Info & Guides
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
We come into contact with low levels of carbon monoxide in our every day lives from vehicle exhaust fumes to cigarette smoke and paint fumes but these impact the environment much more than they impact us directly.
As the owner of a solid fuel stove, what concerns us is the unavoidable production of carbon monoxide in our homes as we burn carbon based fuels such as wood and coal. However, the risks from this potentially toxic gas are removed through measures such as sufficient air supply to the stove, appropriate ventilation and a correctly sized, installed and sealed flue system for your log burner. Produced during the combustion process due to a lack of oxygen, Carbon Monoxide is not only colourless but odourless.
Therefore it is a building regulation requirement (under Approved Document J for England & Wales) to have a CO Alarm installed in the same room as the stove as a last line of protection and at Glowing Embers we supply the well known and popular brands Firehawk and Kidde Lifesaver. Illustrated below is the correct location for your alarm for both walls and ceilings:
In theory, if you have sourced the correct components, installed them in compliance with the Building Regulations and had your system signed off by an approved engineer, the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning should not ever be an issue for you but the following is some simple advice should you be concerned:
1 - Early signs of poisoning can include tiredness, headaches, dizziness, nausea / vomiting and shortness of breath. You may also experience a rise in blood pressure.
2 - At the first signs of smoke pouring back out of your stove you must open all doors and windows and then vacate the room immediately.
3 - Evacuate the house entirely if it leaks into other rooms and do not re-enter the room or property until the fire has been extinguished.
