Fit an alarm
Carbon Monoxide is a highly poisonous gas that has no colour, taste or smell, making it impossible to detect without an alarm.
Carbon Monoxide alarms must be audible. We do not recommend the use of ‘Black Spot’ indicators as these are not as accurate and will not alert or wake you if Carbon Monoxide is present.
The cost of Carbon Monoxide alarms has dropped significantly in recent years. Audible Carbon Monoxide alarms are available from £15 and can be purchased at DIY stores and some supermarkets or can be bought directly from energy suppliers.
Retailers that will be running discounts on Carbon Monoxide alarms this January in support of our campaign include:
Argos
Boots
B&Q
Homebase
Tesco
Robert Dyas
Wilkinson
When you buy a Carbon Monoxide alarm, make sure it meets current European safety standards. Look for alarms marked with the ‘EN50291′ standard. This may be written as BSEN 50291 or EN50291 and with the ‘CE’ mark, both of which should be found on the packaging and product. Alarms will have either a Kitemark or Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) logo to show independent testing and certification.
When placing and using an alarm in the home it is best to follow the instructions that were supplied with the alarm. However if you can’t find these then here are a few guidelines that will help you as where to place an audible Carbon Monoxide alarm in the home:
- Place the alarm in a central location in the home (e.g. the hallway or landing if you have an upstairs) where it will be heard if activated
- If you want to fix the alarm to a wall then position it at head height ( i.e. your breathing level), however the alarm does not need to be fixed on a wall (e.g. it can be placed on a table, shelf or bookcase)
- If you have a portable battery alarm you could place this in the room that you spend most of your time such as a lounge or bedroom – you can even move it from room to room with you
- As with smoke alarms, test your Carbon Monoxide alarm regularly with the test button (follow manufacturer’s instructions) and replace the batteries annually or when the low battery signal sounds
- Do not place the alarm in a cupboard, behind furniture, near an outside door or ventilation ( e.g. extractor fans or cooker hoods)
- Do not place alarms directly next to fires, boilers, cookers or heaters – the alarm should be at least 1 meter away from any of these appliances
- Do not place an alarm in an area of high condensation and steam such as a bathroom or kitchen or sources of steam and condensation
- The alarm should not be placed on a ceiling like a smoke alarm
You should never ignore a Carbon Monoxide alarm. Check the manufacturer’s instructions to make sure you can recognise the alarm sound emitted when Carbon Monoxide is present as well as the low battery signal to avoid any confusion. If the alarm sounds, call the relevant fuel advice line for help and seek medical advice urgently if anyone is feeling unwell. For details, see in an emergency.
If you are a tenant, Carbon Monoxide alarms may also be available to you from your landlord and local council.
If you are concerned about the threat of Carbon Monoxide poisoning whilst on holiday in the UK or abroad, you may wish to take a battery-operated Carbon Monoxide alarm with you. Just take out the batteries whilst travelling. The same battery alarms can be used at home and on holiday.
Remember that Carbon Monoxide alarms must never be used in place of annual safety checks. They are a second line of defence. There is no alternative to proper installation and maintenance of your appliances.
For more technical information and help about alarms and their use contact CoGDEM (the Council for Gas Detection and Environmental Monitoring) on freephone 0800 1694 457.
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