Firex SERIES 10000 specifications Important Safety Information, CO Home Safety Tips

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

CO Home Safety Tips

CO poisoning is often caused by equipment failures due to poor maintenance, prod-

uct defects, and damaged parts. The following tips can help prevent CO within your home:

1.Have all fuel-burning appliances inspected and cleaned yearly by a qualified serv- ice technician. The furnace, water heater, and stove are some of the

leading sources of CO.

2.Clean fireplace vents and chimney regularly. A blocked chimney could cause a backdraft of CO into the home. Do not seal chimney. This will cause a backdraft of CO into the home.

3.Do not seal a draft hood or exhaust vent to any appliance. This will trap dangerous CO inside the house.

4.Do not close off or confine your fuel-burning appliances in a closed area. They need plenty of ventilation to operate properly.

5.Do not use liquid propane (LP) or charcoal grills or operate any gasoline powered equipment indoors.

6.Allow for plenty of ventilation when using a kerosene heater. Do not use in small areas.

Preventive maintenance, common sense, and a CO detection device are some of the best methods of preventing CO poisoning. However, a dangerous situation can happen to anyone at any time.

The following list illustrates some danger signs of CO presence.

1.Soot and dirt build-up seeping out of chimney or other exhaust vents.

2.A mostly yellow (rather than clear blue) burner flame or pilot flame in gas appliances.

3.A draft of air coming from an appliance, chimney, or vents.

4.Car idling in an open or closed attached garage, or near a home.

If you have flu-like symptoms or suspect CO poisoning, seek medical assistance immediately!

Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

CO poisoning has many symptoms. Some are very similar to the flu, the effects of intoxication, or drug usage. In many CO cases, people feel ill and stay home to rest. This only compounds the CO poisoning because they stay in the home where CO is present.

As CO levels rise, the symptoms become more extreme. At low levels people will suffer headaches and mild nausea. At higher levels unconsciousness, heart failure, and even death can occur. The following symptoms are related to CARBON MONOX- IDE POISONING and should be discussed with ALL members of the household:

Mild Exposure: Slight headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue (often described as flu-like symptoms).

Medium Exposure: Severe throbbing headache, drowsiness, confusion, fast heart rate.

Extreme Exposure: Unconsciousness, convulsions, cardio-respiratory failure, death.

Many cases of reported carbon monoxide poisoning indicate that while victims are aware they are not well, they become so disoriented they are unable to save themselves by either exiting the building or calling for assistance. Also, young children, the elderly, and household pets may be the first affected by CO poisoning.

The important factor with any CO poisoning, however, is time. At high levels, CO can cause death in just minutes. At lower levels, it could take from hours to days of con- stant CO exposure to have the same life-threatening effect.

The chart below illustrates the symptoms of CO poisoning by concentration of CO and its effect over time.

Slight headache within 2-3 hours.

Frontal headache within 1-2 hours.

Dizziness, nausea, and convulsions within 45 minutes.

Insensible within 2 hours.

Headache, dizziness, and nausea within 20 minutes.

Death within 2 hours.

Headache, dizziness, and nausea within 5-10 minutes. Death within 30 minutes.

Headache, dizziness, 1-2 minutes.

Death in less than 15 minutes.

Death in less than 3 minutes

0100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200

Concentration of CO in air (ppm)

Conditions That Can Cause CO Levels to Change.

The following conditions can result in transient CO situations in the home.

1.Excessive spillage or reverse venting of fuel burning appliances caused by outdoor ambient conditions, such as:

a.Wind direction and/or velocity, including high gusts of wind. Heavy air in the vent pipes (cold/humid air with extended periods between cycles).

b.Negative pressure differential resulting from the use of exhaust fans.

c.Simultaneous operation of several fuel burning appliances competing for limited internal air.

d.Vent pipe connections vibrating loose from clothes dryers, furnaces, or water heaters.

e.Obstruction in the vent pipe or unconventional vent pipe designs which can amplify the above situations.

2.Extended operation of unvented fuel burning devices (range, oven, fireplace, etc.).

3.Temperature inversions which can trap exhaust gasses near the ground.

4.Car idling in an open or closed attached garage, or near a home.

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