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15. 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.
