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Carbon
Monoxide (CO) Detectors
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.
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