Carbon Monoxide Alarm Reading

[ThirtySixteen]

Hi guys,
Just looking for a bit of advice really.

last week we had our carbon monoxide alarm go off upstairs.
We have 2 alarms in the house, the other one (downstairs) gave a leak flow history of 17PPM

So I got someone in from British Gas, he did lots of combustion and air quality checks and everything was ok.
He checked the alarm that went off and said it was faulty.

The only gas appliances we have are the boiler and hob. No open fires etc…
They were both checked and cleared.

I replaced all my alarms with new ones as the old ones were around 7 years old.

Now… the alarm downstairs is still reading 0 and 0 peak flow.

But the new one upstairs is now reading 12PPM on peak flow history.

The thing is, we don’t have ANY gas upstairs at all. No open fires in the house, no candles, no burners, nothing. Not even any windows open etc…
I put another alarm next to it and it is also reading 12PPM.

What could be causing this reading upstairs in a place where there is no gas?
Especially when the alarm downstairs is still reading 0 and 0 peak.

Thank you all

 

[snowhead]

Does the boiler flue go directly to outside above or near the boiler?
Where is the boiler in relation to the room the CO monitor?
Is the house detached or semi / terrace?

 

[ThirtySixteen]

Hi, thanks for the reply.

The boiler is downstairs in the utility room (off the kitchen). The flue goes directly outside from the top of the boiler.

But the CO monitor in the kitchen (between the boiler and the hob) is showing no signs in Carbon Monoxide at all.

It’s the ones I’ve put upstairs as a precaution outside the kids bedroom that are showing readings of 12PPM in the peak flow history (not main reading)
I say ‘ones’ as I’ve put 2 up there in case one was showing a false reading but they’re both showing 12.

But there’s no gas up there at all. No open fires or anything flame etc….

Thanks.

Does the boiler flue go directly to outside above or near the boiler?
Where is the boiler in relation to the room the CO monitor?
Is the house detached or semi / terrace

 

[Chuck]

Where did the CO alarm come from? Was it a well-known brand, e.g. Kidde, bought from a legitimate stockist, e.g. Screwfix, or something you got for a fiver from eBay?

CO detectors can give false readings; paint fumes and some aerosol sprays, for example. Check the instruction book for a list of possibilities.

CO is a gas. It can drift quite a long way from its source, e.g. a bonfire too close to the house. What about your neighbour(s)? Could products of combustion be drifting from their flue into one of your windows or air vents?

More details here:

Carbon Monoxide (CO) FAQs | Kidde

Learn more about carbon monoxide and find commonly asked questions about using CO alarms to help protect against this dangerous and potentially deadly gas.

www.kidde.com

 

[gpbeck]

If the house is not detached you need to alert your neighbours. Offer to take your new detector in and check.