Beware Of The Silent Killer At Home- Why Carbon Monoxide Is A Threat

This winter, homeowners need to be aware of the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning. Many home appliances and furnaces produce this odorless, colorless gas.

Every year, more than 200 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning. The most common side effects of carbon monoxide exposure are headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness and nausea. For people that have asthma, carbon monoxide can make those symptoms worse.

In addition, long term exposure to low levels of carbon monoxide can have serious consequences.

Acceptable levels of carbon monoxide vary from agency to agency. The Environmental Protection Agency allows for a carbon monoxide level of 9 parts-per-million outside for eight hours for one day maximum per year.

The World Health Organization (WHO) allows for a reading of 15-30 ppm and warns people may experience impaired performance over time; this is the first level reported to cause harmful affects. According to the WHO, a person is likely to experience an earlier onset of exercise induced angina at 30 ppm.

At 35 ppm, the EPA allows this exterior exposure for one hour, one day per year.

OSHA allows for a maximum allowable concentration of 50 ppm for a workers continuous exposure in any eight hour period. Underwriters Laboratory standard 2034 for carbon monoxide detectors states that the detector must sound an alarm within 90 minutes of reading 100 ppm; within 35 minutes of reading 200 ppm; and within 15 minutes at 400 ppm.

The EPA allows for a carbon monoxide concentration of nine ppm over an eight-hour period any one day during the course of a year. That same person working inside can be exposed to 50 ppm of carbon monoxide for eight hours.

To protect us from elevated carbon monoxide, off-the-shelf alarms don’t sound off until 100 ppm after 90 minutes at that level of exposure. Are you confused?

What is a “low” level of carbon monoxide ultimately becomes the question and we do not have these answers yet. It leaves us in the position to make our own choices.

Strive for a concentration of 0 ppm in your house, which is an easily attainable level. It may elevate occasionally, but with a low-level carbon monoxide monitor, it is a very manageable goal when you are informed about the conditions in your home.

If you turn on your gas range or use a vent less fireplace in your home, these appliances produce carbon monoxide. All fuel-burning appliances that run for long durations of time (most furnaces, boilers and water heaters) should vent their products of combustion to the outside so that carbon monoxide doesn’t build up in the home.

If the venting is restricted, the likelihood of elevated carbon monoxide in the home increases. Almost all burners for appliances come from the manufacturer out of adjustment-plain and simple. It is not that the burners are misadjusted as much as the BTU content in the fuel (natural gas, propane or oil) varies widely.

These appliances are engineered assuming a nominal BTU content in fuels that in the real world is not accurate. Only field adjustments can make these appliances burn properly. Improperly adjusted burners are very inefficient, and many will give off high concentrations of carbon monoxide, making them unsafe.

A bad carbon monoxide detector may be better than no carbon monoxide detector-but not by much. Several studies have been done that begin to draw a picture regarding the affects of long term exposures to low levels of carbon monoxide. Many of the low-level, short-term affects are treatable with little permanent damage.

Long-term, low-level affects range from amnesia, head-aches and behavioral changes to loss of muscle control. Most are treatable in time, though organ and brain damage can occur in extreme cases and are considered irreversible.

What should you do?

If you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning, move to fresh air immediately.

Use a low level carbon monoxide monitor that reads our carbon monoxide levels as low as 5 ppm – so you know when to take action before it is too late.

Preventive measures

Some key points to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning:

• Never create a fire or burn charcoal inside any enclosed space like your home or garage.
• Never use a fuel-burning space heater inside any enclosed space.
• Never use your stove to heat your house.
• Don’t operate your stove or vent-less fireplace for more than two to three hours.
• Don’t run your car inside your garage any longer than the time it takes to start it and pull it out.
• Don’t let your car run after you pull it in to your garage.
• Prevent snow from burying the ends of vents of newer heating systems with side-wall PVC exhaust vents. Carbon monoxide could back-up into your house if your safety controls fail.
• Make sure your heating systems have adequate combustion & dilution air.
• Have your fuel burning equipment evaluated and adjusted.

If you are unsure about any of these tips, contact a certified carbon monoxide and combustion analyst or similarly trained HVAC specialist.

Brian Fragassi is the owner of CodePro, Inc. performing Construction and Contracting services in McHenry and Northern Kane Counties.  CodePro, Inc. may be found on the web at: http://www.code-pro.net