carbon monoxide - can it be present in a caravan

[Denise4]

Hi. The parents of two children that died in a holiday bungalow in Corfu were on 'this morning' today. They suffered carbon monoxide posioning from a faulty boiler.

Can this gas occur in a caravan whether the appliances are in use or switched off. I am seriously considering buying an audible alarm for our 2 week hols. For the sake of £20 this could have saved the childrens lives and the parents are urging people to take the detectors on holiday with them.

Also is there a risk if you have an oil burning boiler, ours at home is in the garage so I guess I don't need one at home. Thanks in advance for any information. Denise

 

[Damian]

Denise, all modern caravans have room sealed boilers and fires, meaning they draw combustion air from outside the van, and exhaust the waste products of combustion directly to the outside.

In a properly maintained van there is no danger from Carbon Monoxide.

The only gas appliance that may produce small quantities of Co is the cooker, but normally there is enough ventilation to make this inconsequential.

Gas appliances can only produce Carbon Monoxide when working, they cannot produce anything when switched off.

Having a Co alarm is a sensible route to go, if only to reassure you that all is safe.

As for Oil burners, yes they can produce Co,as does a car engine, in fact anything which burns a fuel produces it.

The main safety factor is having your appliances properly serviced and checked to ensure they are performing at their very best and not making matters worse by incorrect fuel to air mixtures.

 

[Denise4]

Thanks Damian for that advice.

Our caravan is serviced every year, but I don't think they service the appliances, I think they test them and if they are working OK they leave it. It is a full service we pay for (over

 

[Damian]

Denise, the annual service, which should really be called an annual inspection, does not cover the full strip down of boilers and fires or fridges.

It is the manufacturers recommendation, particularly Truma, that as long as the item is burning correctly, it is best not stripped every year as that places unnecessary strain on the fixings and working internals.

Paying over

 

[otherclive]

I would go for the CO detector/Alarm as it is always possible that some bird nest, vermin debris could affect the outlet flue, and the unit seals may not be 100%. For the extra peace of mind its worth the

 

[rob_jax]

Hi Damian,

"I can tell you that a Truma Ultrastore in good working condition produces 0.0003 ppm of Carbon Monoxide."

Only if it's running on electric

Correctly adjusted gas appliances produce much higher levels of CO - you've got a few too many zeros in your note.

But Denise - yes, a CO monitor isn't a bad idea - especially if it makes you feel happier - but remember that unlike a smoke detector - a CO monitor only has a shelf life of around 5 years - the sensor become coated with atmospheric pollutants (even if switched off) and will stop working. But even so, it's a sensible investment.

Robert

 

[Rubix]

We bought one from Tescos for