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Part Two – Carbon Monoxide
15
Where CO Comes From.
Inside your home, appliances used for heating and cooking are
the most likely sources of carbon monoxide. Vehicles running in
attached garages can also produce dangerous levels of carbon
monoxide in your home.
A by-product of combustion, carbon monoxide can be a poten-
tial problem from a number of common sources – automobiles,
furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces, wood stoves, charcoal grills,
gas ranges, space heaters and portable generators.
When these appliances are in good working condition with
proper ventilation, lethal carbon monoxide gas is vented out-
doors where it quickly disperses. But even the slightest malfunc-
tion or misuse of any of these sources can lead to a build-up of
carbon monoxide in your home that can become deadly before
you’d know it’s there.
You don’t have to have ancient appliances to have a problem.
Today’s more energy-efficient, airtight home designs can trap
CO-polluted air inside where it can quickly build to lethal levels.
ProtectingYour Family from CO poisoning.
To be safe, know the possible sources of CO in your home. Keep
fuel-burning appliances and their chimneys and vents in good
working condition. Learn the early symptoms of CO exposure,
and if you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning, move outside to
fresh air and get emergency help.
Your first line of defense is an annual inspection and regular
maintenance of your appliances. Contact a licensed contractor
or call your local utility company for assistance.
Problems can begin after an inspection is over, like a crack in a
furnace heat exchanger, or a leak in a water heater vent or a
bird’s nest blocking a flue or other sources that are nearly
impossible to detect. That’s why you need the 24-hour protec-
tion provided by a CO alarm.
Home Safety Tips
What You Can Do...
• Buy only appliances approved by a nationally recognized
testing laboratory.
• Choose fuel-burning appliances that can be vented to the
outdoors, whenever possible.
• Make sure appliances are installed according to manufactur
er’s instructions and local building codes. Most appliances
should be installed by professionals and should be inspected
by the proper authority after installation.