Carbon Monoxide (CO) is an invisible, odorless, tasteless gas produced by incomplete combustion. Any fuel burning appliance, vehicle, tool or other device has the potential to produce dangerous levels of Carbon Monoxide gas.
| Common CO producing devices in around the house. |
| Fuel fired furnaces (non-electric) |
| Gas Water Heaters |
| Fireplaces and Woodstoves |
| Gas Stoves |
| Gas Dryers |
| Charcoal Grills |
| Lawnmowers, and other yard equipment |
| Automobiles |
It kills thousands of people each year, and injures many more. Since you cannot see, taste, or smell carbon monoxide, a Carbon Monoxide detector is the only way to alert you to increasingly dangerous levels of carbon monoxide before tragedy strikes.
Carbon Monoxide, like Oxygen, enters the body through the lungs during the normal breathing process. However, carbon monoxide competes with oxygen. Carbon monoxide combines with red blood cells approximately 300 times easier than oxygen. Therefore, it blocks the oxygen from your body over a period of time and if concentrations get high enough, carbon monoxide can kill you in minutes. It takes approximately five hours for the levels of carbon monoxide attached to the blood cells to be reduced to 50%.
When speaking of carbon monoxide, persons refer to the concentration levels as Parts per Million (PPM). Here is a breakdown of carbon monoxide ppm and their effect upon a typical adult male.
|
PPM CO |
Elapsed Time |
Symptoms |
| 35 ppm |
8 hours |
The maximum allowed exposure for a continuous exposure in any 8-hour priod. |
| 200 ppm |
2-3 hours |
Mild headache, fatigue, nausea and dizziness. |
| 400 ppm |
1-2 hours |
Serious headache - other symptoms intensify. Life threatening after 3 hours. |
| 800 ppm |
45 minutes |
Dizziness, nausea and convulsions. Unconscious within 2 hours. Death within 2-3 hours. |
| 1600 ppm |
20 minutes |
Headache dizziness and nausea. Death within 1 hour. |
| 3200 ppm |
5-10 minutes |
Headache, dizziness and nausea. Death within 1 hour. |
| 6400 ppm |
1-2 minutes |
Headache, dizziness and nausea. Death within 25-30 minutes. |
| 12,800 ppm |
1-3 minutes |
Death |
As the information above illustrates, the symptoms vary widely based upon exposure levels, duration and the general health and age of the individual. You will notice one recurring theme that is most significant in recognizing Carbon Monoxide poisoning. That is the presence of a headache, dizziness and nausea. These flu like symptoms are often mistaken for a real case of the flu and can result in a delayed or misdiagnosed treatment.
How CO detectors work:
On today's market, there are many different types and brands of Carbon Monoxide detectors. However, they can generally be characterized by whether they operate on household current or batteries. Detectors using household current typically use some type of solid-state sensor, which purges itself and resamples for CO on a periodic basis (2 minutes or so). Detectors powered by batteries typically use a passive sensor that reacts to the prolonged exposure to Carbon Monoxide gas. The table below describes some of the advantages/disadvantages of both types of detectors.
|
Characteristic |
Household Current |
Battery Operated |
| Cost |
$30.00 - $50.00 |
$30.00 - $50.00 |
| Ease of Installation |
More difficult - requires outlet near detector or "hard wiring." |
Less difficult. Can be placed anywhere needed. |
| Maintenance |
No maintenance required during life of product (5-10 years). Detector sensor becomes more sensitive with age. |
Requires periodic replacement of battery/sensor module every 2-3 years at a cost of $20.00 +/- |
| Reaction Time/Exposure Level Display |
Gives continuous display of CO levels updated every few minutes. |
Reaction time depends on concentration level and duration of exposure. Display information is limited. |
| Reset Time |
Will reset immediately once CO problem is corrected. |
Rest time depends on exposure concentration and duration. May require removal of sensor pack. A silence button, however is now provided/required. |
|
Cause |
Preventive Action |
| Inadequate fresh air venting of the home. |
Have a heating contractor install a fresh air makeup system in the home. |
| Running gas powered equipment or automobiles in a home or garage. |
Gas powered equipment or vehicles should never be operated within a home or garage - even if the garage door is open. Since most homes are typically at a lower pressure relative to outside air, the gas can actually be drawn into the home. |
| Charcoal grilling in the home or garage. |
Charcoal grilling is a tremendous producer of Carbon Monoxide gas. Charcoal grills should never be operated in the home. |
| Malfunctioning appliances or equipment in the home. |
All fuel burning appliances or equipment in the home needs periodic inspection and preventive maintenance. While all fuel burning appliances will produce some CO gas, regular preventive maintenance can keep this to a minimum. |
| Malfunctioning or overly sensitive alarm. |
Buy only UL Listed alarms conforming to the latest revision (June 1995) of UL standard 2034. This revision includes new requirements to minimize nuisance alarms. |
Do you have questions about carbon monoxide detectors? If so, please call the Anaheim Fire Department Community Relations Section @ 714-765-4069. | 
