Carbon Monoxide Alarms

A range of Carbon Monoxide alarms specially selected for deaf and hard of hearing people. These alarms must be connected to their compatible alerting system, which provides additional alerts such as flashing lights and vibrating pads to help ensure you are alerted to Carbon Monoxide in the home.

Choose an alarm to add to an existing compatible system, or combine it with a partner system to create a complete alerting solution.

What is CO & why does it need to be monitored?

Carbon Monoxide is an invisible, odourless, tasteless and extremely toxic gas that, if inhaled, can cause serious ill effects - justifying its name as 'The Silent Killer'. CO is readily absorbed by haemoglobin in the blood - approximately 240 times more efficiently than oxygen. This causes serious damage to the heart and brain from oxygen starvation.

CO - The Housing Health & Safety Rating System - the Landlords responsibility.

The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) is the new risk assessment procedure to replace the Housing Fitness Regime and the Fitness Standard as an element of the Decent Homes Standard. It came into force on 6th April 2006 in England and it will follow in Wales later in
the year. The HHSRS Operating Guidance recognises that CO exposure can be a significant hazard to occupants and states that it is the landlords responsibility to assess the risk of a CO leak in a property.

Scotland has a similar scheme to the HHSRS in the Scottish Housing Quality Standard.

House of Commons All Party Parliamentary Gas Safety Group - Shouting about a silent killer: Raising CO awareness Report as Published 14th September 2006

“We believe that there are ways of increasing the number of reliable CO detectors in the home and would expect the mortgage and insurance industries to find innovative ways to ensure every home has one which is both audible and approved to British Standard. There should be an expectation that in order to complete a mortgage, or insure a property, both CO and smoke detectors should be a requirement for all homes.”

What is CO & why does it need to be monitored?

Carbon Monoxide is an invisible, odourless, tasteless and extremely toxic gas that, if inhaled, can cause serious ill effects - justifying its name as 'The Silent Killer'. CO is readily absorbed by haemoglobin in the blood - approximately 240 times more efficiently than oxygen. This causes serious damage to the heart and brain from oxygen starvation.

How is CO produced?

Carbon Monoxide originates from the combustion of any fossil fuel - coal, bottled and natural gas, paraffin, wood, petrol, diesel, charcoal etc.

What are the main sources of CO?

All Fossil fuel burning appliances produce CO, this is normally vented through flues and chimneys to the outside atmosphere. However, if the process is not entirely efficient, CO can build up to dangerous levels. Examples of possible causes are:

• Poorly connected, blocked, cracked or corroded flue pipe/vent: Flue pipes/vents are designed to allow the CO produced by the appliance to vent to the outside atmosphere. If the flue is not operating correctly or is damaged, CO may leak into the property. Even if there is an annual check on the appliance/s, flues and vents remain a potential hazard.
  
• Back drafting: Building Regulation requirements for energy efficient homes and a greater emphasis on air extraction e.g. bathroom and kitchen fans, means there is a risk of creating negative air pressure. This can cause reverse airflow through appliances resulting in dangerous levels of CO being drawn back into the property.
  
• Cracked heat exchanger on gas central heating system: This will result in a large amount of CO leakage and is therefore a particularly dangerous possibility.
  
• Appliances without flues: Some fuel burning appliances do not have flues. Portable heaters, cooking rings and grills are particularly vulnerable as are old appliances. Whether burning liquid gas, paraffin, natural gas or wood, each are capable of emitting dangerous levels of CO.