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**Carbon Monoxide Awareness**

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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,884 ✭✭✭Robbie.G


    mikeysmith wrote: »
    Thanks, and the alarm outside the bedrooms should I fit that at eye level?

    The alarm outside bedrooms can be ceiling mounted
    in bedrooms it's recommended to fit at breathing height whilst in bed so around 3 ft off ground
    Always follow manufacturers instructions regarding fitting and you can't go wrong


  • Registered Users Posts: 173 ✭✭PadraigL


    My co alarm is in the utility with the gas boiler.

    How do you know if the alarm is working? Is there a way to test it?
    Can it be part of a boiler service??

    Thx


  • Registered Users Posts: 518 ✭✭✭kingbhome


    First time getting a stove in my living room. Any recommendations for a carbon monoxide alarm.


  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,186 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wearb


    kingbhome wrote: »
    First time getting a stove in my living room. Any recommendations for a carbon monoxide alarm.


    Any of them with a CE mark. Read the instructions. Test regularly. Write the expiry date on it somewhere. They all have a limited lifespan. (The one I have has a 7 year span and then needs to be replaced)

    Please follow site and charter rules. "Resistance is futile"



  • Registered Users Posts: 518 ✭✭✭kingbhome


    Wearb wrote: »
    Any of them with a CE mark. Read the instructions. Test regularly. Write the expiry date on it somewhere. They all have a limited lifespan. (The one I have has a 7 year span and then needs to be replaced)

    Are the battery powered ones ok?


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  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,186 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wearb


    kingbhome wrote: »
    Are the battery powered ones ok?

    Yes. Just follow instructions and use test button regularly

    Please follow site and charter rules. "Resistance is futile"



  • Registered Users Posts: 518 ✭✭✭kingbhome


    Wearb wrote: »
    Yes. Just follow instructions and use test button regularly

    What about for insurance for ones home. Is the battery powered ok. It's kept at head height when sitting down.


  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,186 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wearb


    kingbhome wrote: »
    What about for insurance for ones home. Is the battery powered ok. It's kept at head height when sitting down.

    You will need to contact your insurer if you have any worries in that regard.

    As for its placement, you need to read instructions. I have seen different makers give different advice.

    Please follow site and charter rules. "Resistance is futile"



  • Registered Users Posts: 412 ✭✭WealthyB


    Hi All

    Hoping for some guidance here.. My elderly mum had a wood burner stove installed a few months back, and she's only told me now, but ever since her Carbon Monoxide levels are coming in consistently at 35-40ppm when the fire is on. I had her bring a neighbours detector into the house, same results (so it's not a faulty detector).

    My query revolves around where she stands with the installer?

    Looking at http://www.carbonmonoxide.ie/htm/poisoning.htm it says that at 50ppm is "Threshold limit, no apparent toxic symptoms"

    However I also saw this: https://www.jerrykelly.com/blog/the-numbers-behind-safe-and-unsafe-carbon-monoxide-levels
    "When the CO content begins to get higher than that due to something like a CO leak from a cracked heat exchanger, it starts to have health effects on the people in your home. At a ppm of 35-400 over a 1-3 hour period, many people will experience headaches and loss of judgement."

    And she also says she's had a dull headache for the last 4 days. The installer is coming around tomorrow, but he already said on the phone that "you shouldn't worry about the numbers on the detector, as long as it's not beeping mad at you" so I'm worried she'll be fobbed off with similar guff

    Any advise here would be most welcome, thanks in advance.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,679 ✭✭✭MAJJ


    WealthyB wrote: »
    Hi All

    Hoping for some guidance here.. My elderly mum had a wood burner stove installed a few months back, and she's only told me now, but ever since her Carbon Monoxide levels are coming in consistently at 35-40ppm when the fire is on. I had her bring a neighbours detector into the house, same results (so it's not a faulty detector).

    My query revolves around where she stands with the installer?

    Looking at http://www.carbonmonoxide.ie/htm/poisoning.htm it says that at 50ppm is "Threshold limit, no apparent toxic symptoms"

    However I also saw this: https://www.jerrykelly.com/blog/the-numbers-behind-safe-and-unsafe-carbon-monoxide-levels
    "When the CO content begins to get higher than that due to something like a CO leak from a cracked heat exchanger, it starts to have health effects on the people in your home. At a ppm of 35-400 over a 1-3 hour period, many people will experience headaches and loss of judgement."

    And she also says she's had a dull headache for the last 4 days. The installer is coming around tomorrow, but he already said on the phone that "you shouldn't worry about the numbers on the detector, as long as it's not beeping mad at you" so I'm worried she'll be fobbed off with similar guff

    Any advise here would be most welcome, thanks in advance.

    Is there a fixed open vent in the room? Does the stove draw air from the room or from the outside, most likely the former. If that my house or family no fire to be lit until resolved.

    Is the installer a registered installer as they sound a bit casual about the alarm?


