CO is a deadly silent gas you cannot smell or see - it kills or causes irreversible brain damage.
World Health Organisation (WHO) only allows under 4 parts per million (ppm) exposure to CO under 4ppm in any 24 hr period - 0.0.0003/% !
CO is usually caused by a faulty appliance or exhaust, flue or chimney leaking CO into a home - the problem could be upstairs, downstairs or next door.
There should be ZERO CO in a HOME.
Testing a room with an appliance in accordance with BS7967
- If a CO alarm is fitted, check it’s in the right place with working batteries & test alarm sounds
- Power on your CO analyser outside in fresh air and let it zero with its probe connected
- Power on an appliance in a room & wait 5 minutes for it to warm up
- Check appliance status - no fault conditions, etc
- Bring your analyser & probe to the appliance, hold your analyser in one hand and use your other hand to move analyser probe clockwise around appliance 2 times - 1 circle per minute
- If no CO displayed on analyser, stop test - if unsure, repeat 2 minute test by repeating steps 2 & 5 - always power on in fresh outdoor air - then move on to the next appliance and repeat steps 2 to 5
- If between 1 &10ppm CO displayed, check for possible case leak or OTHER sources of CO - outdoor BBQ, generator, neighbours, busy road, etc - remember there should be ZERO CO
- If over 10ppm, STOP TEST, power off appliance & investigate or call emergency services - CO should be ZERO
Testing a room with or without an appliance
- Repeat steps 1 & 2
- Turn on an appliance in another room
- Use a tripod stand to hold your probe at head height in the centre of the room then test for up to 15 minutes to see if CO is migrating into the room
- Alternatively, connect a KANE-COL CO monitor logger to your KANE analyser* to test for CO in one room while testing an appliance in another room or from outside the property - Connect up to 4 KANE-COL to your KANE analyser* to reduce room testing
*Requires a KANE LINK analyser - call if unsure
NOTE: CO KILLS & INJURES - CO testing should be performed by competent persons who understand risks involved.