Carbon Monoxide Detectors for the home




The presence of fully functioning Carbon Monoxide Detector(s) within the home can save lives.

Carbon Monoxide is a colourless, odourless gas and so without a detector it is particularly hard to identify that an appliance, generator or boiler may be seeping CO, and so be deemed as being unsafe.

CORGI HomePlan is campaigning for every home owner, from a mansion to a mobile home, to get equipped with a carbon monoxide detector. Ideally, it is good safety practice to have a CO detector in any room that has any of the following:

an OIL/GAS BOILER


a PORTABLE GENERATOR


an OIL OR SOLID FUEL COOKER


a GAS OR PARAFFIN HEATER


a GAS APPLICANCE


any FOSSIL BURNING APPLIANCE

NOTE: the items listed above are the more common CO sources in the home, there are others; everyday things like lighted cigarettes and barbecues and burning candles made from paraffin wax.


Whether you are a private house owner, landlord or letting's agent, it should be imperative that gas (and electrical) systems and appliances meet specified safety standards and that regular inspections of fuel burning appliances are carried out. Unfortunately, at present, there is no legal obligation on anyones' part, in the UK, to provide carbon monoxide detectors inside rooms containing fuel burning appliances.


However, The Corgi Home Plan microsite has been specially devised to raise awareness. It has easy to follow advice and is a good first port of call and reference resource for any homeowner to become more conversant of the dangers of gas appliances.

Taken directly from the aforementioned site, from an article entitled ‘know the dangers’ , are the following, important, warning signs to be aware of:

The flame on your cooker should be crisp and blue. Yellow or orange flames mean you need to get your cooker checked
Dark staining around or on appliances
Sooty marks on the walls around boilers, stoves or the cover of gas fires
Pilot lights that frequently go out
Increased condensation inside windows

Symptoms relating to CO poisoning depends on the level of exposure. The portable, CO-9X FireAngel detector (pictured above), with its own integrated power pack, monitors the level of CO as parts per million (ppm) in the atmosphere surrounding the detector. The maximum allowable concentration for continuous exposure for healthy adults in an 8-hour period is 35ppm


Symptons at 200ppm Slight headache, fatigue, dizziness, nausea after 2-3 hours


Symptons at 400ppm Frontal headaches within 1-2 hours, life threatening after 3 hours


Symptons at 800ppm Dizziness, nausea and convulsions within 45 minutes, unconsciousness within 2 hours, death within 2-3 hours

Available on Amazon


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