Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, deadly gas. Because you can't see, taste or smell it, carbon monoxide can kill you before you know it's there. It is a by-product of combustion. At lower levels of exposure, carbon monoxide may cause numerous health problems. Because you can't see, taste or smell it, carbon monoxide can kill you before you know it's there. Carbon Monoxide is so hard to detect and so deadly, it has earned the nick-name "The Silent Killer". 

Symptoms of CO poisoning may be as follows:

• Slight headache and dizziness
• Nausea
• Drowsiness and an euphoric feeling
• Confusion and irritability
• Unconsciousness
• Death

Because the symptoms of Carbon Monoxide poisoning are so common (nausea, dizziness, headaches, etc.) CO poisoning are often misdiagnose, even by health care professionals. Everyone is at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning. Some individuals may be more vulnerable to poisoning though, such as unborn babies, infants, children, senior citizens and people with heart of lung problems.

why is it so dangerous?

The great danger of carbon monoxide is its attraction to hemoglobin in the bloodstream, which normally carries life-giving oxygen to cells and tissues. As even small amounts are breathed in, carbon monoxide quickly bonds with hemoglobin in the blood, displacing the oxygen that organs need to function. When CO is present in the air, it rapidly accumulates in the blood, forming a toxic compound known as carboxyhemoglobin (COHb). The result is an increased heart rate as your heart tries to get more oxygen to your brain and other vital organs.

As the CO level in your blood increases, the amount of oxygen transported to your body's cells decreases. It is this oxygen deprivation that makes Carbon Monoxide so deadly. Sensitive parts of your body like your nervous system, brain, heart, and lungs suffer the most from a lack of oxygen. The CO displaces the oxygen on your hemoglobin because the COHb bond is over 200 times stronger than oxygen's bond with your hemoglobin. The strong COHb bond also makes it difficult for your body to eliminate CO buildups from your bloodstream. Because this buildup takes longer to get rid of Carbon Monoxide can poison you slowly over a period of several hours, even in low concentrations. It continues to accumulate in the bloodstream as long as you are exposed to it.

The symptoms of long term exposure to low concentrations of carbon monoxide will cause symptoms similar to the flu, such as headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, weakness, drowsiness, sleepiness, vomiting and diarrhea. Other symptoms may also include any of the following: burning eyes, redness of the skin, confusion and irritability, loss of muscle control, chest tightness, heart fluttering. As levels increase, vomiting, loss of consciousness and eventually brain damage and ultimately death can result.

People who suspect they have been exposed to carbon monoxide, should immediately seek fresh air and if symptoms linger, they should see their doctor quickly. Unconscious victims should be moved outdoors. Call for medical assistance and until it arrives, keep those exposed lying down and keep them warm by wrapping them in blankets. Rest is absolutely necessary.  If breathing has ceased, artificial respiration (CPR) should be undertaken immediately after removing the victim to fresh air. Even good meaning rescuers can easily become victims themselves if they (you) are exposed to the same conditions.

Carbon monoxide poisoning should be suspected if more than one member of the family is sick and if they feel better after being away from home for a period of time.

 

where does it come from?

Carbon monoxide is a common by-product of combustion, present whenever fossil fuels are burned. It is produced by malfunctioning or unvented gas or oil home appliances such as furnaces, clothes dryers, ranges, ovens, water heaters and space heaters, as well as fireplaces, charcoal grills, wood burning stoves and cigarette smoke. Fumes from automobiles and gas powered lawn mowers also contain carbon monoxide and can enter a home through walls or doorways if an engine is left running in an attached garage.  Avoid running these types of devices while indoors, including gas barbecues. All of these sources can contribute to a CO problem in the home.

Usually, carbon monoxide is vented safely to the outside. However, insulation meant to keep indoor air warm during the winter or cool in the summer can help trap CO-polluted air in the home. Furnace heat exchangers can crack; vents can become blocked, vents and chimneys may reverse direction causing a downdraft, which traps combustion gases in the home. Inadequate air supply for combustion appliances can cause conditions known as backdrafting or reverse stacking, which force contaminated air back into the home. Exhaust fans on range hoods, clothes dryers and bathroom fans can also pull combustion products into the home.

how can i protect my family?

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends installing at least one carbon monoxide alarm with an audible warning signal near the sleeping area. Additional detectors on every level of a home and in every bedroom provide extra protection. Carbon monoxide detectors all use special sensors to detect the presence of Carbon Monoxide. The most accurate and dependable type of sensor for detecting Carbon Monoxide is an) electrochemical sensor; the number one choice of fire departments worldwide.

Choose an Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) listed alarm that sounds an audible warning. Look for the UL logo on the package. You can choose a model that is wired to your home's electrical system, a model which plugs into a standard electrical outlet, or a battery operated model. Battery operated carbon monoxide detectors continue to protect even in the event of a power outage. Hard wired AC models, although more costly and difficult to install, reduce the expense of battery replacement but do not offer protection during power outages.

Hard wired AC models with battery back-up offer double protection. Like smoke detectors, battery operated units should be tested weekly while hard wired systems should be tested monthly.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) also recommends UL listed carbon monoxide alarms on every level of the home and in areas near appliances that are potential sources of CO. Look for the IAFC logo of the package when you select an alarm.

