Don’t Mess with Carbon Monoxide

by Murray Anderson

Carbon monoxide (CO) is colorless, odorless, tasteless gas and as a result it’s virtually undetectable by humans. It’s also a deadly killer and if you have a gas stove, furnace, water heater, space heater, fireplace or any other fuel burning appliances in your home, you could have some Carbon Monoxide in your home as well. Why don’t you take a few minutes to learn about carbon monoxide so you can recognize the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning and learn how you can protect yourself and your family from it’s deadly effects?

What is it and where does it come from?

• Carbon monoxide is a by-product of incomplete combustion of carbon containing fuels so your furnace, hot water heater and stove can be major sources.  It can also get into your home's atmosphere through improperly vented heaters, leaving a car running in an adjoining garage, using a barbecue in the garage (or even worse inside the house). So, if you have natural gas or propane appliances in your home, carbon monoxide could potentially be there as well.

What does carbon monoxide actually do?

• Carbon monoxide reduces the oxygen carrying capacity of your blood, so as you breathe in carbon monoxide the amount of oxygen your blood can transport to your organs and muscles is reduced.
• In heavy concentrations carbon monoxide can cause unconsciousness and even death. But even in lower concentrations, a build up of carbon monoxide will cause carbon monoxide poisoning in people and animals.
• The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to flu like symptoms – for example, nausea, dizziness, weakness and throwing up.
• Naturally, children, people with weaker constitutions and the elderly are the most susceptible groups to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Are there any warning signs of carbon monoxide I could look for?

The Underwriters Laboratory suggests these things could indicate a carbon monoxide problem.

• Streaks of carbon or soot around the service door of your fuel-burning appliances
• The absence of a draft in your chimney
• Excessive rusting on flue pipes or appliance jackets
• Moisture collecting on the windows and walls of furnace rooms
• Fallen soot from the fireplace
• Small amounts of water leaking from the base of the chimney, vent or flue pipe
• Damaged or discolored bricks at the top of your chimney
• Rust on the portion of the vent pipe visible from outside your home

As well, if you are using a gas appliance that should have a crisp blue flame, watch for changes. For example, if it turns to a lazy orange flame, the appliance may not be working correctly.

What can I protect against carbon monoxide?

• The best protection against carbon monoxide poisoning is to make sure all your gas burning appliances are installed correctly and have qualified technicians maintain them regularly.
• You can also install carbon monoxide detectors in your home. Similar to smoke detectors these are designed to measure the amount of carbon monoxide in the air and sound a warning if the carbon monoxide rises to a dangerous level.
• Be sure you know how to respond to a carbon monoxide detector warning. If the alarm sounds you should immediately open doors and window to increase airflow in your home and evacuate anyone experiencing flu like symptoms. Shut off all gas burning appliances and call the fire department.

Murray Anderson is an experienced freelance writer with over 500 articles published on the web as well as in print magazines and newspapers in both the United States and Canada. He writes on a wide range of topics and is a regular contributor to DoItYourself.com. He can be contacted at murand@lycos.com