Is your home fire and carbon monoxide safe?

Staying Fire Safe at Home 

As we step into the new year it’s a good time to have an annual check that your home is fire and carbon monoxide safe and meets all of the fire and smoke alarm standards. Have a read through our guide and check that you know the warning signs of carbon monoxide poisoning and how to make sure you are protected from fires at home. 

Your home must have all of the following to meet national standards for fire safety: 

• A carbon monoxide alarm in any room in the home that has a fixed combustion appliance (like a boiler, water heater or warm air heater) 

• At least one smoke alarm in every storey of the building 

• Regular checks on the alarms, with smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms being repaired and replaced immediately once found  

All of the smoke and heat alarms in your home should be on the ceiling and interlinked. 

When the alarms are interlinked they run by using radio frequency rather than WiFi which means that if one alarm detects smoke or fire, all of the alarms will sound together. 

The dangers of carbon monoxide 

Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that can make you dangerously ill if you breathe it in. Fires and appliances that burn wood, gas, oil or coal can make carbon monoxide. 

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning  

One of the main dangerous of carbon monoxide gas is that it is colourless and does not smell, which means that you cannot tell if it is around you. 

The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are: 

• Dizziness 

• A headache 

• Feeling weak 

• Feeling sick or being sick 

• Shortness of breath 

• Tiredness and confusion 

• Chest and muscle pain 

• Your face turning hot and red (flushing) – redness may be harder to see on black and brown skin 

• Loss of vision 

The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can come and go. They might get better when you leave your home and go outside and they may get worse when you are spending time in the affected room or building. 

Causes of carbon monoxide poisoning 

Carbon monoxide poisoning is caused by breathing in carbon monoxide gas. 

Appliances that are used for heating and cooking in the home can produce carbon monoxide gas if they aren’t installed properly or if they’re broken or not well maintained. 

Common household appliances that can produce carbon monoxide include: 

• Gas cookers and clay ovens 

• Gas boilers 

• Gas or paraffin heaters 

• Wood, gas and coal fires 

• Portable generators 

What to do if you think you might have carbon monoxide poisoning 

If you’re worried you may have carbon monoxide poisoning you should: 

• Go outside 

• Get medical advice as soon as possible – don’t go back into the affected building until you have been seen and treated by a medical professional and been given advice  

• Stop using appliances that might be producing carbon monoxide (like a cooker, heater or boiler) if possible 

You should call NHS 111 if you think you have symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. 

You should call 999 or go to A&E if you think that you or someone else has been exposed to carbon monoxide and: 

• Have chest or muscle pain 

• Are finding it hard to breathe 

• Have suddenly become confused 

• Are feeling weak 

• Have lost consciousness 

To try and protect yourself from carbon monoxide poisoning you should: 

• Get a carbon monoxide alarm that makes a loud sound if there is carbon monoxide present – 1 for each room of your home that contains appliances that burn gas, oil, coal or wood 

• Make sure boilers, heaters and cookers are serviced regularly by a qualified and registered engineer (if you rent, read on to find out who is responsible for this) 

• Make sure chimneys are clean and well maintained and rooms are well ventilated 

Landlord responsibility for installing alarms  

If you rent your home it is your landlord’s responsibility to make sure that your home has all of the fire and carbon monoxide alarms it needs. Your landlord will also be required to schedule checks of your alarms to make sure that they are working and they should keep electrical appliances in good working order – this is called the repairing standard. 

Your landlord is legally required to pay for and maintain working fire and carbon monoxide alarms. 

If you need any repairs you should to your landlord or letting agent. If you can, doing this in writing by sending an email or a letter is the best option as you then have a record of what you have communicated about. 

If your landlord refuses to make a repair, you can speak to one of our advisers who can help you decide whether to take action. 

If you own your own home 

If you own your own home it is your responsibility to ensure that any fuel burning items are checked regularly by an expert (including regular boiler servicing), flues for chimneys are clear and you have the correct alarms installed and that they are working properly. You can buy fire and carbon monoxide alarms at most hardware stores and online.