That Dangerous Carbon Monoxide

By Allan B. Colombo

The threat of asphyxiation from Carbon Monoxide poisoning is very real to those that live in a home with a combustible-type heating plant. "Carbon monoxide is very toxic, and has caused many deaths from asphyxia when ... fumes from a faulty furnace are breathed" (Carbon Monoxide, The Encyclopedia Americana, ©1963, Volume 5, pg. 592).

Carbon monoxide (CO), which is an oxide of Carbon, is commonly produced when fuel is incompletely burnt at temperatures above 191.5 deg. C.

"Sources include old or misadjusted furnaces, gas water heaters, gas ovens, wood stoves, kerosene heaters, barbecue grills used indoors and blocked chimneys" (Carbon Monoxide's No Laughing Gas, Either, U.S. News & World Report, Sept. 26, 1988, pg. 62).

In years past, a leak or a clog in a combustion heating system did not go so easily unnoticed as it does today. This is because the quality of today's fuel is much greater. "...in the past, impurities in fuel gave off a scent or left soot that could signal a problem. Today's purer fuels often leave no trace. And modern houses are also better insulated--good for saving energy, bad for letting in air that might dilute the poison" (Colorless, Odorless and Deadly, Newsweek, Oct. 3, 1994, pg. 60).

Because CO is odorless and colorless, people are rarely aware of its presense before they succume to its effects. Many times, people misinterpret their headaches, dizziness, and fatigue as the flu. "At lower concentrations, it can cause headaches, nausea, blurred vision, sleepiness or chest pains" (Carbon Monoxide's No Laughing Gas, Either, U.S. News & World Report). And at higher concentrations, however, death can occur.

Carbon monoxide effectively impedes the body's ability to process oxygen. It does this by bonding with the hemoglobin in the blood, preventing oxygen from doing the same. This can result in asphyxiation when the level of carbon monoxide reaches a certain level in the bloodstream. Death, according to some accounts, is painless.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

One way to guard against the threat of carbon monoxide is to install one or more carbon monoxide detectors in your home. There are several types now on the market, most of which automatically detect and warn people in the vicinity when CO is detected.

One model features a metal strip inside a special chamber. The metal strip is essentially heated using 110 VAC. Another type of CO detector features a chemical that changes color when it is exposed to CO. In either case, when CO is detected, an internal sounder warns of the condition. A third type features a color dot on a card that changes color when it is exposed to CO. The only problem with this method is that it must be examined periodically, which does very little for a homeowner when he or she is asleep when the CO appears.

Although a CO detector is always a good investment, not everyone needs one. "People in all-electric homes, for example, have little to worry about. But if you live, say, in a tightly sealed home with gas or wood-burning appliances, a few dollars for a monitor amount to cheap peace-of-mind insurance" (Carbon Monoxide's No Laughing Gas, Either, U.S. News & World Report, Sept. 26, 1988, pg. 62).

Although it seemingly would make sense to first install CO detectors at all potential CO sources--such as the furnaces and gas hot water tanks, this is not the case. The first place to install a CO detector is in your bedroom hallway. This assures that if CO begins to build up when everyone is asleep in bed, that everyone's still cognitive enough to comprehend its meaning. Additional CO detectors than should be installed at each potential source of CO.

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