CO Alarm response

Discussion in 'Engineers' Talk' started by Stevo88, Jan 20, 2021.

  1. Stevo88

    Stevo88 New Member

    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 local Gas engineers (who are Gas Safe 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
     
  2. Mike83

    Mike83 Screwfix Select

    If he can pass the boiler he can pass the oven/hob. Strange.
    If the oven and hob hadn’t been used then this clearly didn’t activate the alarm.
    It doesn’t mean there’s not an issue with it though.
    He must have tested the boiler with his gas analyser to give it the all clear so I’m not sure why he didn’t test the oven/hob.
     
  3. Bob Rathbone

    Bob Rathbone Screwfix Select

    Why did he condemn the Cooker, clearly not for Co emissions, then why. The cooker must have been faulty in some other way, such as the gas supply installation. This does not explain the Co alarm activation, does the cooker have a pilot light? if it does it will be old and the pilot light flame may be the source of Co. I assume that the Co alarm has not been triggered since the cooker was disconnected, in which case it must have been the cooker. £100 sounds about right for a visit and test. Testing a cooker for Co will be different and less accurate than a boiler because the point the probe is placed for a boiler is a set point, an access point in the flue. Where would you test a cooker, it has no flue and the products of combustion quickly spread out from the burner.
     
  4. Mike83

    Mike83 Screwfix Select

    The alarm may just be faulty.
    Or something else set it off ( not a gas appliance).
    Easy to test the cooker and there’s plenty guidance available if required.
    I’m not sure what he means by not “CO detection certified”.
    Usually I would test all appliances under normal operating conditions.
    I would also call up the co alarms history if it’s available as this will clarify if co has been present.
     

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