that point the only treatment that would save your life would be treatment with a hyperbaric chamber, but brain damage would already have set in and possibly killed your little 3 yr old...

so... GO YELL AT UR LANDLADY!