Carmarthenshire Council Cautions Residents to Check for Carbon Monoxide This Winter

Carmarthenshire County Council’s Public Protection team is encouraging residents to have their heating system checked and to ensure a carbon monoxide detector is installed in their home.

Carbon monoxide can be given off by appliances that burn fossil fuels (such as gas, coal, wood or oil) if the appliance isn’t working properly, the flue is blocked or the room isn’t properly ventilated.

Carbon monoxide is odourless, colourless and tasteless, making it difficult to detect and its effects can be deadly.

Look out for these signs which may indicate the presence of carbon monoxide:

• Gas flames burning orange or yellow instead of blue
• Sooty stains appear on or just above appliances, regardless of the fuel being burnt Coal or wood burns slowly or goes out
• Fires being difficult to light which may mean that the room is not properly ventilated
• The chimney or flue is blocked – watch out for smoke in the room;
• Unexplained symptoms of tiredness, drowsiness, headaches, dizziness, chest pains, nausea, muscle weakness

The Council’s Public Protection team can provide advice and support to anyone concerned about carbon monoxide levels in their property. Call 01267 234567 or e-mail Publicprotection@carmarthenshire.gov.uk

Appliances should be tested and serviced every 12 months by suitable qualified contractors.

Cllr Aled Vaughan Owen, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Decarbonisation and Sustainability said: “Carbon monoxide is a silent killer and we should all take precautions to ensure our appliances pose as little risk as possible. Please ensure any appliances in the home that burn fossil fuels are checked regularly by a qualified engineer as well as having a carbon monoxide detector placed within the same room as these appliances.”