Carbon Monoxide

[Flyfisher]

But it happened to someone.

Quite. Whenever I hear similar stories ending in ". . . and what are the chances of that", I often think to myself 'well, in that particular case, about 100%'.

 

[wobs]

But it happened to someone.

Quite. Whenever I hear similar stories ending in ". . . and what are the chances of that", I often think to myself 'well, in that particular case, about 100%'.

To quote Mr Pratchett:
"million to one incidents happen 9 times out of 10".

 

[Penners]

The problem is that 68% of statistics are untrue.

 

[AMc]

And 85% are made up on the spot

 

[Penners]

And 85% are made up on the spot

Oh dear - I've heard that 81% of spots are infectious.

 

[skier-hughes]

Singer Charlotte Church and her two children narrowly escaped being killed by a faulty boiler at her new £1.3million house, according to reports.

The 24-year-old is said to have been unaware it was leaking carbon monoxide - and is 'lucky to be alive'.

The beauty was apparently struck down with headaches for a while before she fitted a CO detector after her grandfather suggested she do so at her South Wales mansion.

According to British newspaper The Sun, a source said: "Charlotte was terrified when she found out what had been happening.

"Charlotte is probably lucky that the house is so big and airy."

 

[Penners]

Singer Charlotte Church and her two children narrowly escaped being killed by a faulty boiler at her new £1.3million house...The beauty* was apparently struck down with headaches

Alternatively, this could have been due to a gross excess of alcohol and drugs. :roll:


* Beauty? I find the soubriquet "spoiled brat" somehow more appropriate.

 

[Flyfisher]

Well, we're now protected by the fancy new CO detector I bought recently . . . . I assume.

It's not entirely reassuring though because the digital display has been resolutely on '000' since I inserted the battery. I suppose this is a good thing but I can't tempt it to display even a measly '001' despite putting it right up close and almost into our open fire. Still, at least the 'test' button causes it to make a good attempt at waking the dead, so I assume all is well.

It might be annoying when a smoke alarm goes off after a chimney blow-back or someone has been a bit over-enthusiastic with the grill, but I now realise there is also an element of comfort in knowing that the device is quietly doing its job. Our new CO monitor is just too inscrutable.

 

[Penners]

Our new CO monitor is just too inscrutable.

I presume it's Chinese?

 

[Flyfisher]

:lol:
That wasn't an intentional inference but you're correct. It's a Kidde product (a USA company that also own Chubb - which I didn't know before checking this) but as with most things electronic these days, or so it seems, it bears the three little words 'Made in China'.

 

[Feltwell]

it bears the three little words 'Made in China'.

Not that it has to any more. We stopped putting "Made in PRC" on our products a little while ago, there's no requirement to do now. It makes selling items to the Middle East much easier!

 

[Lime]

I've often wondered about the CO risk with open fires but have always assumed there isn't one because they can't have the flow of air to them regulated (assuming the house is not airtight) and thus can never burn in an oxygen-restricted environment - unlike stoves and other heating 'applicances'.

Is this a dangerous assumption?

In general the likelyhood of high levels of CO being present in the fumes from a bright fire is small.
The blue over the yellow flames is the CO burning.
However that situation is considerably altered if the bright fire is suddenly covered with further fuel.
Then the CO is not burnt off.

 

[stuart45]

Burning coal, smokeless fuel and wood usually produces more CO than a well maintained gas appliance.
Small amounts of carbon monoxide over a long period can cause irrepairable damage, whereas with a one off large amount someone could make a full recovery.

 

[Lime]

Burning coal, smokeless fuel and wood usually produces more CO than a well maintained gas appliance.

I wouldn't disagree with that at all.
The complete/efficient burn (oxidisation) of solid fuels is limited compared to gas fuel.
A mixture of gas and air can be better controlled than large particles of solid fuel and air.

Flyfisher's and my own comments concerned open fires in particular.
The lay of the fire dictates how much CO is produced.

The creation of huge quantities of CO in enclosed/controlled solid fuel fires is inevitable considering they are controlled by the limitation of air (oxygen) to control the burn rate.
Years ago this was the method used to make producer gas!
During the second world war the gas was used to power vehicles.
The producer gas was made in a furnace/retort carried in a trailer behind the bus/vehicle.

 

[worms]

My CO monitor was equally "inscrutable" when held near the fire or over candles etc. But recently when I lit the woodburner with all the cardboard and suchlike kitchen debris on a cold morning when the external chimney was sooking rather than blowing, the room quickly filled with smoke and the detector rapidly went up to 30ppm. Not enough to set off the alarm, but it showed that it does detect CO as required!