Carbon monoxide is a silent killer, which can strike without warning. Please take heed - even with everything technically in order it can still claim victims.
Carbon monoxide cannot be detected using your normal senses.
It has no smell. Low concentrations of the gas cause headache and nausea. High concentrations cause loss of consciousness after only a few moments. It can KILL.
Carbon monoxide is formed when fuel is burned with inadequate oxygen supply.
This can happen under the following circumstances:
- poorly maintained appliances
- with any type of carbon-based fuel (coal, gas, oil, wood).
- in appliances installed without adequate ventilation
- chimneys or flues blocked or poorly maintained
- certain weather conditions, which do not allow the ventilation of exhaust-fumes from the burning process
An example of the latter is very cold weather, where the chimney is so cold that the fumes cool down during their rise up the chimney. As a result, they fall back down and choke off the oxygen supply to the appliance.
* Please ensure your boilers and other appliances burning fossil fuels are properly maintained by a qualified and certified engineer.
* Ensure your appliance is freely ventilated, and any ventilation holes are not unnecessarily blocked off
* Ensure your chimney is swept annually, and the exit inaccessible to birds who may want to nest in there
A tragedy happened recently as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. Please do not become another statistic.
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