Is Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Your Home?

Mar 17, 2010 | Air Quality

Snapshot | Health concerns | How to choose | Where to place | Take action!

Carbon monoxide (CO) causes most of the accidental poisoning deaths in America, according to the Centers for Disease Control. An odorless, tasteless, and colorless gas, CO is called the "silent killer" as it claims nearly 500 lives each year and causes more than 15,000 visits to hospital emergency departments annually.

The leading sources of CO are lack of proper ventilation for kerosene or natural gas space heaters, and leaking or damaged furnaces. The best prevention: Don't use portable camping-type burners or space heaters in the home.

To check for CO, install a CO detector near your indoor furnace and appliances if they use gas, fuel oil, or propane.

CO produces flu-like symptoms such as severe headaches, dizziness, nausea, and fainting. It hits those most vulnerable first, the elderly and infants and toddlers.

There are excellent CO detectors on the market. Install a CO detector on every floor of your home, preferably near sleeping areas. Don't place them very close to appliances or your furnace as normal operations may trigger the alarm at an annoying frequency.

Install a CO detector with a digital readout of the CO concentration. CO levels are measured in parts per million (ppm). Here are guidelines:

• 0.5 to 5 ppm: typical level in a home without a gas stove

• 5 to 15 ppm: level near a gas stove

• 30+ ppm: level near a poorly adjusted gas stove

• 35 ppm: OSHA's maximum allowable concentration (OSHA is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

• 70 ppm: CO alarm goes off if this level is sustained for one hour, and those most vulnerable may start to feel symptoms of CO poisoning

• 100 ppm: CO poisoning effects are noticeable, including headache, fatigue and nausea; CO alarm will go off

• 150 to 200 ppm: Serious health consequences including disorientation, unconsciousness and death, need exposure for several hours

These cartoon pictures illustrate the most common sources of CO emissions in the home.

The best prevention against CO poisoning is to install a CO detector. But CO buildup most frequently arises from a few scenarios, so awareness is also part of prevention.

• If you are without central heat, don't use a portable fuel-burning heater. Get an electric space heater!

• If you are without power, be sure to vent your portable generator. The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that 28 people died in the 2005 hurricane season from CO emitted by portable generators.

• If you remodel, double check that all your exhaust vents on the furnace, water heater and stove are clear and cleaned out

• If your furnace or water heater is in your home (such as in a closet or laundry room), be sure to install a detector. On occasion, the air pressure and air flows in your home could shift, causing CO to spill out from the burner and exhaust vents into your living space. (This is known as backdrafting.)

National product standards for CO detectors have been in place since 2000, so all models have common features about when the alarm is triggered. Other product features to look for include:
• A loud alarm: 85 decibels or more is recommended.

• A test button: This checks the electrical circuits and battery levels.

• Low battery life indicator: A sound or light signal that its time to replace the battery.

• A digital display: You'll be able to see your concentration levels, and also any recent peaks of CO emissions.

• Easy battery replacement: A way to snap a new battery in without dismounting the detector.

CO gas is lighter than oxygen-it floats higher up in a room-so the best place for a CO detector is high up on the wall. Not many people have electrical outlets that high up, so a battery-operated model might be your best choice.

If you're concerned about changing the batteries regularly, a plug-in CO detector with battery back-up is better than no detector at all.

Place your CO detector near bedrooms, so the alarm can wake you, if needed, while sleeping. Install a CO detector on each floor of your home.

In everyday life, heating and cooking appliances usually are the main producers of CO. Don't install a carbon monoxide detector right next to these appliances; you could end up with false alarms, because as these units emit a small amount of CO on startup. Stay back 15 feet or more.

Also, to avoid annoying false alarms, don't put the CO detector in humid areas, such as a bathroom or the hall near the bathroom.

Install a carbon monoxide monitor