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  • Registered Users Posts: 412 ✭✭WealthyB


    MAJJ wrote: »
    Is there a fixed open vent in the room? Does the stove draw air from the room or from the outside, most likely the former. If that my house or family no fire to be lit until resolved.

    Is the installer a registered installer as they sound a bit casual about the alarm?

    Thank you for the response! Looking at their website they say they are are "an Oftec Registered Heating Business.". Their main guy is calling around tomorrow to view the stove.

    There's no fixed vent in the room, and she wouldn't be great about opening windows, I think she would expect all CO to just go up the chimney flue (she's just come from an open fire where this wasn't a concern)

    I'm terribly worried about her, she's elderly and we lost our dad only recently, I'm mostly worried she'll be fobbed off and this won't be fixed, and she's complaining about headaches already when she had no idea that her headaches and the CO Levels would be linked.

    Where does she ultimately stand with the installer? If he says it's operating within acceptable parameters as per http://www.carbonmonoxide.ie/htm/poisoning.htm I don't know what we'll do

    Thanks again


  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,186 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wearb


    There should be a vent that cannot be closed fitted. I would contact manufacturer or national supplier and have them verify that it's installed correctly.
    Putting it in without the proper ventilation doesn't inspire hope in the rest of the installation.

    See if leaving a window open enough to get your hand through helps. It might just need proper ventilation.

    ITS NOTHING TO BE LAX ABOUT. Perhaps have some good local guy give it a look over.

    Please follow site and charter rules. "Resistance is futile"



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,940 ✭✭✭jimf


    as far as im concerned the only level of carbon monoxide that is safe is zero and that is the acceptable level

    under no circumstances accept this fobbing off by installer


  • Registered Users Posts: 412 ✭✭WealthyB


    Thanks again all. I dug out the model of the Stove, it's an Aarrow i-Series ISC-5FCB. The manual my mum got suggests a vent should have been installed, which she's open to the idea of which is half the battle won IMO

    Waiting to see what the installer says when he arrives today, but again I'm flummoxed if he falls back on what's in http://www.carbonmonoxide.ie/htm/poisoning.htm where it says 50ppm is "Threshold limit, no apparent toxic symptoms" - my mum is getting sick with CO symptoms off readings of 35-45ppm but when that site says 50ppm is fine, what do we do?


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,565 ✭✭✭K.Flyer


    You can have a test done to accurately measure levels of carbon monoxide in a room using a calibrated analyser from which you can get a printout from.
    Might be worth having it done rather than relying on cheap alarm units.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,940 ✭✭✭jimf


    WealthyB wrote: »
    Thanks again all. I dug out the model of the Stove, it's an Aarrow i-Series ISC-5FCB. The manual my mum got suggests a vent should have been installed, which she's open to the idea of which is half the battle won IMO

    Waiting to see what the installer says when he arrives today, but again I'm flummoxed if he falls back on what's in http://www.carbonmonoxide.ie/htm/poisoning.htm where it says 50ppm is "Threshold limit, no apparent toxic symptoms" - my mum is getting sick with CO symptoms off readings of 35-45ppm but when that site says 50ppm is fine, what do we do?

    again I say there should be no co readings in your mams house if there is a detectable reading something is not right

    so not safe to use the stove end of story


  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,186 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wearb


    The manufacturers instructions take precedence and would/should have at least abided by national regs, but mostly they go beyond those minimum requirements.

    Fit new vent close to stove, so as not to have a draught travelling all across the room.

    Did you try the open window test that I mentioned earlier ?

    Please follow site and charter rules. "Resistance is futile"



  • Registered Users Posts: 412 ✭✭WealthyB


    Wearb wrote: »
    The manufacturers instructions take precedence and would/should have at least abided by national regs, but mostly they go beyond those minimum requirements.

    Fit new vent close to stove, so as not to have a draught travelling all across the room.

    Did you try the open window test that I mentioned earlier ?

    Window open all day yesterday and the CO levels were dropping - there's been no stove all day today and window open - the CO levels are fluctuating anywhere between 0 and 15 on 2 x Different CO readers. WTF!

    The installer has been and gone, he apologised profusely for not installing a vent and said he should have done so. He's back tomorrow to put in one. The proposed space for the Vent is to the right of the stove - approx 4' above the Stove and another 4' to the left.

    Thanks everyone for all their input here, it was a very worrying 24 hours!


  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,186 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wearb


    WealthyB wrote: »
    Window open all day yesterday and the CO levels were dropping - there's been no stove all day today and window open - the CO levels are fluctuating anywhere between 0 and 15 on 2 x Different CO readers. WTF!

    The installer has been and gone, he apologised profusely for not installing a vent and said he should have done so. He's back tomorrow to put in one. The proposed space for the Vent is to the right of the stove - approx 4' above the Stove and another 4' to the left.

