Carbon Monoxide Safety Information
General 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
CO can be produced when burning any fossil fuel: gasoline, propane, natural gas, oil and wood. It can be produced by any fuel-burning appliance that is malfunctioning, improp- erly installed, or not ventilated correctly. Possible sources include furnaces, gas ranges/stoves, gas clothes dryers, water heaters, portable fuel burning space heaters, fire- places, wood-burning stoves and certain swimming pool heaters. Blocked chimneys or flues, back drafting and changes in air pressure, corroded or disconnected vent pipes, and a loose or cracked furnace exchanger can also cause CO. 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.
The following conditions can result in transient CO situations:
Excessive spillage or reverse venting of fuel-burning appli- ances caused by outdoor ambient conditions such as: Wind direction and/or velocity, including high gusts of wind, heavy air in the vent pipes (cold/humid air with extended periods between cycles), negative pressure differential resulting from the use of exhaust fans, simultaneous operation of several fuel-burning appliances competing for limited internal air, vent pipe connections vibrating loose from clothes dryers, furnaces, or water heaters, obstructions in, or unconvention- al, vent pipe designs which can amplify the above situations, extended operation of unvented fuel-burning devices (range, oven, fireplace, etc.), temperature inversions which can trap exhaust gasses near the ground, car idling in an open or closed attached garage, or near a home.
