Many of us have gas central heating in our homes and it is essential that we are aware of Carbon Monoxide (CO) and the potential damages it could have if left undetected. All homes should be fitted with smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors this is to give you as much warning as possible about any potential dangers.

We all know that when a smoke alarm goes off we should leave our homes and call the fire brigade and we have them installed in our homes for this added security even if they can often be a pain and go off when we have the odd cooking disaster and burn what we are cooking. It is just the same with a carbon monoxide detector if it goes off it is a warning allowing you to leave your home and to contact an emergency plumber who will be able to come out and deal with the problem. Carbon monoxide is extremely dangerous and so it is essential that you call a plumber out as soon as your alarm goes off, even if you cannot smell gas you should call out a plumber because you do not know how long it will be before that leak becomes dangerous.

If you smell gas in your home you should not smoke or strike any matches and you should also not turn electrical switches on or off. However, you should extinguish all naked flames, you also should open doors and windows to ensure that oxygen continues to come into your home, you should keep people away from the affected area so that they take in as little carbon monoxide as possible, ideally you would leave your home and you should turn off the gas at the control valve to ensure that no more gas makes its way to your home.

Carbon monoxide is known as the silent killer this is because it is a colourless and odourless gas which is poisonous to all warm-blooded animals. It is essential to have carbon monoxide detectors in your home because it is a silent killer and you may not even know it is leaking into your home.

When the carbon monoxide mixes with oxygen this is called complete combustion and while the products of complete combustion are not toxic, they can cause asphyxia if they are allowed to build up in an enclosed area this is because they will replace the oxygen in the air. This is what causes the death of many people in their homes, many of them are not aware of any gas leaks because carbon monoxide is odourless.

Many people do not protect their homes from carbon monoxide and do not put detectors in place because it is not very well known. People always put fire alarms and smoke detectors in their homes because it is commonly talked about as being a hazard and we are told we should put them in our homes. Having an early warning such as an alarm or detector allows you to get out of your property before you become at an extremely high risk, that warning gives you the opportunity to get out of your property, whereas if you have no alarm there is nothing to warn you of the danger and if you are asleep then you could very easily succumb to flames or carbon monoxide asphyxiation.

If you are looking for emergency plumbing South London can offer you the services of South Thames Gas who operate a 24 hour emergency call out service to deal with gas leaks, water leaks, and boiler and heating breakdowns.

It is essential to protect your home and family to ensure that you do not become a victim of carbon monoxide.

South Thames Gas are a well established company who offer emergency plumbing South London and can easily install industry standard smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors.

Author's Bio: 

Mark Glendale is the marketing manager of A1 Business Search and has been responsible for the smooth running of both the internet and social media marketing for the last decade now. Adept in all areas of successful internet advertising for both A1 Business Search and their branch of subsidiary companies, it is Mark Glendale’s goal to continue providing exceptional leadership and management qualities.