How do you test a Gas Appliance...?

theMusicMan

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OK, very off topic I appreciate. However, I was reading through the BBC Wales news pages and stumbled across this very sad report. It tells the sad story of two local lads who after returning home late following a night out, didn't want to disturb their parents and decided to sleep in the summer house at the bottom of the garden. They put on a portable gas heater to keep warm, and were both found dead in the morning.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7963144.stm

I have a Portable gas heater, like this one...

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It is one that uses bottled gas and is only 2 years old, I use it in my conservatory during the winter. But, how would I go about checking to see if it is safe? Is it simply a matter of purchasing a Carbon Monoxide detector and placing this in the room I use the heater in...?
 
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I think you can get little stickers that you put next to it that turn colour if there's a leak. Mind - that's a long-term test - like - a few days or so.

The other option is to light up a cigarette. If you enjoy your cigarette, then there's probably no leak.
 
Myky D said:
I think you can get little stickers that you put next to it that turn colour if there's a leak. Mind - that's a long-term test - like - a few days or so.

The other option is to light up a cigarette. If you enjoy your cigarette, then there's probably no leak.
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Hi Myky

But this is what I don't understand. These heaters don't 'leak' Carbon Monoxide, I thought this was a by-product of the gas in the cannister and is given off when you turn the gas appliance on? In which case, one cannot stop Carbon Monoxide being given off when turned on.

Is this not the case...? or is it only certain types of gas that give off Carbon Monoxide...?

PS: Ta for the tip... but I don't smoke... :)
 
Gas appliances need professional help - always.
 
Right, just called a freephone number I found for a supplier of Carbon Monoxide detectors and they were really helpful indeed.

The issue is that gas appliances give off small amounts of Carbon Monoxide when burning gas. Ideally, they should give off zero Carbon Monoxide, but inevitably they do. Safe levels as defined by Government H&S are 50ppm, dangerous life threatening levels are around 800ppm. I am not sure what it is that goes wrong with gas appliances to make them give off increasing amounts of Carbon Monoxide, but as they age, the levels do increase hence getting them checked by a gas installer/fitter/engineer. They have detectors that sense the amount of Carbon Monoxide (is it CO??) given off by an appliance and can service the appliance if the levels are too high.

So... I am about to purchase a 30ppm CO detector for my conservatory as I want to be here tomorrow!
 
I'm pretty sure these portable gas heaters come with instructions that say use in a well ventilated area, which I'm guessing the summer house wasn't.
 
Using any un-flued gas appliance in a unventillated area is a very efficient way to die. Burning gas removes oxygen from the air which is a BAD thing for humans ....
 
Steep said:
I'm pretty sure these portable gas heaters come with instructions that say use in a well ventilated area, which I'm guessing the summer house wasn't.
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mrgubby said:
Using any un-flued gas appliance in a unventillated area is a very efficient way to die. Burning gas removes oxygen from the air which is a BAD thing for humans ....
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Yep, good points both - I always ensure that when I use my portable gas heater in the conservatory, that the skylight is open slightly to allow fumes to escape upwards, and also that there's a window slightly open too which causes a nice airflow around the room.

The sliding doors are rarely closed when I am in there and so there's always good circulation of air through the house into the conservatory too.
 
theMusicMan said:
Yep, good points both - I always ensure that when I use my portable gas heater in the conservatory, that the skylight is open slightly to allow fumes to escape upwards, and also that there's a window slightly open too which causes a nice airflow around the room.

The sliding doors are rarely closed when I am in there and so there's always good circulation of air through the house into the conservatory too.
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I think the problem with using these in an unventilated area is that when they reduce the amount of oxygen available they will start burning inefficiently and produce more carbon monoxide.

If you ever see gas burning with a yellow flame rather than a blue one it usually means inefficient combustion so more Carbon Monoxide is produced.
 
My Mother used to have a gas heater in her kitchen,(was lacking central heating at the time)
I never really trusted it and it's been rusting in the shed for some years now,she now uses a halogen lamp heater,much safer imo

Tragic news indeed
 
crocodile said:
Sorry to bump an old thread but how many of you went out & bought a CO Alarm? Now's your chance to buy something that could quite literally save lives.
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I've had one since they became available

I've also got smoke alarms in every room (even the shed) :clap:






*honest, I'm not paranoid ;)
 
a few years ago we turned upto a mx meeting and there was paremdics everywhere

we later found out some one who was in a caravan left there fire on overnight

luckily a friend woke them up both adults were ok after a nice lenthy stay in hospital and one of there children was unconcious but was ok in the end

this was due to carbon monoxide posisioning

you can never be too carefull
 
What about the fella who tried to service his gas oven and nearly blew himself into space! On his way up he met a fella coming down! to whom he asked "ere mate know anything about gas ovens?" To which the Earth bound chap replied .......

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"Nah! Sorry mate, .... do you know anything about parachutes?"

:exit:
 
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