Do you have a carbon monoxide detector?

Tiffany_Aching

We have two - one in the living room and one in the bedroom above the living room which the chimney passes through.

We don't have gas, we only have a coal fire. Until our sweep mentioned getting the carbon monoxide alarm I hadn't even considered it - there is so much publicity about CO emissions and gas boilers, but not so much with regards to coal fires.

Candy53

We have a back boiler in the living room, so we have a CO monitor on the ceiling that is wired into the electricity, and because it's old (we're renting) we have bought a good battery one which we were told to put on the wall, to the side of the fire, at head height.


Candy

MillicentBystander

An absolutely essential item but sadly uncommon. And please remember you may think your gas equipment is safe but what about next door's?

Dominic Rodgers Trust

The Dominic Rodgers Trust has been raising awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide since 2004 and has been a registered charity since 2009. Stacey Rodgers set up the Trust after her 10-year-old son Dominic died of carbon monoxide poisoning from a neighbours flue and faulty boiler.
The Trust, which is based in Kirklees, aims to campaign for high levels of gas safety, particularly related to the prevention of carbon monoxide poisoning and to promulgate educational and environmental programs for children parents and families.
They work with many organisations including the Kirklees Carbon Monoxide Awareness Group (KCOAG). The is made up of a few organisations, including The Dominic Rodgers Trust, Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing, Northern Gas Networks, the Anchor Trust, Sadeh Lok, The Enterprise, and United Utilities.
The charity's recent awareness campaigns include advertising on buses; an initiative called WarmZone where 100,000 properties in Kirklees got a free carbon monoxide alarm. They also run a successful educational workshop for primary school children in Kirklees, in partnership with Mad Science of Yorkshire and Humber. The 30-minute workshop, which has gone into 50 schools, included interactive quizzes, demonstrations and opportunities for the children to join the Mad Scientists on stage. The workshops end with a quick test to see how much the children have understood about carbon monoxide.

http://www.gassafecharity.org.uk/get-involved/co-awareness-charities.aspx

If you haven't got one please get one now. £8 at Asda Direct

http://direct.asda.com/Lifesaver-Carbon-Monoxide-Alarm/001136302,default,pd.html.

Gloomendoom

We have one in all rooms with a fireplace, including our bedroom.

victor2

Our gas boiler is in a separate utility room, with ventilation to the outside. Only other gas appliance is the hob (oven is electric), which I feel isn't so much of a threat as it isn't on for long periods of time. Detached house, so no neighbouring property to worry about.
Don't have a detector. Last time the boiler was serviced, the engineer suggested one, but had to agree with me that the risk was extremely low. Might get one if I see an offer I can't refuse, but the smoke detector annoys me enough when the OH burns her toast or I've forgotten the annual battery change.
The smoke detector gets tested probably once every 3 or 4 months, when I think I haven't heard it in a while...

MillicentBystander

You can get smoke detectors that don't trigger with burnt toast and the like. You can buy 3 of the Fire Angel ones for £20 at B&Q. we have them and they do what they say on the tin. And, seriously, isn't £8 for peace of mind a good enough offer already?

lemontart

£8 is a lot cheaper than the cost of a funeral.

ollski

Its so easy to get caught out, I went to work on a high level grill on a cooker a few months ago which set off the alarm in the living room. Turns out it was producing over 2000 ppm co. I turn off about 1 fire in 20 for leaking co. In fact nearly caught myself out a few weeks ago I was chopping logs for the woodburner with the chainsaw in the rain, decided to stand in the doorway with the exhaust pointing out but got caught up by the job and ended up filling the garage with exhaust fumes / co. Not nice.

tuggy12

MillicentBystander wrote: »

You can get smoke detectors that don't trigger with burnt toast and the like. You can buy 3 of the Fire Angel ones for £20 at B&Q. we have them and they do what they say on the tin. And, seriously, isn't £8 for peace of mind a good enough offer already?

How is that relevant to this thread, which is about Carbon Monoxide, not smoke?

MillicentBystander

tuggy12 wrote: »

How is that relevant to this thread, which is about Carbon Monoxide, not smoke?

Huh?? My post was in response to post #16. Perhaps you should have read it first and saved yourself this embarrassment?