Naked Science Forum
Non Life Sciences => Chemistry => Topic started by: crimsonknight3 on 05/03/2014 00:20:57
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Okay not sure if this is entirely the right place however here goes.
We just had to have a gas engineer out at 11pm because our carbon monoxide alarm went off and ventilating/burying the alarm didn't stop it. The gas engineer didn't detect any Carbon monoxide but there was an extremely strong smell coming off the detector akin to super-glue but smelt very chemically. We had no way to turn it off so I had to dismantle it, and as the battery was soldered onto the circuit board I had to rip it off! I am very suspicious that the battery acid had leaked and had caused to alarm to go off for hours... Firstly is it possible for a circuit to run for so long with battery acid short circuiting it, and secondly, how dangerous would the effects of the fumes coming off either a shorting carbon monoxide detector, or from battery acid causing a short circuit? because I have a terrible headache and feel sick since first smelling it and so did my partner, however as she is pregnant I sent her to the other end of the flat and close herself in the bedroom and she is fine now, however I am still feeling the effects. (Now at least the alarm is OFF, dismantled, put in a zip-lock bag, tied in a plastic bag, then tied in a bin bag, and put out on the balcony until I can contact the fire safety company who gave us the alarm last september and complain!)