Carbon Monoxide (CO) is the number one cause of unintentional poisoning deaths in the United States, causing over 500 deaths, and 20,000 injuries annually. CO is an invisible gas, that is colorless, odourless, and tasteless, yet is highly toxic and can be fatal when inhaled in sufficient quantities.
The most common symptoms of CO poisoning can resemble the flu, including headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, lethargy and a feeling of weakness. Infants may be irritable and feed poorly.
Common Sources of Carbon Monoxide in the Home
The most common sources of carbon monoxide in most residential homes are:
- A fireplace (wood-burning or gas)
- Portable gas or kerosene heaters
- Car left running in an attached garage
- A clogged chimney
- An improperly installed kitchen range or vent
- A water heater vent pipe that is disconnected or is corroded
- Using a barbecue grill inside the home or garage
- A cracked or loose furnace exchanger
- Running a generator inside the home or attached garage
How To Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in the Home
The following steps should be taken in the home to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning:
- Never leave your car running in the garage, especially if the garage is attached to the house.
- In order to ensure that your chimney and vents are not clogged, have no cracks, and are not beginning to rust, get them inspected regularly.
- A barbecue grill should always be used outside your home.
- Always make sure that you use a generator outside your house or attached garage.
- You should make sure that the heating system in your house is inspected and serviced regularly.
- Ensure that all stove appliances in the home are installed as per the manufacturers recommendations.
- Good ventilation is recommended whenever you use a portable gas or kerosene heater.
Install a Carbon Monoxide Alarm in Your Home
It is recommended that you install a carbon monoxide alarm on each level of your home to detect and warn you about dangerous carbon monoxide levels in your home. Carbon monoxide concentrations are measured in parts per million (ppm), which is the number of CO molecules per million molecules of air.
A carbon monoxide alarm should use an electrochemical CO sensor, which is the most accurate technology available to detect carbon monoxide. A CO alarm should have a test button to tell you whether the unit functioning, and a LED light or a digital display which lets you know that the unit has power.
A CO alarm should be able to run off batteries – the unit should be battery powered or powered off mains electricity with a battery backup. A mains powered CO alarm is no good during a power failure. A CO alarm should also have some sort of indicator or alarm that tells you when the batteries need replacing.
The audible alarm for any CO alarm unit should be quite loud. The alarm should be loud enough to awake someone from deep sleep. Lastly, a carbon monoxide alarm should be UL approved – the Underwriters Laboratories specifies response times for CO alarms as follows:
- 70 ppm – sound alarm within 60-240 minutes
- 150 ppm – sound alarm within 10-50 minutes
- 400 ppm – sound alarm within 4-15 minutes
Besides carbon monoxide, the other deadly gas found within homes in the United States is radon gas.In the United States, radon is second leading cause of lung cancer, behind smoking. It’s estimated that over 20,000 people die each year in the United States due to lung cancer caused by inhaling radon gas. For information on radon gas and on detecting radon gas levels in the home, visit Home Security Buff.