October 2007
Protect yourself against carbon-monoxide poisoning
Here's some chilling news to consider as you prepare for Old Man Winter: Each year, nearly 500 Americans die from carbon-monoxide
(CO) inhalation, and an estimated 15,200 people visit hospital emergency rooms with symptoms of exposure to CO. Faulty heating
appliances and blocked chimneys or vents are common causes of a lethal buildup of the gas. People who spend the most time
at home—children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with lung disease—are at greatest risk.
CO is a colorless, odorless gas that reduces the blood's ability to carry oxygen. Symptoms of poisoning include headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea, unconsciousness, and ultimately death. CO poisoning can occur from even brief exposure to high levels of CO, as well as from longer exposure to low levels. Government agencies and the home-heating experts at Consumer Reports have this advice to help you avoid CO poisoning:
CO is a colorless, odorless gas that reduces the blood's ability to carry oxygen. Symptoms of poisoning include headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea, unconsciousness, and ultimately death. CO poisoning can occur from even brief exposure to high levels of CO, as well as from longer exposure to low levels. Government agencies and the home-heating experts at Consumer Reports have this advice to help you avoid CO poisoning:
- Install CO alarms if your home has a heating system or appliances that burn fuel—or even an attached garage. Look for alarms
that carry an independent laboratory certification mark that it meets safety standards, such as Underwriters Laboratories
(UL), Intertek ETL Semko (ETL), or CSA International (CSA) labels. For maximum protection while you are asleep, place detectors
as close as possible to sleeping areas. And don't neglect remote areas such as the basement and upper floors.
- Check the alarms regularly by pressing the test button, and replace the batteries according to manufacturer's recommendations,
which is typically yearly. Consider replacing alarms that are more than five years old. (Alarms typically sell for $25 to
$50.)
- If an alarm sounds, open the windows and move everyone to fresh air. Call your local fire department and utility company;
they can pinpoint the source of CO emissions. We prefer alarms with a digital display of CO level. Should the alarm sound,
the display can help assess whether the cause was a low level over a period of time or a rapid response to a very high level.
- Have the heating system, including chimneys and vents, inspected and serviced annually, and have chimneys and flues checked
for blockages, corrosion, and leaky connections. A gas- or oil-fired water heater should also be checked for proper venting.
- Don't burn charcoal or use a barbecue or portable camp stove indoors.
- Don't use a gas-fired cooktop, oven, or clothes dryer to heat the house.
- Use a range hood to remove combustion byproducts when using the stove or cooktop.
- Check the dryer vent regularly to keep it clear of lint and other debris.
- When you add exhaust fans in your home, have all fuel-burning appliances tested for proper operation with all the fans operating.
Exhaust fans can depressurize the home and draw combustion byproducts back inside—say, from a water heater—instead of expelling
them up the chimney.
- Don't use a heater indoors if it was not designed for indoor use. Even unvented heaters designed for indoor use that are fueled
with kerosene or propane can be hazardous; we recommend against using them as a permanent means of heating a room except in
an emergency. Many such units have an oxygen-depletion sensor designed to turn off the heater if the oxygen level in the enclosed
space drops too low; but since they don't sense CO directly, a CO alarm is essential. With any unvented fuel-burning heater
used indoors, provide additional ventilation, as by opening a nearby window. (A portable heater can also be a fire hazard.
Keep it at least three feet away from drapes, upholstered furniture, and other combustible materials, and place it on a level,
hard, nonflammable surface such as ceramic tile. Shut it off when you aren't nearby to keep an eye on it and when you turn
in for the night.)
- Open the flue damper before you light the fireplace, and leave it open until the ashes cool fully. Hot coals can generate
lots of CO.
- Don't run a car engine in a garage even with the door open. Prevailing winds can cause exhaust gases containing CO to accumulate
within. If the garage is attached, these gases can also migrate into your home.
- Don't operate a generator, snowblower or other outdoor power equipment in a garage, even with the door open. CO in the exhaust of these products can accumulate, causing a hazardous condition; if the garage is attached it can seep into your home.
