Carbon Monoxide leaks

[Jamie.]

To put the other halfs mind at rest more than anything I would like to confirm my thoughts that the risk of Co2 in the house is rather mild.

Our son sleeps for 14+ hours a night, every night. (The gas boiler is in his bedroom)
I'll not go into details about how suspicions came around but I know this isn't very likely at all.

I can relate to similar situations and I feel this isn't a very likely senario. (Why are we always trying to reassure women of this?)

If there are any gas engineers reading this post I would appreciate a quick response stating this is not a likely scenario and gas boilers, even if they are in the babys room, there should be zero readings of Co2.

I've ended up costing the landlord £200 for getting an engineer out to check out the boiler (On a Saturday) And enable the supply after the emergency gas guy 'shut it down'
Whilst I must agree with the Mrs for getting the boiler checked out for obvious reasons, But why is it that even when I tell her it's most unlikely there is any Co2 leak she insists that's why he sleeps so long?

Why can't it be because everything else we do keeps him healthy and he is just a good sleeper?
We went to A&E shortly after the Phoenix guy had left, We spent an hour on oxygen for no reason other than to tell us that the only treatment for Co2 poisoning was one hour on 100% oxygen.

I'm not even sure that makes sense to anyone but how hard is it to understand that the chances of the boiler leaking anything into the house are very slim, Please someone reassure me i'm not nuts!

[Ste]

CO2 is carbon dioxide, CO is carbon monoxide.

Have you got a carbon monoxide detector?

[Ben.]

CO = carbon monoxide
CO2 = carbon dioxide

and carbon monoxide attaches to haemoglobin in your red blood cells and will not detach. The ONLY way to treat carbon monoxide poisoning is a blood transfusion.
I'm not a boiler engineer but i know a few. Its not common but its not unheard of. I think there's about 100 - 200 reported cases a year. If I had a kid and i was paranoid about CO then i would get it checked. £200 or your sons life? Like I said its not common but it does happen...

edit: as above any carbon monoxide tester will do, halfords probably do one. i think normal is about 0.3% in citys... google will have a better idea.
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[stinkwheel]

Well. I'd suggest you buy a CO (not CO2, that's Carbon DIoxide. It's carbon MONoxide you're worried about) monitor.

I'm no gas engineer but a clean blue flame will not be producing much in the way of CO in the first place. It's faulty boilers with blocked jets/air intakes that are burning with a sooty yellow flame that produce CO. If it's just been serviced, you should be safe enough.

You can get CO warning paper which turns black if there is a dangerous level of CO.
https://www.bestglide.com/product_images/CF1090_lg.jpg

You also get electronic CO detectors.

For sale in any halfway decent hardware store. They are VERY sensitive.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Jamie.]

It seems I appear to have to have been mixed up in my terminology, Co2 and Co are different altogether and I apologise for this.

The point still stands, We have a Carbon Monoxide alarm which insisted on sounding last night more than twice, which according to the manual means we should have/did carry out everything it suggested doing so from the manual in such a scenario.

The alarm sounded more than twice within 24 hours, when it first sounded I expected it to do so out of sheer disrespect for the product (2:30am) we removed it from my sons bedroom and set it on our bedside table, to which it sounded again about 6:30am, our heating is set via timer to come on at 6am so it seems unusual that the Co alarm had sounded at this time, but as the manual stated we did as it said and called the emergency number and here we are right now.

[Ben.]

if the alarm sounded twice. Do not leave any room sealed, have a window open a crack if any door is shut.
There is no way of telling if you have CO in your house. I would defo by a tester of some sort before i slept in a room without a window ajar.
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Race bike - R6
Road bike - sv650

[Phoenix]

I'd get an electronic detector based on what you've said, those dark spot ones change colour slowly and may easily be misinterpreted at reacting to Carbon Monoxide. As you wife sounds paranoid then i'd avoid them and get an electric detector like a smoke alarm, Maplin will sell them probably for a reasonable price but just google for one.

Edit - you posted while I was replying, so I see you already have one, maybe it's just a rubbish one? If the boiler has been inspected and CO was checked for then it can't be wrong? Last resort, move him out of his room and I bet he still sleeps for 14hours.

[Jamie.]

My landlord has been out and ' Phil the plumber' has left his Co detector resting on top of the cupboard the boiler is contained in and so far it reads 0 ppm which i suspected and fully respect, why do I feel the need to prove to her that a Carbon Monoxide leak just isn't very possible.

I'm sick of being made to feel like it's my job to prove everything to the cunts in law, because they have so little knowledge to realise these kind of thing CAN happen but just don't.

I feel like i've done something wrong just trying to prove something that is factual and based upon FACTS to them, Is it really a case of common sense here and i'm the person acting stupid trying to prove something which according to my own common sense makes me out to be a ' stupid cunt that doesn't realise just how unreasonable these situations really are"

[stinkwheel]

VERY sensitive those alarms.

They will also go off with minute quantities of vapourised alcohol.

The one in my flat used to go off if I was reducing wine to make stock in the kitchen, or if someone breathed on it after drinking whisky.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Jamie.]

[Fortuna]

Our gas company sent a free one in the post. Most if not all of them offer subsidised testers. I think a phonecall wouldn't hurt.

[Ariel Badger]

You do not say how old your lad is.
Sleeping well and, presumably, waking up refreshed is not a symptom of CO poisoning.

Symptoms
In fact he seems to be displaying absolutely no symptoms of CO poisoning so it is far to say that he has not been poisoned. I am guessing that he is your first child and still very young, I can understand why your Mrs is worried. All the other young moms will be complaining of disturbed nights and you get 14 hours of sleep. 14 hours does seem a lot though, make an appointment with your GP and discuss your concerns about his sleep patterns.
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[Robby]

[Ant]

i am a gas engineer, if your goin to get a co detector please spend the extra on one that will wake you up and not just change colour!
I would also put some trust in your heating engineer and not people from on the net, if you don't trust "phil the plumber" then get someone you do trust to check it out, i know you'll have to pay but at least you can be sure.

Whats the make and model of the boiler too? and does the flue go through the wall or the roof?
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[scorps]

I am extremely grateful and still alive thanks to our boiler being in the outhouse, its got all clogged again and the external wall is covered in soot, same as last time it broke down. My landlord asked me when it was last serviced, Im thinking he doesnt understand his responsibilities fully here

On a positive note, he is getting it fixed or replaced on Tuesday which saves me the hassle of losing patience waiting to be reimbursed for the repairs i paid for the last time it broke.
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Do not presume that I am male.

[Stelmer]

The symptoms of mild carbon monoxide poisoning may be non-specific and similar to those of viral cold and flu infections or food poisoning: headache, nausea, abdominal pain, dizziness, sore throat and dry cough.

But, unlike flu infection, carbon monoxide poisoning doesn't cause a high temperature.

In children, the symptoms are similar to those of a stomach upset, with nausea and vomiting.

More severe poisoning can result in a fast and irregular heart rate, hyperventilation, confusion, drowsiness and difficulty breathing. Seizures and loss of consciousness may also occur. If this happens, you best hope someone will find you quick as you will die.

Some symptoms can occur a few days or even months after exposure to carbon monoxide. These may include confusion, loss of memory and problems with coordination.

[Dilusi]