Carbon Monoxide alarm procedures. Certification

[Thanet58]

Hi there everyone,
I need a bit of clarification on Gas engineers procedures when dealing with a customers CO alarm job.
Yesterday morning I phoned my daughter who lives in London and while we were chatting her CO alarm (FireAngel) which is in the kitchen went off and wouldn’t stop. Told her to get upstairs with kids while husband shut off the boiler and opened windows. The alarm eventually stopped. They then called out British Gas engineer who turned up and turned gas off at intake. He stuck some “Do not Use” labels on the boiler, left them with an electric heater as they’ve got very young children (and it’s the middle of January) and left the building.

British Gas then gave daughter the name of a local Gas engineers (who are registered) and a guy came out today and checked the boiler (which is in the kitchen) and gas oven/cooker. He then condemned and disconnected the cooker and reinstated the boiler. £100 thank you.

What confuses me is that the oven/hob hadn’t been in use since previous evening (14 hours earlier) when the CO alarm activated, only the boiler.

His report stated that he was “Unable to verify emissions from the cooker following CO alarm activation”

He also stated he was not “CO detection certified”

My daughter is quite rightly asking why he took the job if he’s uncertified.


Any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[Aquarius]

This is where you tend to get mixed views. When i attended the CMDDA1 (the qualification you’re referring to) course, the trainer said it’s not needed for standard domestic situations, just to be able to 26.9 checks are required. I can’t remember when he said it was required because I now hold the qualification. Someone else (more experienced than me) on another forum said it is required.

This is what I tend to do when called to a CO activation:

Gather evidence of what appliance(s) if any, were in use at the time of alarm sounding.
Download alarm data if available (most of our properties have them).
Check for migration/external sources if required.
Carry out normal gas tests.
Light appliance(s) and visually inspect.
Carry out a sweep test of the boiler, and flue analysis.
Investigate further if any appliance(s) are suspected of giving off fumes.

Other alarm triggers are: smokers, car batteries, some aerosols to name a few.

Do you know what boiler and cooker she has? Are you sure British Gas attended?

 

[richard978]

This is where you tend to get mixed views. When i attended the CMDDA1 (the qualification you’re referring to) course, the trainer said it’s not needed for standard domestic situations, just to be able to 26.9 checks are required. I can’t remember when he said it was required because I now hold the qualification. Someone else (more experienced than me) on another forum said it is required.

This is what I tend to do when called to a CO activation:

Gather evidence of what appliance(s) if any, were in use at the time of alarm sounding.
Download alarm data if available (most of our properties have them).
Check for migration/external sources if required.
Carry out normal gas tests.
Light appliance(s) and visually inspect.
Carry out a sweep test of the boiler, and flue analysis.
Investigate further if any appliance(s) are suspected of giving off fumes.

Other alarm triggers are: smokers, car batteries, some aerosols to name a few.

Do you know what boiler and cooker she has? Are you sure British Gas attended?

It's in the gas safe magazine this month....26(9) checks is what's needed. However, if there is CO and the source can't be confirmed then you need a full CO survey doing.

If you call the gas emergency service they will be able to detect the presence of CO in the air but because they can't do the 26(9) checks then they will turn you off. So it's a tricky one isn't it as a gas user. A gas engineer will tell you to turn your gas off and ventilate but that might not be enough if it's the neighbours appliances that are causing the problem.

My advice is install two alarms in particular the fire angel ones with the monitor. If you are joined to another property call 0800 111 999. Finally consider what you were doing when the alarm went off as lots of things release co and some things can fool the sensors.... charging a car battery fir example release hydrogen monoxide....that will set off an alarm. Cooking and burning food will also set them off.

 

[Deleted member 120897]

It's in the gas safe magazine this month....26(9) checks is what's needed. However, if there is CO and the source can't be confirmed then you need a full CO survey doing.

That’s good to know

My advice is install two alarms in particular the fire angel ones with the monitor.

We use the Aico ones, which I like. I haven’t really experience of others so can’t comment.

 

[Pssst]

Most alarms go off because of one of the following;
They are knackered/out of date
They are incorrectly fitted
They have been rendered useless due to exposure to airborne contaminants such as dust, solvents, gases other than CO, paint fumes
They are exposed to fumes from BBQs, charcoal products, shisa smoking etc etc

Its often the case that there is no CO in the air and no demonstrable reason for a genuine alarm.

A growing issue is that of wood burners and fumes from wood burners either in the affected property or else migration of wood burner fumes from adjoining neighbours.

If you call the gas emergency service, then in most cases they will cut you off, issue a warning notice and refer you to a gas safe Eng to get appliances checked.
Even so, it might not even be a gas appliance thats causing the trigger.