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Carbon Monoxide Detector
 
 
What is Carbon Monoxide?
     Carbon Monoxide  or CO is called the silent killer. It is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas created when fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn incompletely.
     In home, heating and cooking equipment are potential sources of carbon monoxide. Older homes are susceptible to CO because of malfunctioning appliances and faulty ventilation. New homes that are energy-wise and tightly-sealed to trap heat may be at even more risk. Gas, oil and other fuel furnaces, gas-powered appliances, fireplaces and wood stoves all require oxygen to operate efficiently. If the home is too airtight, these devices may begin competing for the available oxygen. They may cause "back drafting" which pulls polluted or CO contaminated air back into the home.
     Vehicles or generators running in a confined space, such as a garage, can also produce carbon monoxide.
Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
     CO poisoning is difficult to diagnose because its symptoms are similar to illnesses such as the flu or the start of a cold. Early warning signs of carbon monoxide poisoning are:
  * headache
  * dizziness
  * nausea
  * fatigue

 If exposure to carbon monoxide continues, symptoms will often become worse and include:
  * severe headaches
  * mental confusion
  * vomiting
  * vision
  * hearing impairment

      Eventually unconsciousness will follow the above symptoms. When CO poisoning reaches this stage, it can cause memory loss, permanent brain damage, coma and eventually death. High levels of CO can cause death within minutes.
     When we breathe air containing carbon monoxide, it is absorbed through the bloodstream where it displaces oxygen and bonds with the hemoglobin in your blood. Carbon monoxide has greater attraction to hemoglobin than oxygen; CO bonds to hemoglobin about 250 times better than oxygen. Without oxygen vital organs, such as your heart and brain, become oxygen deprived and will begin to deteriorate. To compensate, your heart rate increases, breathing may become difficult and in the most serious circumstances cardiac trauma, brain damage, coma and death may result.
 
Carbon Monoxide Statistics
     Every year 1,700 people die from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning in North America. Over 10,000 others are treated or hospitalized annually. Carbon monoxide is the number one source of accidental poisoning deaths.
     A 1984 paper by The Mayo Clinic reports that actual CO poisoning figures may be significantly higher than current statistics indicate, as reporting and recording procedures for carbon monoxide incidents are either not efficient or non-existent. They report that a study done in a south-west U.S. hospital indicated that 20% of patients seeking aid for chronic flu symptoms were found to have elevated levels of carbon monoxide.
     The American Lung Association, The Lung Association (Canada), the Consumer Products Safety Commission, the American Medical Association and the Consumer Health and Safety Coalition have all declared carbon monoxide poisoning a primary concern and encourage consumer awareness and education.
 
Time VS. Concentration
     The health effects related to CO depend upon its concentration in the air and the duration of exposure. The amount of carbon monoxide in the air is measured in parts per million (PPM).

Here is an example of the effect a specific level of carbon monoxide over time can have:
     *400 PPM for 1 hour; most adults will have minimal symptoms
     *400 PPM for 2 hours; most adults will have a headache, be sleepy, and begin vomiting
     *400 PPM for 4 hours, for most adults death is certain!

     The dangers of CO exposure depend on a number of variables, including the victim's health and activity level. Infants, pregnant women, and people with physical conditions that limit their body's ability to use oxygen (i.e. emphysema, asthma, heart disease) can be more severely affected by lower concentrations of CO than healthy adults would be.
     A person can be poisoned by a small amount of CO over a longer period of time or by a large amount of CO over a shorter amount of time.
 
Choosing a Detector & Installation
     While there are many models of detectors on the market, we recommend that a prospective buyer do their own research to determine what would work best for them.
     Carbon monoxide is almost identical in weight to normal air and thus will mix freely with air. For this reason alarms may be installed at any level in a room, from close to the floor level, to the ceiling. If the CO alarm is to be ceiling mounted, it should be installed away from any existing smoke alarms in order to allow for differentiation between a CO alarm and a smoke alarm in an emergency alarm situation.
     The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that every home be equipped with at least one carbon monoxide alarm near the sleeping area of the home. (Because victims of CO poisoning will slip deeper into unconsciousness as their CO condition worsens, a loud alarm is necessary to wake them). For maximum protection, place one carbon monoxide alarm on every level of your home.
     In homes heated by a boiler system (radiators rather than vents), consumers should consider placing a CO alarm near the furnace room, but about 5 feet away from the furnace itself. Locating a CO alarm directly beside a furnace would be the equivalent of locating a smoke alarm directly above an oven range. Under normal conditions, a furnace will emit very low levels of CO which will quickly dissipate and thus are not dangerous. However a malfunctioning furnace may generate a very high level of CO which a nearby CO alarm will alert you to.
 
What to do if your CO Alarm Sounds
The following is a general procedure if your alarm sounds:
     If a CO alarm sounds a low level warning or hazard level alarm, consumers should push the test/reset button to silence it. If no one in the household has any CO symptoms (headache, dizziness, nausea, fatigue) consumers should be advised to open the doors and windows to air out their house. They should turnoff any gas, oil or other fuel powered appliances including the furnace and call a qualified technician or their local utility to inspect and repair their home before restarting the furnace and all fuel-burning appliances.
     If anyone in the household does have signs of CO poisoning, consumers should leave their home immediately and call their local emergency service or 9-1-1 for help. They should do a headcount to check that all persons are accounted for once outside in the fresh air. They should not re-enter their home until it has been aired out and the problem corrected by a qualified technician or utility company.
     It is important to note that CO detectors due go bad after some time. If the detector does go off, always error on the side of caution.
 

Carbon Monoxide Safety Tips
  * CO alarms are not substitutes for smoke alarms. Know the difference between the sound
     of smoke alarms and CO alarms.
  * Have fuel-burning heating equipment (fireplaces, furnaces, water heaters, wood and coal
     stoves, space or portable heaters) and chimneys inspected by a professional every year
     before cold weather sets in.
  * When using a fireplace, open the flue for adequate ventilation.
  * Never use your oven to heat your home!
  * When buying an existing home, have a qualified technician evaluate the integrity of the
     heating and cooking systems, as well as the sealed spaces between the garage and house.
  * If you need to warm a vehicle, remove it from the garage immediately after starting it. Do
     not run a vehicle, generator, or other fueled engine or motor indoors, even if garage doors
     are open. Make sure the exhaust pipe of a running vehicle is not covered with snow.
  * During and after a snowstorm, make sure vents for the dryer, furnace, stove, and fireplace
     are clear of snow build-up.
  * Only use barbecue grills – which can produce CO – outside. Never use them in the home,
     garage or near building openings.

 


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