Seriously how do you know your CO monitor is Working!

Transcription

1 Seriously how do you know your CO monitor is Working! SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, the deadly gas maybe coming to get you in your home. Difficult to detect and treat once the damage is done, carbon monoxide is known as the silent killer. This sneaky, toxic gas finds its way into your home through a wide range of seemingly harmless sources. Yes it is and this is why bought that monitor. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless, and tasteless gas that is near impossible to identify without a proper detector. It is caused by fuels not burning completely, including wood, gasoline, coal, propane, natural gas, gasoline, and heating oil. This unburned fuel can come from anything from clothes dryers, water heaters, and ovens to ranges, a fire-burning fireplace, or a car left running in a closed garage. When carbon monoxide passes through the lungs, it enters the red blood cells and binds to hemoglobin in the same

2 place as oxygen. This forms carboxyhemoglobin, which interferes with the transportation and gas exchange of oxygen in the red blood cells. This starves the body of oxygen, permanently damages brain and lung tissue, and induces suffocation. Perhaps most troubling is that before symptoms turn lethal, they may come off as symptoms of a flu or cold, such as shortness of breath, nausea, or mild headaches. Carbon monoxide detectors sound an alarm when they sense a certain amount of carbon monoxide in the air over time. Different types of alarms are triggered by different types of sensors. Biomimetic sensor: A gel changes color when it absorbs carbon monoxide, and this color change triggers the alarm. Metal oxide semiconductor: When the silica chip's circuitry detects carbon monoxide, it lowers the electrical resistance, and this change triggers the alarm. Electrochemical sensor: Electrodes immersed in a chemical solution sense changes in electrical currents when they come into contact with carbon dioxide, and this change triggers the alarm. If you are AWAKE you are not dead so you have time to move. First, don't panic. Gather everyone in your house and move outside for fresh air. Survey their health, checking for any flu-like symptoms that could suggest poisoning. If these symptoms are apparent, call 911 immediately. WHERE DOES CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) COME FROM? Any fuel-burning appliance that is malfunctioning or improperly installed. Furnaces, gas range/stove, gas clothes dryer, water heater, portable fuel-burning space heaters, fireplaces, generators and wood burning stoves. Vehicles, generators and other combustion engines running in an attached garage. Blocked chimney or flue. Cracked or loose furnace exchanger. Back drafting and changes in air pressure.

3 Operating a grill in an enclosed space. If you can, open all doors and windows to air out your home before heading outside. If possible, do not reenter your home until the alarm stops sounding or it has been approved safe by the authorities. WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) EXPOSURE? Common Mild Exposure - Slight headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, flu-like symptoms. Common Medium Exposure - Throbbing headache, drowsiness, confusion, fast heart rate. Common Extreme Exposure - Convulsions, unconsciousness, brain damage, heart and lung failure followed by death. If you experience even mild CO poisoning symptoms, immediately consult a physician! It starts to really get dangerous at 400PPM, which not only can cause severe headaches after only one or two hours of exposure, but also can become life threatening after more than three hours of exposure. It gets drastically worse from here, with 1,600 PPM causing death in one hour and 10,000PPM causing death in less than 10 minutes. Worrying Only When You Need to One of the important things to remember when checking your carbon monoxide level is that a high number is not always an immediate indicator of a gas leak. For levels up to 200 parts per million, you can leave the home (after turning off all carbon monoxide producing appliances, of course) for a few hours and return to see if the reading remains the same. Often something as simple as a nearby smoker will cause the reading to spike up to 100 parts per million. However, if the reading is continuously at or above 35 parts per million, you are at high risk for carbon poisoning and immediate action should be taken, even if your carbon monoxide detector s alarm is not sounding.

