Tests by the Trading Standards Service have found that eight in ten Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms failed British Standards tests.

The Trading Standards Service has issued a warning to tenants to check their Carbon Monoxide alarm is in working order, after the tests showed that many devices were faulty.  

The organisation says that the issue with many Carbon Monoxide alarms stems from having a limited and indeterminable life.

It says that after a few years, up to 45% of CO alarms no longer sense gas.

“To effectively test CO alarms and ensure landlords meet the new legislation by having working alarms they need to test the sensor and not rely on the so called Test Button which just tests the battery, buzzer and electronic circuit.

This can only be done by injecting a specific and safe level of test gas over the alarm,” says John Stones, managing director of Gas Safe Europe.

Later this week the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 come into force.

These will make it a legal requirement for landlords to install smoke detectors on every floor of their property where someone is living and fit a Carbon Monoxide alarm in any room where there is a solid fuel-burning appliance. 

The new legislation is expected to prevent up to 26 deaths and 670 injuries a year, according to Trading Standards.