Co Monitors

[iloveglee]

Has anyone any experience of the type of CO monitor that has a 'ventilate' alarm, and whether these can be triggered by anything other than Carbon Monoxide. This is a brand new alarm - Fire Angel, bought a week ago.

A couple of weeks ago our CO monitor started alarming for Carbon Monoxide. We have had it for about 9 years, so couldn't be certain it was still functioning correctly. We immediately turned off the only gas appliance we have, which is a central heating boiler. It was due for service so the gas fitter came around to do it. He was there for a long time, running the analytics and carefully looking at everything about the boiler function. It seemed to have a clean bill health of, but he was concerned enough about it to call us several times since to find out what was happening after.

Our boiler is situated inside an enclosed cupboard, which has other things in it, and is extremely dusty. The monitor was kept inside this cupboard. The instructions for the new monitor were not to place it too near the boiler, not to place it in an enclosed space and the optimum location for it. Which we did. Since then, we turn the boiler off at night as it has made us a bit paranoid.

We haven't been using the heating, but run hot water from the boiler, in a morning and evening, occasionally through the day. Twice since then the ventilate alarm has gone off, and as soon as I put it near an open window it stops. I don't know what to think about this. I have cleared everything out of the cupboard, taken out all the dust, and have noticed that there is a large opening near the floor, which seems to be open to the chimney. We don't have any gas fires so there are no fumes going up my chimney but my next door neighbour has a gas fire. She had her boiler and fire serviced on the same day as me, and by the same gas fitter.

I should say this gas fitter is very experienced and qualified, he worked for the gas board for many years before setting up in business for himself. He fitted our boiler, and next door's boiler and fire, and we have no issues at all about the possibility of him being incompetent.

Can anyone come up with any suggestions. Is the ventilate alarm picking up something else, but if so what? I should say it has not alarmed for CO since we had it. Our gas fitter is now puzzled himself, he can't think of anything that could be causing a leak of CO. The venting system is fine and the boiler is functioning correctly.