Carbon monoxide is a silent killer: you can’t see it, smell it or taste it. Audible carbon monoxide alarms installed throughout a property is the only certified way to detect its presence and prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
This British Standard is the UK implementation of EN 50292:2023. It supersedes BS EN 50292:2013, which is withdrawn. It acts as a guide on the selection, installation, use and maintenance of apparatus for the detection of carbon monoxide, intended for continuous operation in a fixed installation in domestic premises, caravans and boats. It accompanies EN 50291-1 and EN 50291-2 which is the product performance standard for domestic carbon monoxide alarms and EN50291-2:2019 which covers Carbon Monoxide Alarms to be installed in Caravans, Motor Homes and Recreational Craft.
Latest studies have shown that released CO (i.e. in a boiler room) can spread not only by diffusion through open spaces such as cable ducts, door sills or keyholes, but also by permeation through walls and ceilings throughout the entire building. The speed of permeation depends on the building materials used (wood, brick, concrete, plasterboard, etc.) and cannot generally be given as an exact value. For this reason, it is recommended that as a minimum, every room with a fuel burning appliance should be equipped with an apparatus to detect any notable exposition of CO as early as possible.
If a fuel-burning appliance is in a room which is not used that often (such as a boiler room), the CO alarm should be interlinked to alarms in other rooms to ensures that a carbon monoxide leak can be detected from all potential sources and heard throughout the property.
A CO alarm should not be installed:
a) Ceiling mounted:
b) Wall mounted:
In each case, a horizontal distance of between 1 m and 3 m from the fuel-burning appliance is recommended. For rooms divided into ceiling areas by subdivisions (joists, floor joists) with a clear height of ≥ 0,2 m, the appliance should be placed on that side of the partition or in that ceiling area, where the fuel burning appliance is located. In rooms with a sloping ceiling, the apparatus should be placed on the higher side of the ceiling.
In habitable rooms and other areas (corridors, etc.) without fuel burning appliance and without an exhaust duct passing through, the apparatus should be installed as follows:
Look for a device that has been manufactured and carries a third-party approval mark (e.g. Kitemark or SGS mark) to standards BS EN 50291‑1:2018 (for domestic premises) and both BS EN 50291-1:2018 and BS EN 50291-2:2019 (for caravans and boats). These standards show that the alarms have been tested and audited to ensure their quality, including sensor reaction times, minimum alarm sound levels and temperature resistance.
Designed for installers and compliant with EN50291‑1:2018, FireAngel’s range of carbon monoxide alarms have all been calibrated and rigorously tested in-house alongside third party testing to receive certification. The new range features intelligent sensing technology, enabling the alarm’s high sensitivity mode to be activated if it predicts CO levels will increase to or above 180ppm for a rapid reaction to rising levels of CO.
*Please note: The above summary is based on FireAngel’s interpretation of BS EN 50292:2023, always refer to the standard for specific guidance