Carbon monoxide in the Home

Consider Installing a Carbon Monoxide Alarm in Your Home

Carbon monoxide is a odorless, colorless and potentially deadly gas that is a produced through the combustion of carbon fuels such as oil, natural gas, propane, butane, coal, wood and charcoal. A clean-burning appliance produces little carbon monoxide gas, but a partially blocked flue or a furnace or water heater in need of service or is installed incorrectly can be a major source of carbon monoxide gas.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is commonly misdiagnosed as flu or common cold symptoms . If these symptoms abate when you are away from the possible carbon monoxide source, you need to find out what the carbon monoxide levels are in this space. A detector is a good way to do this.

Even if the appliance was safe last winter, the flue could have become blocked and now allow flue gases then be released back into the appliance, reducing oxygen to burner. Without the proper mixture of oxygen and fuel the flames will continue to burn but carbon monoxide is produced in large quantities.

If the burner has a yellow flame that does not heat properly contact a qualified inspector or contractor to have the units checked thoroughly.

Make sure inspector does a venting test for the furnace, water heater and fireplace. Modern high-efficiency gas-fired furnaces vent through a flue pipe made of PVC plastic and vent mostly moist air. Make sure these pipes and joints don't leak.

Carbon monoxide alarms are not expensive and should be in every homes. If the alarm sounds, contact the fire department to confirm these levels and to make sure no one is suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. Find an inspector to determine what appliance caused these elevated levels of carbon monoxide.

Sometimes weather inversions can hold Carbon monoxide emissions from automobiles traveling near your home. Those could trigger the home's alarm. Do not take chances if the alarm goes off. Take your pets and leave the home until the area is cleared by the fire department.

It's better to be safe than sorry, many people die every year from carbon monoxide poisoning.