There’s a common perception that if a domestic incident is occurring, you will know all about it. You will smell it, see it or feel it and understand the need to act on it. That’s not the case with carbon monoxide. It has no smell, it is colourless, and it has no taste. It accumulates, and by the time symptoms are seen, it’s often too late to do anything major about it.
For anyone with a gas boiler, gas hob, open fire or wood burning stove, this isn’t just a theoretical possibility. It’s one that requires more than standing attention and it’s one that should be addressed properly.
Where Carbon Monoxide Comes From
Carbon monoxide is a byproduct of incomplete burning of fuels. Gas, oil, wood and coal are all sources of carbon monoxide. Ideally, when the appliance through which they burn is combusting properly in an adequately ventilated space, then there is little carbon monoxide. In contrast, when appliances are faulty, that’s when problems arise—and faulty appliances and poorly maintained appliances are more common than most people think.
The boiler that hasn’t been serviced in a couple of years. The flue that has become partially blocked. The gas fire with a cracked heat exchanger. The wood burner that sits inside a room without appropriate airflow to allow the combustion to occur properly. All of these can lead to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide entering domestic spaces without so much as raising a red flag.
Why It’s An Easy Risk to Ignore
Part of the reason why it’s an easy risk to dismiss is that exposure to carbon monoxide at lower levels manifests in symptoms like many other ailments. Headaches, fatigue, nausea and dizziness are common early indications and they’re easily brushed aside as long weeks at work, colds or bad sleep. Unfortunately, as people become accustomed to these symptoms, they also allow themselves to be exposed further to carbon monoxide as the situation steadily worsens.
This is why thorough carbon monoxide detection for the home is not only necessary but lifesaving. A decent carbon monoxide detector will monitor air quality in real time and alarm before levels approach acute levels; this is what saves lives as waiting until symptoms appear isn’t an effective method of safety when the gas itself cannot be detected by human factors.
Which Appliances Are Most Dangerous
Gas boilers are the primary sources of carbon monoxide in domestic properties. This is because they represent the most common fuel burning appliance—and they’re faulted over time without notice. A boiler that passed its last service without issue may have developed a fault nine months later. There’s no way for homeowners to know this other than detection.
Open fires and wood burning stoves are significant sources of CO in older properties where chimneys may have structural concerns or birds/debris block flues partially. Gas fires are also common sources of CO with older models and those that have not been appropriately maintained. The running theme behind all of these is the same. A combustion based appliance in a home with suboptimal airflow and ventilation represent potential sources of carbon monoxide and this is the case with many many homes.
Where Should Alarms Be Positioned
This affects how useful a CO alarm will be in practice. Carbon monoxide is estimated to be around the same weight as air, meaning that it disseminates throughout a space fairly evenly, unlike smoke which rises quickly. Therefore alarms should be placed at head height, on a wall or surface and within a few meters of the appliance it seeks to protect.
At least one CO alarm should be fitted in every room with a fuel burning appliance. It wouldn’t hurt to fit one near the boiler room in any bedroom or in any space where people regularly sleep. The last thing anyone wants is for someone to be exposed overnight. Symptoms will not alert anyone who is asleep as they would during waking hours and additional hazards emerge if exposure goes undetected overnight.
How Regular Maintenance Matters
A CO alarm will not act as a substitute for proper appliances. Annual servicing by an accredited engineer is recommended for boilers and gas fires while chimneys used by open fires or wood burning stoves need to be swept regularly. This minimizes the risks of CO developing in the first place.
Yet this still doesn’t eliminate risk. Maintenance does not guarantee faults will develop between services and appliances can still be known for increased CO under certain conditions despite solid servicing. This is where alarms are lifesaving, they’re like that last net that catches what maintenance otherwise would miss.
How to Know if Your Alarm Is Still Doing Its Job
People fit CO alarms and forget about them—it’s an unfortunate fact of awareness. Like any safety equipment, devices have lifespans and require unknown amounts of attention along the way. Alarms will beep when the battery is low but the sensor itself also degrades over time. Most CO alarms have general operating lives between five and seven years. After this point, accuracy of detection cannot be relied upon.
However, pushing the test button to “test” an alarm only confirms power and alert but not sensor accuracy. There’s a manufacturing date on the back of any device; once it’s reached it’s designed expiration date, it’s best to remove it. An alarm that looks good as new with batteries still functioning but isn’t tested can have a faulty sensor which doesn’t respond correctly to carbon monoxide.
Taking It Seriously Before It’s Too Late
The argument for fitting an alarm in any home which has any appliance which burns fuel is paramount, preventive and precautionary. The risk is real, the damage from exposure is significant. What’s at stake in terms of protection offered by a decent alarm is reliable and relatively easy to implement.
Getting appliances serviced regularly, fitting alarms in proper places, checking from time to time that devices are still operational regardless of testing offer three avenues that make a difference. None of them are too complicated—and combined they reduce what is a legitimate risk of households to something manageable.
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