Home >>
Indoor Air Quality
>> Carbon Monoxide
The FAQ of Carbon Monoxide
 Carbon
monoxide (CO) poisoning has been one of the more
under-publicized household hazards until two recent
events put it in the spotlight. One was the accidental
death in September 1994 of tennis star Vitas Gerulaitas,
who succumbed to CO while sleeping in a rented home. The
other was an ordinance that went into effect October 1,
1994, in Chicago requiring CO detectors in all
residences heated by any fossil fuel burning equipment -
in effect, all except solar or electrically heated
homes. The Chicago law was in reaction to a tragedy that
occurred in 1991 when a family of 10 was wiped out by CO
poisoning from a faulty furnace installation.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission says that "at
least" 250 people are killed each year from CO, a very
conservative estimate. The American Medical Association
says it's more like 1,500 people a year, with another
10,000 or more taking ill.
There is a lot of uncertainty because CO is tasteless,
colorless and odorless - undetectable except by
sophisticated gear. Also, the main symptoms of CO
poisoning - fatigue, headaches, dizzy spells and nausea
- resemble those of the flu and many other common
illnesses. Thus CO poisoning is easily misdiagnosed, and
people can succumb to it with very little physical
discomfort, almost like falling asleep. (Early news
reports treated Gerulaitas' death as mysterious and were
filled with speculation about drugs or foul play.)
CO is given off by incomplete combustion of flammable
fuels such as natural gas, oil, wood, coal or kerosene.
Common household appliances such as furnaces, boilers,
water heaters and stoves are all potential sources of CO
gas. All of these products are designed with elaborate
safeguards and under normal operating conditions all the
CO produced from combustion will be harmlessly vented to
the atmosphere.
Poor venting, due to leaks or blockages in the vent
system, is the most common cause of CO build-up in the
home, followed by cracks or corrosion in a furnace's
heat exchanger. Here are some danger signs and steps you
can take to minimize the danger:
Most important, have your furnace or boiler regularly
inspected, at least once a year, by a licensed,
competent heating professional. The technician should
check all connections to flue piping and vents for
cracks, gaps, rust, corrosion or debris. Likewise the
inspection should cover the combustion chamber and heat
exchanger for cracks, holes, metal fatigue or corrosion,
as well as the filters and filtering system for dirt and
blockages. Debris should be cleared off the burner and
safety switches tested.
A yellow , lazy-looking flame in a natural gas furnace
indicates inefficient fuel burning, and consequently
higher levels of carbon monoxide. An inefficient oil
furnace will give off an oily odor - but remember, you
can't smell CO itself.
Chimneys and vents ought to be inspected regularly for
blockages caused by debris, animal nests or cave-ins.
Also beware of cracks and holes. Inspect fireplaces for
blocked flues, excess soot and debris.
Be sure all vents are properly installed - including
those leading from the clothes dryer, water heater and
wood-burning stoves.
Never use an unvented space heater indoors. Never burn
charcoal inside and do not use your gas stove as a
heater. When cooking, keep the oven door closed.
Avoid running both a furnace and fireplace
simultaneously for long periods of time. This can create
serious back drafting that prevents CO gas from exiting
the home. Never install a boiler, furnace or water
heater in an airtight enclosure.
Look for the following signs that may indicate CO
problems - streaks of soot around the service door of a
gas appliance; rust spots on flue pipe, boilers,
furnaces or water heaters; excessive moisture on
basement windows, which may indicate poor ventilation;
generally stale air throughout the house, another sign
of poor ventilation.
DO INSTALL AN UL-APPROVED CO DETECTOR
The UL standard requires home CO detectors to sound a
warning before CO levels reach over 100 parts per
million (ppm) over 90 minutes, 200 ppm over 35 minutes
or 400 ppm over 15 minutes. These warning should allow
the average person to safely evacuate the premises. (CO
levels over 200 ppm lasting for 90 minutes can cause
headaches in healthy adults. At 300 ppm the healthy
adult may experience drowsiness, at 400 ppm might
collapse and 500 ppm exposure could result in brain
damage or death.)
Approved CO detectors are readily available at home
improvement centres or from your service company. They
are similar to smoke detectors in both appearance and
installation. The best place to install a CO detector is
near bedrooms. Don't install one in the boiler or
furnace room the garage or the kitchen, where it may go
off in reaction to temporary elevated levels of CO.
What do you do if the alarm sounds? Vacate the house
quickly, opening doors and windows as you leave in order
to provide ventilation. Then contact a local emergency
service crew - usually the police or fire department -
for advice. Depending on your community, they may have a
CO measuring device on hand to take a reading inside
your home in order to determine if it is safe to move
back in.
Keep in mind that the act of ventilating your home may
make it safe for immediate occupancy but won't fix
whatever generated excess CO in the first place. As soon
as possible you need a professional inspection of all
possible CO sources. This should be someone equipped
with CO measuring gear able to detect concentrations as
small as 5-10 parts per million. The measurement test
should be conducted over at least a 24-hour period.
It is possible for a CO alarm to be triggered by a
single unusual incident that presents no lasting threat.
However, if one ever goes off in your home, you won't
rest easily until you take all the precautions possible
to safeguard yourself and loved ones.
If you are looking for Chemung County total comfort
contractor please all us today at 607-733-2032 or complete our service request form. |
