Why are they important?
By Vishal Aksaj Rajan Thirupathirajan 7S
ou may not realise it, but carbon monoxide alarms are just as important as smoke alarms. Carbon monoxide is a silent killer. It is a colourless, tasteless, odourless and poisonous gas. It will come and go and you won ' t have a chance to run away. Carbon monoxide alarms, however, will make sure you are alerted to any danger of being poisoned by carbon monoxide, allowing you to run to safety.
Carbon monoxide can leak from unsafe gas appliances, indoor heating or cooling systems and even from your car ' s exhaust pipe. In fact, it comes from any incomplete burning of fuel. If there isn ' t enough ventilation or your chimneys and vents are blocked, this gas can build up to dangerous levels. Carbon monoxide poisoning happens when carbon monoxide mixes with haemoglobin in your blood instead of oxygen. This then decreases the amount of oxygen that is carried to vital organs such as the brain and the heart, meaning you could die from the lack of oxygen supply or recieve brain damage.
The main symptoms to look out for are: headaches, dizziness, breathlessness and unconsciousness. Since these symptoms are similar to Flu and food poisoning people usually ignore them. So, other signs that could point towards carbon monoxide poisoning are when the symptoms only occur when at home or if others in your house experience the same symptoms.
If you experience any symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, open doors and windows to get fresh air immediately. Turn off gas appliances and leave the house. Then see your doctor or go to the hospital. They can do a blood or breath test to check for carbon monoxide poisoning. If you think there is immediate danger, call the Gas Emergency Helpline. Never just assume that your gas appliances are safe. Get a Gas Safe registered gas engineer to do a check.
Your home could also show signs of a carbon monoxide leak: the flame on your cooker should be crisp and blue but if it is yellow or orange you need to get your cooker checked. There could be dark stains on appliances or pilot lights could often blow out. The condensation inside windows increase.
Getting a carbon monoxide detector is very easy. They are sold in many shops and are easy to get hold of. They are also available online. These detectors only cost around £ 20 and can save your life. So thinking about it, it ' s pretty good value for money.
Before buying a carbon monoxide alarm, always make sure it is marked EN 50291 and has the British Standards or European approval organisation ' s mark on it. Follow the instructions given when installing, testing and replacing alarms. When sleeping, carbon monoxide poisoning is a big risk, as you may not be aware of the symptoms until it’ s too late. I recommend not using the‘ black spot’ detectors that change colour when carbon monoxide is present, since they will not wake you up.
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