Installing a new boiler? It’s probably not your first thought to check to see if there is a fully working and serviceable Carbon Monoxide detector in the house, however doing so could save lives.
What is Carbon Monoxide?
Carbon Monoxide is odourless and invisible making it extremely difficult to recognise, however it is highly toxic in both people and animals. Its symptoms are often similar to a regular cold or flu and include, headaches, tiredness and nausea. Once the levels of carbon monoxide increase and are breathed in, its concentration becomes higher and symptoms worsen quickly moving onto loss of balance, vision disturbances and memory loss leading to eventual unconsciousness and potential death.
How can you reduce the risk of a leak?
All households that have a fuel supply are at risk of a CO leak, therefore, it’s extremely important to ensure appliances are serviced regularly and your customer has a fully serviceable alarm detector. It is recommended that the household has an alarm detector in a every room where a there is a solid fuel burning appliance, where the occupant spends most of their time and where they sleep. The alarm detector would ideally be placed above ground level and mounted on a wall. More guidelines can be found with the product.
Regulations
Did you know that from October 2018 it will be mandatory in Scotland for all domestic properties to have a fully working CO detector, previously this only applied to new properties or existing properties where a boiler was being replaced. Currently in the UK only rental properties are required by law to have a CO detector, however this could soon change as regulations regarding safety become stricter.
How can you buy a carbon monoxide detector?
The Honeywell CO alarm is part of the X-series, which can sync with their scanapp (when purchased with an additional module). It is designed to allow easy tracking of annual maintenance checks, boiler servicing and incident reporting, thus giving your customer peace of mind, and allowing easy access to in-depth information on the performance of their alarm. Not only this but the Honeywell alarm comes with a 7 year warranty, meaning the customer can trust completely in the product.
The Honeywell CO alarm is available to all Gas Safe Registered businesses through our website: Ideal Spares.