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IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
CO Home Safety Tips
CO poisoning is often caused by equipment failures due to poor maintenance, prod-
uct defects, and damaged parts. The following tips can help prevent CO within
your home:
1. Have all fuel-burning appliances inspected and cleaned yearly by a qualified serv-
ice technician. The furnace, water heater, and stove are some of the
leading sources of CO.
2. Clean fireplace vents and chimney regularly. A blocked chimney could cause
a backdraft of CO into the home. Do not seal chimney. This will cause a
backdraft of CO into the home.
3. Do not seal a draft hood or exhaust vent to any appliance. This will trap
dangerous CO inside the house.
4. Do not close off or confine your fuel-burning appliances in a closed area.
They need plenty of ventilation to operate properly.
5. Do not use liquid propane (LP) or charcoal grills or operate any gasoline
powered equipment indoors.
6. Allow for plenty of ventilation when using a kerosene heater. Do not use in
small areas.
Preventive maintenance, common sense, and a CO detection device are some of the
best methods of preventing CO poisoning. However, a dangerous situation can
happen to anyone at any time.
The following list illustrates some danger signs of CO presence.
1. Soot and dirt build-up seeping out of chimney or other exhaust vents.
2. A mostly yellow (rather than clear blue) burner flame or pilot flame in gas appliances.
3. A draft of air coming from an appliance, chimney, or vents.
4. Car idling in an open or closed attached garage, or near a home.
If you have flu-like symptoms or suspect CO poisoning, seek medical
assistance immediately!
Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
CO poisoning has many symptoms. Some are very similar to the flu, the effects
of intoxication, or drug usage. In many CO cases, people feel ill and stay home to
rest. This only compounds the CO poisoning because they stay in the home where
CO is present.
As CO levels rise, the symptoms become more extreme. At low levels people will
suffer headaches and mild nausea. At higher levels unconsciousness, heart failure,
and even death can occur. The following symptoms are related to CARBON MONOX-
IDE POISONING and should be discussed with ALL members of the household:
Mild Exposure:
Slight headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue (often described as
flu-like symptoms).
Medium Exposure:
Severe throbbing headache, drowsiness, confusion, fast
heart rate.
Extreme Exposure:
Unconsciousness, convulsions, cardio-respiratory failure, death.
Many cases of reported carbon monoxide poisoning indicate that while victims are
aware they are not well, they become so disoriented they are unable to save
themselves by either exiting the building or calling for assistance. Also, young children,
the elderly, and household pets may be the first affected by CO poisoning.
The important factor with any CO poisoning, however, is time. At high levels, CO can
cause death in just minutes. At lower levels, it could take from hours to days of con-
stant CO exposure to have the same life-threatening effect.
The chart below illustrates the symptoms of CO poisoning by concentration of CO and
its effect over time.
Conditions That Can Cause CO Levels to Change
.
The following conditions can result in transient CO situations in the home.
1. Excessive spillage or reverse venting of fuel burning appliances caused by
outdoor ambient conditions, such as:
a. Wind direction and/or velocity, including high gusts of wind. Heavy air in the
vent pipes (cold/humid air with extended periods between cycles).
b. Negative pressure differential resulting from the use of exhaust fans.
c. Simultaneous operation of several fuel burning appliances competing for limited
internal air.
d. Vent pipe connections vibrating loose from clothes dryers, furnaces, or
water heaters.
e. Obstruction in the vent pipe or unconventional vent pipe designs which can
amplify the above situations.
2. Extended operation of unvented fuel burning devices (range, oven, fireplace, etc.).
3. Temperature inversions which can trap exhaust gasses near the ground.
4. Car idling in an open or closed attached garage, or near a home.
100
0
200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200
Slight headache within 2-3 hours.
Frontal headache within 1-2 hours.
Dizziness, nausea, and convulsions within 45 minutes.
Insensible within 2 hours.
Headache, dizziness, and nausea within 20 minutes.
Death within 2 hours.
Headache, dizziness, and nausea within
5-10 minutes. Death within 30 minutes.
Headache, dizziness, 1-2 minutes.
Death in less than 15 minutes.
Concentration of CO in air (ppm)
Death in less than 3 minutes
110-1125C Eng 2/22/06 11:32 AM Page 7