In addition to installing carbon monoxide alarms as a first line of defense, residents should have a qualified professional check all fuel burning appliances, furnaces, venting and chimney systems at least once a year or as recommended by the manufacturer. Gas burning equipment which is out of adjustment often has a flickering yellow flame as opposed to a steady blue flame. If you see this, call a qualified service person. Stove burners should be cleaned and adjusted to minimize the amount of carbon monoxide produced.

Before making changes to a house that might affect the ventilation of fuel burning appliances, contact your heating contractor. When replacing heating appliances, purchase appliances designed to reduce dangers from carbon monoxide, such as sealed combustion gas furnaces, direct vent gas fireplaces, or induced draft gas water heaters. Note: Electric powered heating appliances do not produce carbon monoxide. 

A simple test is to hold a burning match to the edge of the draft hood on a water heater or a conventional furnace. This will give an indication of draft. It is common for some products of combustion to leak out into the basement when a piece of equipment starts, however after it has been running for a minute, good draft should be established and the smoke from a lit match will be drawn into the exhaust if the draft is good. A flame being blown downwards or out into the room indicates a dangerously bad draft.

When products of combustion cannot escape properly from the house, there tends to be a build up of moisture within the exhaust flue and ultimately within the house. Look for rusting on flue pipes and water leaking from the base of the chimney. Look for moisture condensing on windows and in extreme cases, on walls near the furnace.

If your carbon monoxide detector sounds, first make sure it is your CO detector and not your smoke detector. The latest generation of carbon monoxide detectors listed with UL will be marked "carbon monoxide detector" in a contrasting color on the cover. Some detectors feature a warning alarm which will sound before the full (continuous) alarm. If your detector is in warning alarm, carbon monoxide is beginning to accumulate. Call your local fire department immediately and evacuate everyone from the house. Remember that because carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, never ignore an alarm even if you feel no adverse symptoms. Remember that infants, children, and pets may be affected more quickly by carbon monoxide. Be sure to monitor them more closely for exhibiting symptoms.

Once the fire department arrives, they will first try and determine if your carbon monoxide detector is working properly and if it is, determine the extent of carbon monoxide present with a device called a carbon monoxide gas monitor. Although, not every fire department has such a device. If such a device is not available, a trained HVAC contractor or appliance service technician should be notified to inspect your home to determine the cause of carbon monoxide build-up. Until such a technician can be located, the home should be ventilated with fresh air, all potential sources of carbon monoxide should be turned off and you should have a complete knowledge of the symptoms of carbon monoxide and monitor everyone for such symptoms.

It is possible that your carbon monoxide detector may be faulty or just need a new battery if it is not electrically supplied. Caution must be used in determining whether or not the detector is in fact working properly.

checklist for where to look for possible sources of carbon monoxide

Furnaces are frequently the source of leaks and should be carefully inspected. Have a professional check the following:

• Check the combustion chamber and internal heat exchanger for cracks, metal fatigue or corrosion - be sure they re clean and free of debris.
  
• Gas ovens or ranges should never be used to heat a room. During winter, many residents insulate windows and doors to prevent drafts. Prolonged use of a gas oven or portable heater in an insulated area will diminish the supply of oxygen and generate carbon monoxide that can reach lethal levels.
  
• Measure the concentration of CO in the flue gases.
  
• Check furnace connections to flue pipes and venting systems to outside of the home for signs of corrosion, rust, gaps or holes.
  
• Check furnace filters and filtering systems for dirt or blockages.
  
• Check forced air fans for proper installation and correct air flow of flue gases. Improper furnace blower installation can result in carbon monoxide build-up because toxic gas is blown into rather than out of the house.
  
• Check all venting systems to the outside, including flues and chimneys for proper design and installation, cracks, corrosion, holes, debris or blockages. Animals and birds can build nests in chimneys, preventing gases from escaping.
  
• Check burners and ignition system. A flame that is mostly yellow in color in natural gas-fired furnaces is often a sign fuel is not burning completely and higher levels of carbon monoxide are being released. Oil furnaces with similar problems can give off an "oily" odor. Remember, you can't smell carbon monoxide.
  
• Check all other appliances that use flammable fuels such as natural gas, oil, wood or kerosene. Appliances include water heaters, clothes dryers, kitchen ranges, ovens or cook tops, wood burning stoves, gas refrigerators.
  
• Pilot lights can be a source of carbon monoxide because the by-products of combustion are released inside the home rather than vented to the outside. Gas ovens and ranges should be monitored closely.
  
•  Be sure space heaters are vented properly. Unvented space heaters that use a flammable fuel such as kerosene can release carbon monoxide into the home.
  
• Barbecue grills should never be operated indoors.
  
• Check fireplaces for closed, blocked or bent flues, soot and debris.
  
• Check the clothes dryer vent opening outside the house for lint, which can block the vent and force carbon monoxide back inside.
  
• Charcoal should never be used indoors, especially in a fireplace. Its burning emits high carbon monoxide levels.

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