22
14. General Carbon Monoxide (CO) Information
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless poison gas that can be fatal when inhaled. CO
inhibits the blood’s capacity to carry oxygen.
POSSIBLE SOURCES OF CO
Inside your home, appliances used for heating
and cooking are the most likely sources of CO.
Vehicles running in attached garages can also
produce dangerous levels of CO. CO can be
produced when burning any fossil fuel: gasoline,
diesel, propane, natural gas, oil and wood. It can be produced by any fuel-burning appliance that is malfunctioning,
improperly installed, or not ventilated correctly, such as: Furnaces/boilers, gas ranges/stoves, gas clothes dryers, water
heaters, portable fuel burning space heaters, fireplaces, wood-burning stoves and certain swimming pool heaters.
Blocked chimneys or flues, back drafting and changes in air pressure, corroded or disconnected vent pipes,
or a loose or cracked furnace heat exchanger can also release CO into your building. Vehicles and other
combustion engines running in an attached garage and using a charcoal/gas grill or hibachi in an enclosed
area are all possible sources of CO.
THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS CAN RESULT IN TRANSIENT CO SITUATIONS:
Excessive spillage or reverse venting of fuel-burning appliances caused by:
(1) outdoor ambient conditions, such as wind direction and/or velocity, including high gusts of wind, and
insufficient draft in the vent pipes;
(2) negative pressure differential resulting from the use of exhaust fans;
(3) simultaneous operation of several fuel-burning appliances competing for limited internal air;
(4) loose vent pipe connections from fuel-fired appliances;
(5) obstructions, or unconventional vent pipe designs that can amplify the above situations;
(6) poorly designed or maintained chimneys and/or vents;
(7) extended operation of unvented fuel-burning devices (range, oven, fireplace, etc);
(8) temperature inversions that can trap exhaust gases near the ground;
(9) car idling in an open or closed attached garage, or near a home.
CO ALARM SENSOR RESPONSE TIMES
At 70 PPM, the unit must alarm within 60-240 minutes.
At 150 PPM, the unit must alarm within 10-50 minutes.
At 400 PPM, the unit must alarm within 4-15 minutes.
To Next Page
Loading...
