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I know it kills people silently. So how do we prevent carbon monoxide poisoning at home. Does leaving the heater on the whole night make it more susceptible to it? What are the risks?
Answer
CO is the product of incomplete combustion. If you have gas or oil heat, or some other combustion-based heat, this can certainly become an issue, especially if the ventilation is poor or blocked.
The easiest way to protect yourself is to maintain your heaters and water heaters frequently and keep them clean, for most efficient combustion. Keep them well-ventilated, and install a CO detector in your home. If it goes off, leave the house and call the Fire Department. They have gas meters, and can enter and determine the levels of CO in the home, and in some cases the areas of highest concentration.
CO is the product of incomplete combustion. If you have gas or oil heat, or some other combustion-based heat, this can certainly become an issue, especially if the ventilation is poor or blocked.
The easiest way to protect yourself is to maintain your heaters and water heaters frequently and keep them clean, for most efficient combustion. Keep them well-ventilated, and install a CO detector in your home. If it goes off, leave the house and call the Fire Department. They have gas meters, and can enter and determine the levels of CO in the home, and in some cases the areas of highest concentration.
is it necessary to have a carbon monoxide alarm?
:sigh:
I just bought a carbon monoxide alarm. I live in a single wide mobile home that was made in the 70s. The stove and furnace are both gas. The stove is fairly new but the furnace is older. I figured I should get a carbon monoxide alarm because of the natural gas. How many people actually use them? Was it even necessary? Or did I just spend 25 bucks for nothing?
Answer
The CDC recommends that all homes should install and maintain a carbon monoxide detector.
If a carbon containing substance (coal, oil, gas, wood) is properly burned, with high temperature and plenty of oxygen, mostly carbon dioxide forms. But if an appliance isn't burning properly, due to either insufficient temperature or insufficient air mixing, more carbon monoxide will form instead.
Although you're correct that older, poorly maintained appliances are a higher risk, even brand new appliances have sometimes been found by researchers to emit carbon monoxide. The detector will give you some peace of mind that your appliances are burning properly. Even if your appliances are burning properly, the detector will be handy in case someone accidentally leaves the oven on overnight, or a boneheaded house guest misuses the stove to heat the place, which could cause harmless trace levels of carbon monoxide to build up to a hazardous level.
Although it takes a relatively high dose of carbon monoxide to kill you, it's colorless, odorless, and a relatively low dose can incapacitate you and make you unable to get away from the danger. That's why we call it the "quiet killer". The detector will alert you well before you get too sick to escape. So relax, carbon monoxide poisoning is preventable, but remember to change the battery!
The CDC recommends that all homes should install and maintain a carbon monoxide detector.
If a carbon containing substance (coal, oil, gas, wood) is properly burned, with high temperature and plenty of oxygen, mostly carbon dioxide forms. But if an appliance isn't burning properly, due to either insufficient temperature or insufficient air mixing, more carbon monoxide will form instead.
Although you're correct that older, poorly maintained appliances are a higher risk, even brand new appliances have sometimes been found by researchers to emit carbon monoxide. The detector will give you some peace of mind that your appliances are burning properly. Even if your appliances are burning properly, the detector will be handy in case someone accidentally leaves the oven on overnight, or a boneheaded house guest misuses the stove to heat the place, which could cause harmless trace levels of carbon monoxide to build up to a hazardous level.
Although it takes a relatively high dose of carbon monoxide to kill you, it's colorless, odorless, and a relatively low dose can incapacitate you and make you unable to get away from the danger. That's why we call it the "quiet killer". The detector will alert you well before you get too sick to escape. So relax, carbon monoxide poisoning is preventable, but remember to change the battery!
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