    Thanks everyone for all their input here, it was a very worrying 24 hours!


    how big is this stove that it needs 2 vents?

    Please follow site and charter rules. "Resistance is futile"



  • Registered Users Posts: 947 ✭✭✭Tom44


    It's 23 years ago this long weekend, feels like 3, since the death of my sister Avril from carbon monoxide poisoning.
    Like us all, you read about it on the news, but never think it will happen close to you, but yes it can, so take care and always go by your gut feeling & common sense. If something doesn't seem right, it's possibly not. And doesn't harm if your wrong.
    But don't ignore things.

    Not meaning to waffle on, some of you know my story, some don't, but all I can say is that to this day, all my family suffer the consequences.
    As do a lot of other family's for other reasons too.

    Not looking for a conversation on this if you don't mind, but thanks for the support over the years.
    Michael


    Feel free to use the story if you think you can use it.
    M


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,679 ✭✭✭MAJJ


    WealthyB wrote: »
    Window open all day yesterday and the CO levels were dropping - there's been no stove all day today and window open - the CO levels are fluctuating anywhere between 0 and 15 on 2 x Different CO readers. WTF!

    The installer has been and gone, he apologised profusely for not installing a vent and said he should have done so. He's back tomorrow to put in one. The proposed space for the Vent is to the right of the stove - approx 4' above the Stove and another 4' to the left.

    Thanks everyone for all their input here, it was a very worrying 24 hours!

    Wealthy B , Great to hear that he has takenresponsibility and hope this means he won't repeat the mistake. Your Mam is has been very lucky. All the best.

    To Michael, thank you for sharing your warm and touching story about Avril.


  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,186 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wearb


    Carbon Monoxide alarms in Aldi today for less than 13 Euro.

    Please follow site and charter rules. "Resistance is futile"



  • Registered Users Posts: 12,695 ✭✭✭✭Dtp1979


    Wearb wrote: »
    Carbon Monoxide alarms in Aldi today for less than 13 Euro.

    Would you reckon they’d be any good? Would you literally bet your life on them?


  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,186 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wearb


    Dtp1979 wrote: »
    Would you reckon they’d be any good? Would you literally bet your life on them?
    I'd expect them to have the required certification. I haven't checked them out yet to see if they have the CE mark. These will most likely be sold all over the EU and even further afield. Last thing they'd want is a recall.

    Please follow site and charter rules. "Resistance is futile"



  • Hosted Moderators Posts: 3,496 ✭✭✭DGOBS


    You may find they are, as long as CE marked, and to the correct ISO for them (you'd be surprised how cheap a major brand can be wholesale)


  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,186 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wearb


    "Mum and son die in their sleep from carbon monoxide poisoning after she closed chimney to keep youngster warm"

    Just read above. It seems that she closed the flue damper before going to bed. She did this to conserve heat. The fire shouldered away with no way for the combustion gases to escape safely up the flue. TRAGIC

    Please follow site and charter rules. "Resistance is futile"



  • Registered Users Posts: 715 ✭✭✭Stihl waters


    Wearb wrote: »
    how big is this stove that it needs 2 vents?

    The vent is 4 inches above stove and 4 inches to the left is the way I'm picking it up


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,565 ✭✭✭K.Flyer


    Bit of a thread bump, but for a good reason.

    So.. I got talking to this chap over the weekend who doesn't smoke in his house, but smokes outside.
    Now with the bad weather he had been sitting in the shed where his boiler is because it's warmer and out of the rain.
    He told me he was thinking of going to the doctor because a few days ago, while in the shed, he had collapsed, fell and hit his head, and felt very out of it after getting up from the chair to go back into his house.
    Apparently it's happened on a couple of occasions, he would be feeling a bit off, then grand later. But the fall gave him a scare. He was thinking he was having some health problems related to smoking. (We had been discussing health issues).
    My immediate suspicion was Carbon Monoxide poisoning.
    I wasn't able to immediately go and check his boiler as I didn't have my analyser with me, but I took a new CO alarm out of the van and gave it to him and told him to follow the instructions and fit it as soon as he got home with the boiler turned off.

    I got a call from him today, he said he was out earlier this morning getting something from the shed (not smoking) and the boiler had been running for about 15 - 20 minutes and the alarm started going off.
    As per my instructions, he got out of the shed immediately and shut the boiler down from the house.
    That may have answered his medical concerns!

    Just for clarification, I have never been to his house to do any work on his boiler, someone else looks after it.

    Everyone, please, if you have any gas appliances or oil boiler, a stove, open fires or any other fuel burning system, make sure you have good quality, in date, correctly installed Carbon Monoxide alarm(s), it could save your life or someone else's.

    If your Carbon Monoxide alarm goes off Do Not Go Over To It to see what's wrong, the air is contaminated. Get doors and windows open immediately and if you can, shut off the appliance remotely,
    Ask your service person to show you how to shut off your appliances remotely.

    Stay Safe everyone.


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