Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Have you got a faulty gas appliance? If so, you may be at severe risk without knowing it.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is one of the most lethal causes of accidental poisoning across the UK and hundreds die every year as a result, so this type of gas exposure should not be taken lightly.
Carbon monoxide is an odourless, colourless and tasteless gas that is near impossible to identify without a proper detector. It is burned by fuels not burning completely, including wood, gasoline, coal, propane, natural gas, gasoline and heating oil.
This unburned fuel can come from anything from clothes dryers, water heaters, ovens, fireplaces, and most importantly - home boilers.
When carbon monoxide passes through the lungs, it enters red blood cells and binds to hemoglobin in the same place as oxygen. This forms carboxyhemoglobin, which interferes with the transportation and gas exchange of oxygen in red blood cells.
This starves the body of oxygen, permanently damages the brain and lung tissue, and induces suffocation. Perhaps most troubling is that before symptoms turn lethal, they may come off as symptoms of a flu or cold, such as shortness of breath, nausea, or mild headaches.
One such way to survive this fate is to install a carbon monoxide detector in your home.
These detectors are handy because they sound an alarm when they sense a certain amount of carbon monoxide in the air over a certain amount of time. Different types of alarms are triggered by different types of sensors.
Alarms available to buy
Alarm 1: Biomimetic sensors
How it works: A gel changes colour when it absorbs carbon monoxide, and this colour change triggers the alarm.
Alarm 2: Metal oxide semiconductor
How it works: When the silica chip’s circuitry detects carbon monoxide, it lowers the electrical resistance, and this change triggers the alarm.
Alarm 3: Electrochemical sensor
Electrodes immersed in a chemical solution sense changes in electrical currents when they come into contact with carbon dioxide, and this change triggers the alarm.
- Once the alarm sounds, the carbon monoxide detector must then be in a carbon monoxide-free zone to reset itself.
If the alarm sounds…
If your detector starts to sound, it's important not to panic. You should gather all of the family outside of the house for fresh air.
Survey their health, and check for any of the related symptoms. If these symptoms are apparent, call 999 immediately.
Do not re-enter your home unless either the alarm stops sounding or the authorities say it's ok to do so.
Once everything is ok you should contact a professional to evaluate all your fuel-burning appliances.
Additional information
First and foremost, make sure you do your research before making this investment. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Who is the best supplier in my area?
- What laws are involved with carbon monoxide detectors? (if you are in a rented property, your landlord should provide a detector for you)
- Who can do regular checks? (regular checks should be performed on your boiler to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning).
Generally, carbon monoxide detectors should be placed in the following areas:
- Outside the doors of sleeping areas
- On each floor of your home
- And anywhere else required by local laws.
Next, decide if you want to go with a detector that is battery-operated or plug-in, which will need to be placed near a wall outlet.
Plug-ins are usually movable from room to room when necessary, but if there is a power outage, you will need some sort of battery backup for them to continue working.
A battery-operated unit is usually permanently installed somewhere in your home, often at the same time as a smoke detector or other security system.
You can also decide whether to link one to the rest of the detectors installed throughout your home in case one goes off in another part of your home.
For more information on UK laws regarding carbon monoxide detectors, check out rla.co.uk
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