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Posted

Hi, 

 

Last night I had to call the fire brigade as my carbon monoxide alarm went off. This occurs after starting my usual nightly coal fire. Carbon monoxide alarm is relatively new (3 years old) and checked regularly. 

 

They came and checked the stove and found that there was a slight CO leak but no visible damage/issues with the flu or stove itself. 

 

Since then, I contacted a chimney cleaning service who advised to do a top burning fire to see if it was to do with something being trapped in the flu. 

 

I did this and had the stove running for a number of hours with a wood fire and then I also tried a coal fire and the alarm no longer went off. 

 

I contacted the chimney cleaning company again and they said it was likely due to a wind or pressure change that pushed some of the smoke back down into the hotbox/flu.

 

I'm messaging as was wondering has this ever happened to anyone else and if so any advise about how to proceed? 

Posted

Never had that problem but I have three carbon monoxide alarms and three fire alarms: if one goes wrong there are two others.  I know that I have had a fire alarm that went off and wouldn't stop (wired into mains/battery one) and nothing would stop it going off.  The other two fire alarms didn't go off and there was no fire anywhere so I knew it was a faulty alarm issue.

Posted

It’s always a shock if that happens and sympathies to you.
 

One of the commonest reasons is from the ash that remains with heat and CO production for a long time after a fire is out despite removing it from the stove, it can even come in from outside if not secured . That may not be relevant here but it is an easy issue to sort and easy to overlook. 

Posted (edited)

Innisfree had low level CO indication, caused by smoke curling down into mushroom vent when wind was blowing from astern,  longer chimney sorted it. 

Edited by nb Innisfree
Posted

I would open a window/external door  or two and evacuate the boat until the alarm stops rather than call the fire brigade.

 

Bear in mind CO alarms can be triggered by other gasses. A neighbours boat at the marina was repeatedly sounding an alarm in the summer and that was a faulty battery.

 

Posted

Yes, I generally have the window open a crack, more or less depending on the wind, and the fire activity, this will help shift the air in the cabin. If I have to open the stove door and I feel there is a lot of smoke, I open windows both sides.

Occasionally the smoke from the chimney finds its way back in to the cabin via the roof vents. I then open the doors.

Even if I feel drowsy, I open the windows, just to get fresh air moving inside.

Posted
1 hour ago, Awg22 said:

Hi, 

 

Last night I had to call the fire brigade as my carbon monoxide alarm went off. This occurs after starting my usual nightly coal fire. Carbon monoxide alarm is relatively new (3 years old) and checked regularly. 

 

They came and checked the stove and found that there was a slight CO leak but no visible damage/issues with the flu or stove itself. 

 

Since then, I contacted a chimney cleaning service who advised to do a top burning fire to see if it was to do with something being trapped in the flu. 

 

I did this and had the stove running for a number of hours with a wood fire and then I also tried a coal fire and the alarm no longer went off. 

 

I contacted the chimney cleaning company again and they said it was likely due to a wind or pressure change that pushed some of the smoke back down into the hotbox/flu.

 

I'm messaging as was wondering has this ever happened to anyone else and if so any advise about how to proceed? 

 

Are we discussing the stove in your boat or an open grate in the house?

 

 

Posted

I dont think i would call the fire brigade unless my fire was out of my control.

I keep the fire at moderate rather than full blast. 

The only time i had a problem with not controlling my fire was when it was lit for the first time. Everything was clean and i banked up the fire overnight. It took hold!

So i would advise moderation .....

Posted

While a fire would be my first concern, an alarm may not be caused by a fire at all. My alarm sounded, and I do not have a solid fuel stove. When it sounded, I was not there, and a neighbourly boater, checked my boat to see if I was safe, and found nothing amiss.  Subsequently, I had a false alarm, checked everything, and found no obvious cause. It happened again a week later, and I recalled that batteries can cause this. Checking them, I found the middle one to be warm. I disconnected them, and put the faulty one outside. Then I replaced all three batteries, and have had no alarm since. A gassing Lead Acid battery can set off your CO detector.

Posted

My batteries are damaged so this may well be what caused it to be honest. 

 

Thank you all for the helpful case studies, Iv geneuinly been quite panicked by the whole situation and am a still a bit dubious about sleeping with the fire on for now though 

  • Happy 1
Posted
7 minutes ago, Awg22 said:

My batteries are damaged so this may well be what caused it to be honest. 

 

Thank you all for the helpful case studies, Iv geneuinly been quite panicked by the whole situation and am a still a bit dubious about sleeping with the fire on for now though 

You should be dubious about battery gas which is potentially toxic and may be explosive.

 

  • Greenie 1
Posted (edited)

A few weeks ago I got back after a day on the SVR to find the CO alarm bleeping at me. Aired the boat out and poked around a lot -- the flue had rusted through where it passes through the roof collar, not visible from inside the boat and only barely visible peering down the flue.

Replaced it with a nice new bit of stainless pipe. January not the most fun time to be doing that.

Edited by Francis Herne
Posted

The joys of being a plumber, is working in a freezing loft when the heating has broken down in winter.

Posted
12 hours ago, Awg22 said:

Hi, 

 

Last night I had to call the fire brigade as my carbon monoxide alarm went off. advise about how to proceed? 

What did you think that they could do for you?  They are are the emergency service to fight fires and effect rescues of trapped bodies, neither of which you had.  The clue is in the word emergency.

I hope that they charged you for a wasted callout.

I suppose you are one of those idle folk who just calls out the police, fire or ambulance because you don't have any idea of what to do or how to survive the traumas of living in this modern nanny state.

