Safe Carbon Monoxide Alarms

A recent investigation by Which? confirms that  1 in 5 CO detectors fail to work. Which? put the CO detectors through lab testing based on the EU safety standard and the results were shocking. It showed that 3/16 devices tested were so bad that, between them, they failed to go off 26 times in 72 CO tests. We feel that it’s important you know that the three defective carbon monoxide detectors were made by ATZ Saviour, Binwo and Mudder. So do not purchase these and if you spot them in your customers houses, let them know!  

Regular Check-Ups

You’re probably wondering ‘What should I do?’ Well, the best way to find out if your alarm is working is by regular check-ups. Please be aware that by just using the ‘Test Button’ you are only testing the alarms battery, buzzer and electronic circuit. It will not flag up any problems with the alarm’s ability to detect CO gas. So all you private sector landlords out there make sure you annually test smoke and CO alarms annually as failure to do so could result in a £5,000 fine! Domestic Gas Engineers should be doing their bit too. Remind your customers to check their CO alarms and recommend, or even sell them safe detectors.  

Effective Testing

Unfortunately the only way to test a sensor is by injecting a specific and safe level of test gas over the alarm. However, this can be quite dangerous. Thanks to Gas Safe Europe, a safe test kit has been developed to check the battery and sensor in alarms. This test is safe and works by injecting a specific level of test gas into a specially designed transparent cover over the alarm. The test kit is now widely available, but for more information visit http://www.gassafeeurope.com  

Top Tips

When purchasing a carbon monoxide alarm it’s important that you get the right one so you don’t put you or the household in danger. Here are some useful tips to follow;

• Look out for the BSI Kitemark. This is a small service quality certification mark which is owned by the BSI Group.
• Buy an alarm from a well-known shop or website and try spending £20+. According Which? the cheaper alarms the less likely they are to work.
• Make sure you have installed the alarm correctly, 15cm from the ceiling and 1 meter away from boilers, cookers and fires. If you are unsure hire a professional.

 

More Information

If you are looking for Carbon Monoxide appliance Testing Training Logic4training offer a short course at its Luton and Basildon Centres (CMDDA1) – Click Here For further advice on which CO alarm to buy, check out this PDF from HETAS – Click Here