Carbon monoxide poisoning

teresa21_2

hi
I have just found out that the newly built housing association flat . That was all signed off has been slowly leaking carbon monoxide for nearly a year and I have been ill constantly but have only now found out . Can I do anything about this . My baby was not even one when we moved in

GwylimT

Did your carbon monoxide alarm not go off?

Where is the boiler situated, as a flat itself cannot produce carbon monoxide, our previous boiler leaked but we didn't pit it up for a while as it was in an out house.

Guest101

This will be one of those- I didn't buy one, but surely it's not my responsibilty...

pmlindyloo

teresa21 wrote: »

hi
I have just found out that the newly built housing association flat . That was all signed off has been slowly leaking carbon monoxide for nearly a year and I have been ill constantly but have only now found out . Can I do anything about this . My baby was not even one when we moved in

Can I do anything about this?

I am presuming you are talking about compensation rather than stopping the leak?

In order to claim compensation you would have to prove that your landlord was negligent in some way. Were you issued with a gas safety certificate? Was the fault found by a gas engineer? Was the appliance that was faulty in your accommodation or was it traced to a neighbour's appliance?

If you have evidence that the landlord was neglectful in their responsibilities then you need to consult a solicitor. A no win no fee one is probably your best bet.

G_M

How come your CO alarm did not go off? Had the batteries run down? Did you check the batteries?

Can I do anything about this

Find the source of the leak (it's not your flat!) and get it fixed.

What is the date on your most recent Gas safety report? What was the date on the previous one?

teresa21_2

Alarm was not put head height it was put on the ceiling . The gas fitter came to do a check and found out it was leaking

teresa21_2

What do you mean ?

teresa21_2

This was the first check I only moved in after it was signed off in July 2014

teresa21_2

Alarm was on the ceiling not head height and yes boiler is in flat

G_M

teresa21 wrote: »

This was the first check I only moved in after it was signed off in July 2014

Can you confirm/clarify these dates please?

* So the flat was built in 2014 yes?
* and the boiler was installed in July 2014 yes?
* did you received copies of the boiler installation sign off?
* and a recent check was done? ie May 2015?

If the above dates are correct, the Housing Association has complied with the Gas safety rules in that

* a Gas Safety Report is not required in the first year following installation
* a Gas Safety Report is required after the first year, and an inspection appears to have taken place. This successfully identified the leak.

CO leaks can, sadly, start at any time. An inspection simply confirmes whether a leak exists on the date of inspection (or install sign-off). but a leak could arise a week later.

It is as with car MOTs. They confirm a car is safe on the day of the test, but there is no guarantee the car will remain in a safe condition throughout the following year.

AdrianC

teresa21 wrote: »

Alarm was on the ceiling not head heigh

Then it would go off earlier, since CO is lighter than air - and, usually, warmer since it's coming from the combustion gases from the boiler.