  • Greenie 1
  • Angry 1
Posted
18 minutes ago, hider said:

What did you think that they could do for you?  They are are the emergency service to fight fires and effect rescues of trapped bodies, neither of which you had.  The clue is in the word emergency.

I hope that they charged you for a wasted callout.

I suppose you are one of those idle folk who just calls out the police, fire or ambulance because you don't have any idea of what to do or how to survive the traumas of living in this modern nanny state.


Thats a bit harsh. People call the fire brigade if their cats stuck up a tree.   
 

A persisting high CO reading can be an emergency. We know people do die from CO poisoning. 
 

It’s  up to the fire brigade as to whether they attend or not. They could and probably ought to have offered advice over the phone. If they “had” to attend then it’s maybe a problem with their protocols not the callers who presumably was very anxious that the CO alarm went off. 
 

It’s not something many of us would do with experience of these things but unless you were there and fully aware of the situation it’s rather unreasonable to judge the reaction of others. 
 

 

  • Greenie 4
Posted (edited)
5 hours ago, hider said:

What did you think that they could do for you?  They are are the emergency service to fight fires and effect rescues of trapped bodies, neither of which you had.  The clue is in the word emergency.

I hope that they charged you for a wasted callout.

I suppose you are one of those idle folk who just calls out the police, fire or ambulance because you don't have any idea of what to do or how to survive the traumas of living in this modern nanny state.

 

 

Sorry, but you are wrong!  The fire service attends many different emergencies and CO comes under 'special emergency' for which a fire service might or might not charge.  Have a look at Northampton Fire and Rescue's website for details of what is classed as a 'special emergency':  https://www.northantsfire.gov.uk/special-services/  Perhaps you would now like to apologise to the poster for being such an arrogant abusive know all?  

Edited by KezzerN
  • Greenie 3
Posted (edited)
3 hours ago, hider said:

 

I suppose you are one of those idle folk who just calls out the police, fire or ambulance because you don't have any idea of what to do or how to survive the traumas of living in this modern nanny state.

You come across as one of those people who go out of their way to antagonise people around them rather than helping them. Just because you have some understanding of CO and stoves on boats does not mean everyone has any understanding.

CO is a very dangerous and insidious killer.

 

There is another potential killer gas which is less common, namely H2S which is Hydrogen Sulphide, a gas produced when batteries are faulty. Worse case scenario a prelude to fire or explosion. Hydrogen sulphide might set off CO alarms but as batteries are not in the càbin where the CO alarms are placed they are not used to monitor battery health.

Hydrogen Sulphide smells of rotten eggs.

Edited by LadyG
  • Greenie 2
Posted
1 hour ago, LadyG said:

You come across as one of those people who go out of their way to antagonise people around them rather than helping them. Just because you have some understanding of CO and stoves on boats does not mean everyone has any understanding.

CO is a very dangerous and insidious killer.

 

There is another potential killer gas which is less common, namely H2S which is Hydrogen Sulphide, a gas produced when batteries are faulty. Worse case scenario a prelude to fire or explosion. Hydrogen sulphide migjt set off CO alarms but as batteries are not in the càbin where the CO alarms are placed they are not used to monitor battery health.

Hydrogen Sulphide smells of rotten eggs.

You are teaching grandfather to suck eggs my dear.

Not arrogant, just amazed that anyone would call out the fire brigade instead of ventilating the boat, going outside in the fresh air, then shutting down the fire which they were convinced was causing the problem.

 

Out of interest, how long did it take for the fire bobbies to attend, how many of them with how many appliances and what did the OP do whilst waiting for the crew?

 

 

  • Greenie 1
Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, hider said:

You are teaching grandfather to suck eggs my dear.

Not arrogant, just amazed that anyone would call out the fire brigade instead of ventilating the boat, going outside in the fresh air, then shutting down the fire which they were convinced was causing the problem.

 

Out of interest, how long did it take for the fire bobbies to attend, how many of them with how many appliances and what did the OP do whilst waiting for the crew?

 

 

 

 

You obviously know better than the fire service: they consider CO an emergency but you don't.

Edited by KezzerN
  • Greenie 2
Posted
1 hour ago, KezzerN said:

 

 

You obviously know better than the fire service: they consider CO2 an emergency but you don't.

 

I very much doubt that. 

 

At very least, I'd expect them to know the difference between CO and CO2. 

 

 

  • Greenie 2
Posted
5 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

I very much doubt that. 

 

At very least, I'd expect them to know the difference between CO and CO2. 

 

 

 

 

You are so right: I added a 2!  My apologies!

Posted
12 hours ago, Awg22 said:

My batteries are damaged so this may well be what caused it to be honest. 

 

Thank you all for the helpful case studies, Iv geneuinly been quite panicked by the whole situation and am a still a bit dubious about sleeping with the fire on for now though 

Suggest you get 2 or 3 alarms and site one of them close to your head in bed if you are still nervous. I always have at least 2 in my house and boat in case one doesn’t go off.  Better safe than sorry but I reckon redundancy is important

One afternoon at our marina an alarm went off and the owner staggered out ashen faced. He had a generator on the deck and the cover had blown off and diverted the exhaust into the boat. He said he’d been to the pub at lunchtime and was fast asleep and the alarm had woken him up. He rightly got the fright of his life. There was a death on Windermere not long ago from a generator on a boat.

Don’t forget to test your alarms every now and then. Sleep Well

  • Greenie 2
  • Happy 1

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