Keeping your home safe with smoke and CO alarms | Tenant news

Smoke alarms are installed in all our homes, but did you know that carbon monoxide (CO) alarms are equally important?

A CO alarm detects hidden issues before they become serious problems so if your home has a gas appliance, it should also have a CO alarm.

What is carbon monoxide?

Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas produced by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels such as gas, oil, coal, and wood.

This gas is invisible, odourless, and extremely dangerous, with the potential to cause serious illness, brain damage, or even death. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are often mistaken for flu-like symptoms.

Since carbon monoxide can’t be seen, smelled, or tasted, it’s difficult to detect without a CO alarm. Common household appliances, such as boilers, gas fires, and cookers, can be sources of CO if not properly maintained or ventilated.

Annual safety checks

You should regularly check to ensure that your smoke and CO alarms are not blocked or covered by anything as this can stop them from working properly.

Vacuuming your alarms can help remove dust and dirt that may cause them to stop working. If you think something is wrong, call our Customer Services Team as soon as possible to let them know on 0300 365 3100.

If you have a gas boiler in your home, Habinteg is responsible for carrying out an annual safety check and at the same time the gas engineer will check your smoke and CO alarms. If they find any issues, they will either replace the alarm on the spot or inform us that a replacement is needed.

If your proposed appointment time isn’t convenient, please contact the CST to ask for a date and time that will work for you

For more information, visit our health and safety support hub.

 

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