Aico Carbon Monoxide Alarms 260 Series - Manual (Page 2)

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Why you should fit Ca
The Ei range of Carbon Monoxide alarms from Aico provides high quality, reliable detection of Carbon Monoxide (CO). With over 30 years
experience in the fire and gas detection industry our proven high quality design, manufacturing and testing processes have established us as
Europe's leading manufacturer of residential smoke, heat and carbon monoxide detection products. We provide high performance products
tailored to the needs of specifiers, contractors and house-owners.
Quality in our life saving products is never compromised. We have a record of industry firsts including the first BSI Kitemarked range, the first
rechargeable back-up power supply in a smoke alarm, the first mains powered heat alarm, the first with hush technology across the range and
the
only Easi-fit design.
CO - The Housing Health & Safety
Rating System - the Landlords
responsibility.
The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) is the
new risk assessment procedure to replace the Housing Fitness
Regime and the Fitness Standard as an element of the Decent
Homes Standard. It came into force on 6th April
2006 in England and it will follow in Wales later in
the year. The HHSRS Operating Guidance
recognises that CO exposure can be a
significant hazard to occupants and states
that it is the landlords responsibility to assess
the risk of a CO leak in a property.
Scotland has a similar scheme to the
HHSRS in the Scottish Housing
Quality Standard.
House of Commons All Party
Parliamentary Gas Safety Group -
Shouting about a silent killer: Raising
CO awareness
Report as Published 14th September 2006
“We believe that there are ways of increasing the number of
reliable CO detectors in the home and would expect the
mortgage and insurance industries to find innovative ways to
ensure every home has one which is both audible and
approved to British Standard. There should be an expectation
that in order to complete a mortgage, or insure a property,
both CO and smoke detectors should be a requirement for all
homes.”
What is CO & why does it need to
be monitored?
Carbon Monoxide is an invisible, odourless, tasteless and
extremely toxic gas that, if inhaled, can cause serious ill effects
- justifying its name as 'The Silent Killer'. CO is readily absorbed
by haemoglobin in the blood - approximately 240 times more
efficiently than oxygen. This causes serious damage to the
heart and brain from oxygen starvation.
How is CO produced?
Carbon Monoxide originates from the combustion of any
fossil fuel -
coal, bottled and natural gas, paraffin, wood, petrol, diesel,
charcoal etc.
What are the main sources of CO?
All Fossil fuel burning appliances produce CO, this is normally
vented through flues and chimneys to the outside atmosphere.
However, if the process is not entirely efficient, CO can build up to
dangerous levels. Examples of possible causes are:
Poorly connected, blocked, cracked or corroded
flue pipe/vent
Flue pipes/vents are designed to allow the CO produced by the
appliance to vent to the outside atmosphere. If the flue is not
operating correctly or is damaged, CO may leak into the
property. Even if there is an annual check on the appliance/s,
flues and vents remain a potential hazard.
Back drafting
Building Regulation requirements
for energy efficient homes and a
greater emphasis on air extraction
e.g. bathroom and kitchen fans,
means there is a risk of creating
negative air pressure. This can
cause reverse airflow through
appliances resulting in dangerous
levels of CO being drawn back
into the property.
Cracked heat exchanger on gas central heating
system
This will result in a large amount of CO leakage and is therefore a
particularly dangerous possibility.
Appliances without flues
Some fuel burning appliances do not have flues. Portable
heaters, cooking rings and grills are particularly vulnerable as are
old appliances. Whether burning liquid gas, paraffin, natural gas
or wood, each are capable of emitting dangerous levels of CO.
2
chimney
or
flue
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