Carbon Monoxide And Your Home

The Danger of Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous gas, which can mix with indoor air to cause problems. It is harmful because it accumulates in the blood, depleting the blood's ability to carry oxygen. Although not explosive, it can be very dangerous, because you can't see, taste or smell it.

How to Prevent Exposure
Every year, you should have a qualified technician inspect all fuel-burning units, such as furnaces, gas fueled clothes dryers, as well as chimneys and vents, check that it does not pull fumed back down the chimney. Also, never use gas stovetops or ovens to heat your home, and do not enclose heating and hot water equipment in a small room unless there is adequate airflow for combustion. Similarly, never start or run an automobile or any other gasoline engine, heater or barbeque in an enclosed or poorly ventilated area, such as a closed garage, or a garage attached to the house.

Choosing the Right Detector for Your Home
There are three basic types of CO sensors, all of which should be tested and approved prior to sale. Their costs generally reflect their features and warranties, so more expensive units usually offer more information. Sensitivity, accuracy and memory (for past levels) are important features, as well as reset time and warning signals for battery and sensor replacement in convenient locations, but require regular battery changes. Plug-in units should have a battery back up. Be sure your detector is listed with Underwriters Laboratories or CSA (see product specifications).

Installing and Testing Your CO Detector
In general, the best place to put the detector is where you will hear it while sleeping. Because CO distributes evenly through a room, a detector can be placed at any height in any location, as long as it can be heard. Additional units could be installed in children's bedrooms. Do not install near heating and cooking appliances, areas of high humidity, chemicals, unheated basements, ventilation openings, attics, garages or where air circulation is low.

CO detectors have a test button that should be pressed once a week to confirm operation. Detectors with displays can be tested with a known source of CO such as smoke from a cigarette or incense stick. Simply hold the CO source about 8-10 inches away and watch the digital display respond to the CO presence (at low levels, an alarm will not sound). There are also CO detector kits available, which provide a vial with a high level of CO, but this will only prove your detector will warn you when levels are very high.

If Your Alarm Goes Off
It is very important that you are familiar with the instructions included with your CO detector, and that you follow them carefully is the alarm does go off. CO detectors are designed to sound an alarm before a healthy adult would feel any symptoms, so you must not ignore these signals. The health and well being of infants, the elderly and those with respiratory and heart conditions may be at particular risk, even with low level exposure. Upon warning, you should evacuate the house (including pets) and do a head count. If anyone is suffering from flu-like symptoms, call 911 for immediate medical attention. If you know the source(s), or if your home is attached to another, remove or turn off each source, then ventilate the house. Do not return to the house until the alarm ceases. If you do not know the source, and the emergency is confined to a single family home, follow the same procedure, but do not turn off any units until the air is inspected by an authority, usually your local fire department.

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