Carbon MonoxideMAKING GAS SAFE

Carbon monoxide

Carbon Monoxide can be produced by burning any fossil fuel – not just gas. It can be generated by: Open fires Petrol engines Barbecues Oil burners Cookersamong other appliances.

In a domestic boiler, Carbon Monoxide (CO) can be produced by the following problems:

• Blocked flue not allowing the products to escape;

• Inadequate air supply causing a shortage of oxygen;

• Flue products entering the air supply and causing a shortage of oxygen;

• Worn burner parts causing incomplete combustion of fuel.

How gas engineers save lives

As the human body cannot detect CO there is only one option available, and that is to use an instrument that can measure it.

A ‘Gas Safe’ registered engineer will check the gas that is emitted from gas appliances. The instrument he or she will use shows the proportion of Carbon Monoxide that is emitted by the boiler.

Manufacturers have agreed that the level of 350 ppm (350 parts per million) is the safe limit.*

If an instrument shows that the gas emitted from a boiler has 0.004% Carbon Monoxide, is the boiler safe to use?

How would you expect an instrument to display the proportion of gas emitted from the flue?

*Information for this activity is taken from the Technical Bulletin 143, July 2013, from the Gas Safe Register.