Annual Boiler Check Can Prevent Carbon Monoxide Danger

The 'silent killer' as Carbon Monoxide poisoning sometimes called, causes around 30 deaths every year in the UK. It also leads to many injuries and illnesses (many of them going for weeks un-diagnosed).

It is an amazing statistic that one in ten people in the UK know someone who has suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning. Heating Central has pulled its resources to help and eradicate the cases of carbon monoxide poisoning through education and forward planning (such as routine boiler checks by a Corgi qualified plumber or heating engineer).

A few simple steps can substantially reduce and eliminate the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. The first and foremost step is to get a gas safe engineer to install a carbon monoxide detaction device, and to get your boiler inspected and serviced.

Carbon Monoxide Gas

Carbon monoxide is a gas made of carbon and oxygen. It has no colour, odour or taste and it is extremely poisonous. The gas forms whenever fuel (such as gas, coal, wood or oil) is burned with insufficient air supply (which is defined as ‘incomplete combustion’). This can occur in your domestic boiler, if it has been wrongly installed by a plumber that is not fully trained or qualified.

Incomplete combustion occurs when there is incorrect installation (of the boiler or the heating device), where there are faults due to poor maintenance of the boiler or heating device or where there is lack of ventilation.

Gas stoves, fires and boilers, gas powered water heaters, solid fuel boilers and room heaters are all systems that can cause the formation of carbon monoxide if they have been installed by an unskilled plumber, or have not been maintained properly by a plumber or heating engineer. There were some occasions where carbon monoxide poisoned neighbouring property as it seeped through shared flues (ventilation pipes) and chimney, into the next property.

Carbon Monoxide is Highly Poisonous

Carbon dioxide prevents oxygen from being absorbed into the blood stream and causes ‘oxygen starvation’. For the haemoglobin, that carries the oxygen in the bloodstream from the lungs to the rest of the body, carbon monoxide is 240 times easier to absorb than oxygen itself. Thus the carbon monoxide immediately attaches itself tot eh haemoglobin and creates oxygen starvation. This causes asphyxiation, collapse and potentially death. Furthermore, if the victim is smaller in size the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning take place much quicker, which puts children at greater risk.

Detecting Carbon Monoxide

It is very difficult to detect carbon monoxide, but here are some symptoms for your attention. If you find these symptoms you should call a Corgi registered plumber or heating engineer.
•    If you notice that gas flames are burning in orange and yellow, when previously they were blue
•    If you spot soot stains above or even on fuel burning appliance (like your boiler).
•    If you suspect that the coal or wood fires are burning very slowly or going out
•    If you are having difficulties lighting a fire
•    If the room is not ventilated properly
•    If you suspect that the chimney or flue is blocked

More urgent symptoms are to do with you personally. You might feel tired, dizzy, drowsy, or if you have headaches, chest pains or nausea. If these symptoms occur along with one of the above symptoms you should call a Corgi certified plumber or heating engineer to inspect your boiler or heating system as soon as possible.

Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide poisoning can occur when there is poor ventilation, inadequately maintained appliances (such as boilers and fires), and blocked or leaky flues and chimney. Therefore, in order to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, you should:
•    Ensure all heating appliances are inspected and maintained annually. Gas boilers should be inspected by a Corgi registered plumber or heating engineer.
•    Ensure all ventilation pathways (chimneys and flues) are clear and regularly being cleaned and swept.
•    Ensure all rooms (especially next to the boiler or the heating/burning device) are well ventilated.

Ensure Your Boiler is Safe

As a home owner it is your responsibility to ensure that the boiler and all gas appliances are in good working condition. Heating Central can help arrange a visit by one of our Corgi registered and certified plumbers and heating engineers to inspect your boiler and other gas appliances.

If you are a tenant, your landlord is required by law (the Gas Safety Regulation, 1998) to ensure that the boiler, the flue and all gas appliances in the flat are kept in good condition and inspected for safety on an annual basis.

---

This page has been written with contributions from plumbing and heating engineers from Surrey and experienced heating engineers from Clapham. Several of the company's qualified plumbers from Berkshire have worked on similar issues as well as some of our heating engineers from Barnes and our Kilburn Gas Safe engineers.

Article Archive
RSS Feed :