Carbon Monoxide Alarms and You – what you need to know

Let-Leeds are fitting all of their managed properties throughout Leeds with Carbon Monoxide Alarm during the course of the next few weeks.

We highly recommend reading the instructions for the Carbon Monoxide Alarm here

Carbon monoxide is a dangerous, poisonous gas that kills hundreds of people each year and injures many more.

It is often referred to as the silent killer because it has no odour or taste and cannot be seen.

Like oxygen, CO enters the body through the lungs during the normal breathing process. It competes with oxygen by replacing it in the red blood cells, thereby reducing the flow of oxygen to the heart, brain and other vital organs. In high concentrations, CO can kill in minutes.

The following symptoms may be related to CO poisoning which all household members should be made aware of:

• Mild Exposure: Slight headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue (often described as ‘flulike’ symptoms).

• Medium Exposure: Severe throbbing headache, drowsiness, confusion, fast heart rate.

• Extreme Exposure: Unconsciousness, convulsions, cardiorespiratory failure, death.

 

Common sources of CO:

• Oil and gas boilers

• Portable generators

• Oil or solid fuel cookers

• Gas or paraffin heaters

• Barbecues

• Clogged chimneys

• Wood or gas fireplaces

• Cigarette smoke

• Gas appliances

• Any fossil fuel burning appliance

MAINTAINING / TESTING YOUR DETECTOR

Fault / low power pack signal: The unit continuously checks the settings of its sensor and circuitry. If any of these settings are found to be incorrect or if the power pack becomes low then the detector will emit a single chirp once per minute and the Fault LED will flash yellow once per minute for up to 30 days.

If your alarm shows a fault or low power pack signal please contact Let-Leeds on 0113 244 5669 for a replacement Carbon Monoxide Alarm.

To maintain your Fire Angel detector in proper working order, and to ensure that the sensor will last for the lifetime of the product, it is recommended that you:

• Test the sounder, power pack and circuitry of your detector at least once per week by pressing the Test/Reset button briefly (see page 9 of the manual).

• Perform the Sensor Test annually (see page 9 of the manual).

• Keep the detector free of dust by gently vacuuming the case with a soft brush attachment when required.

To prevent the possibility of contaminating the sensor in your detector and thus affecting its reliability:

• Never use cleaning solutions on your detector. Simply wipe with a slightly damp cloth.

• Do not paint the detector.

• Do not spray aerosols on or near the detector.

• Do not use any solvent based products near the detector.

• Do not remove any screws or open the main casing of your detector.

 

WHAT TO DO IN THE EVENT OF AN ALARM WARNING:

A loud alarm is a warning that unusually high and potentially lethal levels of carbon monoxide are present. Never ignore this alarm, further exposure can be fatal.

Immediately check residents for symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, and contact the proper authorities to resolve all CO problems. NEVER IGNORE ANY ALARM.

Please carefully review this owner’s manual to ensure that you know what actions to take in the event of an alarm.

What to do during an alarm:

 

• Keep calm and open the doors and windows to ventilate the property.

• Stop using all fuel burning appliances and ensure, if possible, that they are turned off.

• Evacuate the property leaving the doors and windows open.

• Ring the National Gas Emergency Service 0800 111 999 (24 Hours)

• Do not re-enter the property until the alarm has stopped.

• Get medical help immediately for anyone suffering the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning (headache, nausea), and advise that carbon monoxide poisoning is suspected.

• Do not use the appliance again until it has been checked by an expert. In the case of gas appliances the engineer must be registered.

We highly recommend reading the instructions for the Carbon Monoxide Alarm here

If you are a Landlord and would like us to fit CO Alarms in your properties, please call us on 0113 244 5669 and we will be happy to fit alarms from just £29 +VAT.

Back to news