4 OK! I'm not feeling safe yet! Just because there are batteries in your carbon monoxide detector doesn't mean that it's operating like it should. Does that surprise you? Pressing the test button only reveals whether the batteries are fresh enough and if the appliance is getting power. You're really only testing the siren. It doesn't tell you whether the device will detect a dangerous concentration of carbon monoxide. Different in age to the smoke alarm devices. If your carbon monoxide detector is more than 5 years old, it's time to replace it. But if not, here's what you need to know about how your detector works and how to test to be sure that it's working at all. OH THIS WAS NOT IN THE BOX or DEVICE when I bought it. Unlike a smoke detector, which you can test using a match or a blown out candle, you need something that produces a high concentration of CO to be sure that your detector is working like it should. Test kits that include a canister of CO let you expose the device to high levels of the gas. If it's working, the alarm will sound within a few minutes to half an hour of constant exposure. They don't always alarm immediately the way that a smoke detector does. Test Each CO Detector for Proper Function: Press the 'Test' button on each CO detector to ensure it is drawing electrical power. It will emit high-pitched, loud beeping, usually louder than a smoke detector. A CO detector approved by UL, the Underwriters Laboratory, will sound an alarm when concentrations of CO reach 70 ppm and remain steady for one to four hours. The alarm must sound within 10 minutes to one hour of constant CO levels of 150 ppm. At 200 ppm, the alarm must activate within half an hour. Your CO alarm must buzz within 15 minutes of a CO level of 400 ppm. An air concentration of CO above 400 ppm will be fatal within three hours. Never ignore a carbon monoxide alarm, even if you're unsure of whether the alarm is valid. Get everyone in the house outside, and open all the windows near the detector to reduce the CO concentration in the air. Call 911 for emergency services and contact your local gas company. Understanding the Carbon Monoxide Measurement Carbon monoxide is measured in parts per million, often abbreviated as PPM, which is a measurement used to describe diluted fluids in water or gases in air. This is a similar measurement to a percentage. For example, one percent, which is one out of 100, is the same thing as one part per hundred. Thus, if one percent of the air in a

5 room was made up of carbon monoxide, that would be equivalent to 10,000 parts per million of carbon monoxide. Test Digital Readout CO Detectors With a Low Level CO Source: To confirm that a digital readout CO detector is detecting carbon monoxide, test it with a substance that will emit low levels of the gas, such as a lit cigarette or a lit incense wand. As you move the cigarette or wand within eight inches of the CO detector, the digital display should change to register the presence of carbon monoxide. If the CO level detected is below 70 parts per million (ppm) the alarm will probably not go off. Should you have small children or people with respiratory problems living in your home, a level as low as 30 ppm can make them feel ill. Be sure to install at least one digital readout CO detector in your home. A CO detector approved by UL, the Underwriters Laboratory, will sound an alarm when concentrations of CO reach 70 ppm and remain steady for one to four hours. The alarm must sound within 10 minutes to one hour of constant CO levels of 150 ppm. At 200 ppm, the alarm must activate within half an hour. Your CO alarm must buzz within 15 minutes of a CO level of 400 ppm. An air concentration of CO above 400 ppm will be fatal within three hours. Pre-Prevention is better than a lot of thing you can do! ARE THERE ANY STEPS I CAN TAKE TO PREVENT CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) POISONING? Properly equip your home with carbon monoxide alarms on every level and in sleeping areas. The only safe way to detect CO in your home is with a CO alarm. Every year have the heating system, vents, chimney and flue inspected by a qualified technician. Regularly examine vents and chimneys for improper connections, visible rust and stains. Install and operate appliances according to the manufacturer's instructions. Only purchase appliances that have been approved by a nationally recognized testing laboratory. Never use a gas range/stove to heat the home. Never leave your car idling in a closed garage or use fuel-powered appliances or tools in enclosed, attached areas such as garages or porches. Carbon monoxide can seep into your home through vents and doors. DO I NEED A CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) ALARM? WHERE SHOULD IT BE INSTALLED?

6 Every home with at least one fuel-burning appliance/heater, attached garage or fireplace should have a carbon monoxide alarm. If the home has only one carbon monoxide alarm, it should be installed in the main bedroom or in the hallway outside of the sleeping area. An alarm should be installed on every level of the home and in sleeping areas. Place the alarm at least 15 feet away from fuel-burning appliances. Make sure nothing is covering or obstructing the unit. Do not place the unit in dead air spaces or next to a window or door. Test the carbon monoxide alarm once a week by pressing the test/reset button. Every month, unplug the unit and vacuum with a soft-brush attachment or wipe with a clean, dry cloth to remove accumulated dust.