Carbon monoxide alarm going off - Stove

makeorbrake

Have a Stanley oisin solid fuel stove. Been in situ for 4 years. This evening the carbon monoxide alarm went off.

There is no other potential source of monoxide (oil burner not running). I've opened windows/doors to clear the room.

otherwise, what can i check for - as the root cause of the problem? Clearly, it's got to be the stove - but what exactly is at issue that wasn't at issue before??

I guess it could be a false positive with the alarm - but I tested it - took it outside - reset it - and then brought it back in front of the stove - and it went off again....therefore, it must be the stove.

Robbie.G

makeorbrake wrote: »

Have a Stanley oisin solid fuel stove. Been in situ for 4 years. This evening the carbon monoxide alarm went off.

There is no other potential source of monoxide (oil burner not running). I've opened windows/doors to clear the room.

otherwise, what can i check for - as the root cause of the problem? Clearly, it's got to be the stove - but what exactly is at issue that wasn't at issue before??

I guess it could be a false positive with the alarm - but I tested it - took it outside - reset it - and then brought it back in front of the stove - and it went off again....therefore, it must be the stove.

Open windows and let stove go out.
Do not re enter room as if co alarm went off instantly there is a high level.
When firs out stove needs to be stripped baffles taken out to see if something lodged on them and to clean chimney.
What way is the flue done is it coming off the top or the rear of the stove

Wearb

You need to be very careful. Don't use your stove and use your oil until you get it sorted.
Is your chimney or flue blocked? Is the door seal damaged? Did your stove overheat? Have you blocked off any vents? Have you done anything to your doors of windows? Have you fitted an extractor?

Borrow another CO alarm, though that may not be so reliable, as they work on a cumulative amount of CO.

scudo2

Information on carbon monoxide in above sticky.

makeorbrake

Robbie.G wrote: »

Open windows and let stove go out.

Yes, done that and waiting for the damn thing to peter out...but that will take quite a while...

Robbie.G wrote: »

When firs out stove needs to be stripped baffles taken out to see if something lodged on them and to clean chimney.

I guess that's tomorrow's job.

Robbie.G wrote: »

What way is the flue done is it coming off the top or the rear of the stove

Coming out the back.

Wearb wrote:

You need to be very careful. Don't use your stove and use your oil until you get it sorted.

Well, that's the thing. The whole reason I had been using the stove so much recently was that my Heatpac 70/90 external oil burner seems to have packed it in.

It starts up - then runs for a few minutes - but absolutely no heat in the pipe leading to the first rad right inside the door. Then it doesn't run any more.

I guess it could be the circulation pump (?) but the geniuses that built this house have stashed it behind a wall somewhere - at least nobody can find it and about 4-5 plumbers have tried.

I'll be frozen tonight - but it beats being dead! If anyone reading this - make sure you have a working C. Monoxide alarm - best tenner I've ever spent!

Wearb wrote:

Is your chimney or flue blocked? Is the door seal damaged?

I'll have to find those things out tomorrow.

Wearb wrote:

Did your stove overheat?

Not that I'm aware of - and certainly not this evening - had just got fire going and was burning ecobrite - which isn't that intense - but lasts longer.

Wearb wrote:

Have you blocked off any vents? Have you done anything to your doors of windows? Have you fitted an extractor?

nope to all of the above.

scudo2 wrote:

Information on carbon monoxide in above sticky.

Thanks.

Wearb

There will be both electricity and pipework going to your circulating pump. Must be well hidden. Most people will have an electric heater as a backup. Phone a few relatives or neighbours. Also see if you can borrow another working CO alarm.

Could be a false alarm, but of course you cannot assume that.

makeorbrake

Wearb wrote: »

There will be both electricity and pipework going to your circulating pump. Must be well hidden.

It's behind a wall for definite - just a question of which one. Have to go and break into that space. Celtic Tiger practices.

The Heatpac started for ten minutes. Can't get it to restart - even if pressing the reset button on it, then nothing happens. There's a half tank of oil - so I guess that's in order - and it's not airlocked - as the circumstances would be different i.e. it would fail to kick and would attempt to fire after reset.

Wearb wrote: »

Could be a false alarm, but of course you cannot assume that.

Well, I guess it must be detecting something. If I stick it inside the door of that room, it goes off within seconds. If anywhere else, then no issue.

makeorbrake

Meh...now i'm not so sure anymore...

testing the alarm outside now and it goes off?

I'll stay out of that room - retire early for the night and pick up another alarm first thing tomorrow.

Wearb

Do you have any wood near the stove that may have started smouldering somewhere unseen?

makeorbrake

Wearb wrote: »

Do you have any wood near the stove that may have started smouldering somewhere unseen?

The ash box was a bit on the hot side - so I left it out waiting for it to cool down (before emptying it). Perhaps that was implicated - but it's been emptied an hour or two now...

Wearb

makeorbrake wrote: »

The ash box was a bit on the hot side - so I left it out waiting for it to cool down (before emptying it). Perhaps that was implicated - but it's been emptied an hour or two now...

I meant wood, like a wooden fire surround or kindling or timber stacked beside the stove.

makeorbrake

Wearb wrote: »

I meant wood, like a wooden fire surround or kindling or timber stacked beside the stove.

No - definitely not. There's a box of kindling a couple of meters from the fire but other than that, nothing. The immediate fire surround is granite - with the mantelpiece itself being timber.



Anyone have any checks I can carry out on the Firebird Heatpac 70/90 or do I just call in somebody on Monday?