What to do when your Carbon Monoxide alarm sounds?
If your stove was installed in 2010 onwards then it is a legal requirement for you have acarbon monoxide alarm. The alarm is there for your safety, it will only sound when your stove or any other appliance is leaking a potentially deadly gas into your home.
If your alarm suddenly goes off, it may cause you some panic but remember keep calm and follow the below instructions. The very first thing to do is open any doors and windows in the room where the appliance is and any surrounding rooms. This will circulate the air and hopefully disperse the carbon monoxide outside. Once you have given the room chance to ventilate, you can now start to look into what has caused the alarm.
The Stove Body
The first basic thing to look for is, if they is any obvious holes or cracks on the outside. If there is this is possibly where the dangerous gases are escaping from. If hole or crack is nothing major then it could be fixed with fire cement.
The Stove Rope
The nest thing to check is the stove rope around the glass. This rope is very important as it works as a seal between the stove door and the body so if frayed, broken or squashed, this could be the cause of any leakages. If you find the problem here you need replace the rope to solve the issue.
The use of the stove
How you use the stove might be the cause of the leak. If you are regularly burning the fuel at a low temperature then this can cause some problems inside the stove. The stove isn't creating enough power to push the gases up the flue but these gases have to go somewhere so therefore could be leaking out through the air vents or any tiny hole they can find.
Still can't find the problem?
Once all the above have been checked and you still haven't found the problem then don't take any risks and get an expert to diagnose. Even if it is something or nothing, it is better to be safe than sorry.
The above is all just advice and guidance from us all here at Bowland Stoves but for a expert answer you need to contact a professional heating engineer. If you are struggling to find one local, give us a call on 01706 813393 and we can help you with numbers.