One in five carbon monoxide detectors ‘dodgy’ – how to spot if yours is a fake
The colourless, odourless and tasteless gas kills 50 people every year
MILLIONS of lives are being put at risk by faulty carbon monoxide detectors as it’s revealed one in five are “dodgy”.
Shockingly, 50 people die from the “silent killer” – a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas – every year, with four people being admitted to hospital every day.
found that three out of 16 detectors failed lab testing based on EU safety standards.
Detectors made by ATZ Saviour, Binwo and Mudder failed to go off 26 times during 72 carbon monoxide tests, the consumer group said.
Which? is now warning consumers not to buy alarms made by these brands.
Since the investigation, Amazon and eBay have removed the three defective alarms from sale.
The other 13 alarms from established brands passed all of the gas tests and also carry the BSI Kitemark.
Which? editor Richard Headland said: “It’s shocking to uncover the sheer volume of carbon monoxide detectors out there that simply don’t work.
“Consumers need to be aware that there are dodgy detectors on the market and should only buy products bearing the BSI Kitemark”.
What is carbon monoxide poisoning?
CO poisoning is extremely dangerous and is often dubbed the silent killer.
Potentially deadly carbon monoxide is created when a fuel isn’t burning correctly.
The gas is usually emitted from faulty gas boilers, fires and cookers and has no colour, taste or smell.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headaches, dizziness, weakness and chest pain.
If exposed to carbon monoxide for longer, symptoms will worsen to confusion, memory loss, co-ordination problems, personality changes or unusual behaviour, tachycardia (a heart rate of more than 100 beats a minute), chest pain caused by angina or a heart attack, seizures or muscle spasms and loss of consciousness.
Low exposures over time, which goes undetected, can cause permanent lung damage, heart damage, brain damage or death.
Most victims die in their sleep from a strong leak. Sometimes it can only take a few minutes.
Family pets are often the first to die before babies, small children or the elderly.
Badly installed or poorly serviced appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning.
In the UK, carbon monoxide poisoning in UK homes kill 50 people ever year, according to the Department of Health.
Ten years ago during a family holiday in Corfu, siblings Bobby, six, and Christi Shepherd, seven, died from carbon monoxide poisoning after a faulty boiler leaked deadly gas into their bedroom.
It’s shocking to uncover the sheer volume of carbon monoxide detectors out there that simply don’t work.
Richard Headland
Back in Britain there are as many as 4,000 medical visits, with four people admitted to hospital for related injuries each day and one in five requiring treatment to their lungs, CO-Gas Safety says.
Graham McKay, Global Head of Gas & Electrical Products at BSI said: “The UK is one of the safest countries in the world when it comes to gas related incidents and much of this is due to the rigorous industry standards we have in place – mostly developed and published by BSI.
How do you know if you've got a faulty carbon monoxide detector?
The most common carbon monoxide detector problems include the following:
If the alarm goes off it is safe to assume carbon monoxide has been detected, but in some cases it could be a fault in the alarm. In this case the alarm fault indicator will show a combination of flashing LEDS, or an amber LED flashing.
If this happens, call a technician to fix the problem or have it replaced.
If the alarm is softly beeping it is likely to be a warning about low battery. It can be heard every 30 seconds.
You should always replace your batteries immediately your carbon monoxide detector sounds the low battery warning.
The third most common problem is substandard detectors. Alarms measuring the presence of carbon monoxide must have the correct calibrations so that it can sense low levels of carbon monoxide concentration. Some detectors in the market only detect carbon monoxide concentration that is significantly above safe levels.
Carbon monoxide detectors should be replaced after every five to seven years.
“However, with one in 11 boilers found to be unsafe in 2015 and only half of UK homes fitted with carbon monoxide alarms, we strongly encourage the British public to address the threat of this silent killer by purchasing alarms.
“Importantly though, when shopping for appliances people should be looking out for trust marks such as the Kitemark™ or the Gas Safe registration to make sure the gas products they buy, as this indicates that those products have been tested to the highest possible standard.”
8 signs YOU’VE got a carbon monoxide leak
1. LOOK for stains, soot or discolouration on or around your boiler, fire or water heater. Flames of a lazy yellow or orange colour on your gas hob, rather than being a crisp blue;
2. INCREASED condensation inside windows. Make sure the air vents in your doors, walls and windows clear.
3. MAKE SURE there is plenty of ventilation and no blockages in your chimney or flue.
4. CHECK the pilot light on your boiler. They normally burn blue but if the flame is yellow or orange, you may have a carbon monoxide leak.
5. BE VIGILANT for warning signs. Be cautious if there is a stale, stuffy smell in a clean home or even a burning smell. It may not be from carbon monoxide itself, but from other toxic gases being emitted by malfunctioning equipment.
6. SYMPTOMS of carbon monoxide poisoning include headaches, dizziness, weakness and chest pain. If you suspect CO poisoning get fresh air immediately, open doors and windows, turn off gas appliances and leave the house.
7. SAFETY CHECKS during a boiler service must be carried out by a Gas Safe Register engineer, or OFTEC registered for oil-fired boilers to alert you to the presence of the poisonous gas in your home before it’s too late.
8. DETECTORS save lives so they should be installed on every floor of your home (especially in all of the bedrooms) and in every room with a fuel-burning appliance.
Cheap detectors only change colour when it detects carbon monoxide so buy an audible alarm to wake you up during the night.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368