CO Alarm Activated

[bewsh]

Hi guys,

I work for a manufacturer and got called to a job today under warranty as the customer had reported co alarm going off, just want to get your opinion and how you would have acted on the situation...

So, alarm goes off, they call transco out who cap the gas off at the meter and say that the "dark stains" above the boiler as strong signs of carbon monoxide - these "dark stains" turned out to be shadows lol.

Anyway, so I arrive this morning, first job of the day. First thing I do is purge my analyser outside in fresh air and then do a room CO check with the gas still capped at the meter, so no appliances running. It peaked at 60ppm in the back end of the house, and I was getting about 37ppm at the front.

I reconnected the gas and put the boiler on full rate with the case on and rechecked the CO in the room, there was no movement. So I continued to carry out all safety checks on the boiler and confirmed the safety of the appliance. As I work for a boiler manufacturer, I haven't got other appliances on my ticket so I was unable to test them.

But I was concerned as I was picking up 60ppm in the house with no appliances running. I spoke to my lead engineer who found a document saying that if you find between 30-100ppm in the house then you have to evacuate property and a gas operative can investigate for 30mins. And anything greater than 100ppm, you should not enter property.

It then goes on to say that if you are finding CO with no appliances running then you should call the esp, which I did after recapping the gas supply, assuming they'd have CO detectors to try and trace the cause. But apparently they don't do anything with CO and don't have detectors, there was no answer at the neighbours so they capped their gas as a precaution.

The guy from transco then wanted me to come and reconnect their gas as I said the boiler was ok. I said that I'm not reconnecting the gas as I'm not able to test the other appliances and also I am unsure of where the CO is coming from.

Then the customer phoned in to the office saying that the transco guy has capped off the other appliances, except for the boiler and the customer wants me to come back to reconnect gas. Again, I refused to do so as I'm not sure where the source of the CO is from.

I spoke to my lead engineer again as the office were pestering me to go back and have another look, but he said not to bother as it's not a warranty issue and they need to get someone in with the CMDDA1 qualification so they can trace this CO issue and resolve.

Would you guys have reconnected the gas for them, or left is disconnected? How would you have acted?

Sorry for the long thread, hope you enjoyed the read as it's been a pain in the arse day with that job!

Thanks in advance

 

[gassafe]

Something isn't right to be licking up those figures surely!

Is it a flat? Maybe a boiler below or flue in void, or are busy road outside?

Sound like the homeowner needs an engineer who can check all appliances?

 

[hammers4spanner]

I didn't think we investigate those types of incidents always thought it was more specialist?

Either way would of left it capped

 

[stani]

I was like you, under the impression that Transco(provider) were all CMDDA1 qualified to investigate CO incidents, perhaps the GSR could give some input and let us all know what needs to be done.
Wholeheartedly agree with your actions, especially the readings with no appliances running.

 

[mfgs]

You have done the right thing, but it sounds like someone needs to get to the bottom of it ASAP. The CO must be coming from somewhere and it cant be from an appliance in the property you were in if the gas was capped when you tested it.

 

[bewsh]

It was an end of terrace bungalow, quiet cul de sac. Checked emissions outside property and they went down, checked back inside property and up they went.

Nah apparently they don't have CO detectors and all they do in CO incidents is isolate gas as it's nothing to do with them. The transco engineer didn't seem too bright mind, he told me not to worry about the 60ppm as it won't cause any issue, and it'll only be dangerous if its around 13500 ppm concentration... I was like, I don't think thats right...

I've told the customer that they need to get someone in to check it and I won't be turning the gas back on. But they keep ringing the office to get me back. And the transco guy isn't helping situations by capping the other appliances off and telling them the boilers safe so they can uncap it now...

 

[bewsh]

And I know my analyser is good as literally got a new one back from calibration yesterday!

 

[Stoney Ground]

I used to work for a company who built and installed direct fired warm air heaters, and in an open area (warehouse) the limit was 280ppm.

 

[stani]

Someone needs to tell the numbnut transco that 13500 is just slightly over the 12800 which results in death in 3 minutes.

 

[stani]

Level of CO Health Effects, and Other Information
0 PPM Normal, fresh air.
9 PPM Maximum recommended indoor CO level (ASHRAE).
10-24 PPM Possible health effects with long-term exposure.
25 PPM Max TWA Exposure for 8 hour work-day (ACGIH).
Pocket CO TWA warning sounds each hour.
50 PPM Maximum permissible exposure in workplace (OSHA).
First Pocket CO ALARM starts (optional, every 20 seconds).
100 PPM Slight headache after 1-2 hours.
125 PPM Second Pocket CO ALARM starts (every 10 seconds).
200 PPM Dizziness, naseau, fagitue, headache after 2-3 hours of exposure.
400 PPM Headache and nausea after 1-2 hours of exposure.
Life threatening in 3 hours.
Third Pocket CO ALARM starts (every 5 seconds).
800 PPM Headache, nausea, and dizziness after 45 minutes; collapse and unconsciousness after 1 hour of exposure.
Death within 2-3 hours.
1000 PPM Loss of consciousness after 1 hour of exposure.
1600 PPM Headache, nausea, and dizziness after 20 minutes of exposure.
Death within 1-2 hours.
3200 PPM Headache, nausea, and dizziness after 5-10 minutes; collapse and unconsciousness after 30 minutes of exposure.
Death within 1 hour.
6400 PPM Death within 30 minutes.
12,800 PPM Immediate physiological effects, unconsciousness.
Death within 1-3 minutes of exposure.