fullcortex.net

( 1998 )

Laura and Dan are lucky a Christmas present beeped at them last year. The couple had been tired and sluggish all week. They thought it was just a case of the flu. Or perhaps it was the odor from the new wallpaper they’d just hung.
Then one night two new carbon monoxide detectors they’d just received — both still under the Christmas tree — went off. The cause of their symptoms was carbon monoxide poisoning. The source — a malfunctioning furnace.
An estimated 10,000 people are affected by carbon monoxide poisoning each year in the United States. Eight hundred to 1,000 die.
However, a few simple measures can often prevent poisoning.
Who’s most at risk?
Unborn babies, infants, young children, senior citizens, smokers and people with anemia or heart disease are especially susceptible. Effects of carbon monoxide are cumulative; you can become poisoned slowly, over a long period of time or a large amount can kill you quickly.
Symptoms easily dismissed
Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas produced by incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuel. It has no color, taste or odor.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is like a form of slow suffocation. When you breathe in the gas, it attaches itself firmly to hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying substance in the red blood cells of your blood. This impairs the oxygen-carrying capacity of your blood, starving your body’s tissues and organs of oxygen.
Signs and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning tend to be vague and nonspecific. They may include headache, fever, skin rashes, dizziness, weakness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, chest pain and trouble thinking At high levels of carbon monoxide, you may lose consciousness and even die.
Carbon monoxide poisoning often sneaks up on people because signs and symptoms often come on slowly and may be mistaken for a cold or the flu.
One clue that you may be affected by carbon monoxide is if everyone in the same building — including pets — experiences similar problems. Another clue is if your symptoms improve when you leave the building for a day or more but return when you come back.
If you suspect you have carbon monoxide poisoning, tell your doctor, who can arrange for a simple test for carbon monoxide in your blood. Usually, if one person in a home is poisoned, others are also, even though their symptoms may be less severe.
In addition to getting away from the source, treatment may involve supplemental oxygen to help speed the removal of carbon monoxide from your blood. If treatment is started soon enough, most people recover completely. However, if poisoning is severe it can lead to permanent memory loss or brain damage.
Be aware of possible sources
Any fuel-burning appliance in your home is a potential source of carbon monoxide. Incomplete combustion of natural gas, propane, oil, kerosene, coal or wood fuel can produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide from furnaces, space heaters, gas fireplaces, stoves, water heaters, grills, wood-burning stoves and other appliances. Carbon monoxide poisoning at home usually occurs during the months when people heat their homes. You also risk carbon monoxide poisoning in your home if you leave your car running in an attached garage.
Cracked heat exchangers on furnaces, blocked chimneys or flues, and disconnected or blocked appliance vents can allow carbon monoxide to reach living areas. Inadequate fresh air supply to a furnace increases the amount of carbon monoxide that is produced and can also allow it to be drawn from the furnace into living spaces when you turn on an exhaust fan or a vented clothes dryer.
Safeguard your home
Be sure that all appliances in your home are installed, maintained and used properly. Ensure safe operation of combustion appliances by having a qualified professional (who complies with local building codes) install them. New appliances have installation instructions that should be followed carefully. A competent installer will check for proper venting and an adequate air supply to ensure proper combustion.
Use fuel-powered appliances only as intended. Never use an oven or range to heat the living areas of your home. Don’t use a charcoal grill indoors unless it was specifically built for indoor use. Use unvented gas or kerosene space heaters only in well-ventilated rooms, or open doors to adjoining rooms. Be sure to properly maintain these heaters, and never use them overnight or in a room where you sleep. Install a carbon monoxide alarm in any area where an unvented heater is used.
Have a qualified service technician check and service your home’s central and room-heating appliances, gas water heaters and gas dryers annually. Check chimneys and flues for blockages, corrosion and loose connections.
Carbon monoxide alarms
In 1998, new safety requirements were issued that advocated residential use of carbon monoxide alarms. The carbon monoxide detectors recommended prior to that proved too sensitive in some cases, frequently sounding “nuisance alarms” when levels of the gas weren’t hazardous. All detectors manufactured after October 1, 2024 must meet the new “alarm” standards, and will sound off only when dangerous levels of the gas are present.
If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, residents should leave the home immediately and call the local fire department from a nearby phone. Experts recommend calling your fire department as soon as you buy a carbon monoxide alarm and asking what number you should call if the alarm sounds. Post that number by your telephone(s).
The new carbon monoxide alarms don’t detect the low carbon monoxide levels that can cause cumulative damage in those who are especially susceptible to carbon monoxide poisoning. Households that include persons with a higher than average risk may want to purchase a special detector that monitors even very low levels of the gas. Several manufacturers offer alarms with digital displays that continuously indicate carbon monoxide levels in your home.
Carbon monoxide detectors register in parts per million (ppm). The new alarms are required to sound after 70 ppm carbon monoxide has been present for 3 hours and 9 minutes, or when a higher ppm is detected for a shorter time period. Detectors with digital displays sound an alarm at the same levels, but also provide continuous readouts of carbon monoxide levels from 0-999 ppm. If you choose a detector like this, you should ask your physician what ppm level over what period of time should concern you, and what measures should be taken if that level is observed. Most importantly, call your doctor if anyone in your household shows symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.
A carbon monoxide alarm should be installed on each level of your home, and near all sleeping areas. Your best bet is to purchase an electric powered model with battery back-up in case of power outage. Experts recommend testing your alarm at least once each month according to your manufacturer’s instructions.
The new alarms generally cost $30 to $40, while detectors with digital displays cost about twice that amount. Both types can be purchased at home improvement stores. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends carbon monoxide detecting devices that meet the current requirements of Underwriter Laboratories Inc. (look for UL 2034 on the package) or the International Approval Services (IAS) U.S. Requirement No. 6-96.
If you’re currently using a carbon monoxide detector purchased in recent years, you don’t necessarily need to replace it with a new alarm. Use the following checklist to determine whether your detector is still safe to use:
• Make sure the detector meets the requirements of Underwriters Laboratories (UL) standard 2034.
• Most detectors should be replaced every 2 to 5 years. Check the manufacturer’s instructions to see whether the recommended replacement date for your detector has passed.
• Test your detector’s sensitivity to carbon monoxide according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If the detector still performs well, continue to test it monthly until the recommended replacement date.