smoke/heat/CO alarms

[louisiana]

I'm reviewing what I currently have installed (inadequate) and need advice. But I don't have time or inclination to wade through Building Regs that may or may not be relevant or comprehensible even if I could find the right 'Part'. Not sure whether kitchen should have both smoke and heat alarms. Or which smoke alarm technology is better. Or where alarms should be placed.

I have 2 potential sources of CO (boiler in kitchen, wood-burning stove in sitting room), and the units would need to be battery operated.

Has anyone else been through this recently?

[espelli]

The Fire Brigade came to look at my flat and fitted a smoke alarm for free. They also gave me some good advice about exit routes etc. They had to cancel one appointment due to an emergency, but a whole fire engine load of fire fighters turned up the second time! It might be worth checking with LFB that they still offer this, it's a great service.

[Ms_Lilith]

A whole load of fire fighters turned up! Lucky you :P Hope you took some photo's of them on the sly!

[Hill Dweller]

Google is your friend :-)

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=gas+detectors&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=where+to+place+gas+detectors&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a

[espelli]

Sadly I didn't take photos, but it was definitely worth waiting in for! ;-)

And they still do them Fire Home Safety Visit

[louisiana]

Thanks espelli, for the links etc.

I've already had a seriously bad 'incident' in this building. British Gas engineer broke into my dwelling - gas switched off while I was away - through both window and door, in an attempt to avert an explosion, on a previous xmas. Nothing to do with me/my property/my gas supply! But incident could have blown up the neighbourhood as my neighbour had left his gas on!

So interested in getting things right. Lucky I haven't had my personal effects blown sky high ;-). So far.

[Tarot]

What is a C.O alarm for? and do you think a monoxide alarm is worth getting.

[louisiana]

CO alarm is for carbon monoxide.

[brum]

A CO alarm detects high levels of carbon monoxide which is a poisonous gas that can escape from faulty gas appliances. It is also a product of combustion, so a CO alarm can activate if a fire breaks out, although a proper smoke alarm is still important.

I agree with the advice to arrange a home fire safety check with LFB. I am also happy to help out with advice if anyone PMs me (I'm a fireman if you didn't know!).

[Tarot]

Thank you both.

Hi Brum,I already have three smoke alarms,it was your Brigade that shamed me into buying one.by the advert you put

on the T,V."dont let it be your fault for not fitting one" .

What Id like to know is if a c,o meter was fitted,and it showed up or went off that it was dangerous.

What would one do then,and who would you call.

If the gas board were called would they actually respond.or send someone not Qualified.?

[Hill Dweller]

You can buy gas detectors that are either battery-driven (like smoke alarms) or plug in to a socket or orange-y patches that simply stick on the wall near an appliance and that turn black as soon as noxious vapours touch them.

The Gas Board would be round in a flash (ho ho) if you advised of a leak. What a very peculiar question Tarot, do you not trust the mandated services to be qualified or to pass something so important off to someone that isn't?

However, as a forum is hardly the right place to ask for such important info anyway, or trust the completeness of what's received, are you questioning the seriousness of the right party?

.

[brum]

No problem Tarot. If your CO alarm actuates it would be because the levels of CO are excessive. Definitely call out the gas engineers if you have any gas equipment eg boiler or fire as the cause may well be down to them being faulty. If you call British Gas they will send a qualified gas engineer. I also suggest that as soon as the CO alarm sounds you ventilate the area by opening doors/windows, switch off any gas appliances and leave the immediate area.

If the alarm emits an intermittent beep however, then this could be that the battery simply needs replacing and so there is no cause for concern. As soon as a new battery is fitted, the alarm will operate normally again.

[Tarot]

Brum said he was a fireman, so I assumed such a person would be well informed about such matters.

As for trusting the gas board, it wasnt long ago that a family died because the man that checked their boiler

was not a Corgi gas man.

So yes I,m wary.

[Hill Dweller]

I doubt he'd been sent by the Gas Board though Tarot.

It really isn't in their interest to be using non-reg'd people; weren't they instrumental in that becoming a requisite?

BTW, Corgi isn't the body any more!

http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/

.

[Tarot]

Thanks for the info Hill Dweller. learning all the time, shows how long the gas have sent any information to their

customers.

[Hill Dweller]

we can't really blame a 'gas board' any more Tarot. It was all broken down by Snatcher so we don't have a shop front or even a permanent name to look up the phone number for any more.

We don't even get reminded who our supplier is, once we've been passed from one supplier that's been gobbled up by another.

I've never had a gas leak and hope I never will, I've been flooded and that was enough for one lifetime imhoo :'(

Have a good evening, bfn.

[Tarot]

Thatcher did alter the status quo ,thats true, dont know if your on foot or horseback.

Did have a gas leak a few years back,phoned the then gas board,they sent a man who said our cooker was leaking.

He shut the gas off then taped our cooker all over with a tape that said, Danger unfit for use.

We used a microwave,till we could afford to replace the cooker. Close shave that was.

[Alec John Moore]

Hi Louisiana

When we had our loft converted recently we had to have the smoke alarms connected to the mains. So, we have a spare battery operated smoke alarm available if you would like it. We did have two but one got "dropped" behind one of the new walls by the builder. We only knew about it several months later when the battery began to fail and a constant beeping noise was heard from somewhere within the wall, starting at 5.00 am one Saturday morning. It took the builder several hours to locate and remove it!