19
General CO Information
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless, 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: petrol,
diesel, propane, natural gas, oil and wood. It can be produced
by any fuel-burning appliance that is malfunctioning,
improperly installed, or not ventilated correctly. Possible sources
include boilers, gas range/stoves, high concentrations of tobacco smoke, gas clothes dryers, water heaters, portable fuel
burning space heaters, fireplaces, wood-burning stoves
and certain swimming pool heaters. Blocked chimneys or
flues, back drafting and changes in air pressure, corroded or
disconnected vent pipes, can also cause CO. Vehicles and other
combustion engines running in an attached garage and using
a charcoal/gas grill or barbecue in an enclosed area are all
possible sources of CO. Do not BBQ in enclosed spaces.
The following conditions can result in transient CO situations:
Excessive spillage or reverse venting of fuel-burning appliances
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, boilers, or
water heaters, obstructions in, or unconventional, 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
gases near the ground, car idling in an open or closed attached
garage, or near a home.
NOTE: The apparatus may respond to brief exhaust gas
emissions, for example during the initial start-up of an
appliance. Also, hydrogen acts as an interferent and can
arise from some battery charging activities and the curing
of concrete or cement under certain circumstances.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), e.g. alcohols, which
may eventually activate the alarm, can be generated from
use of damp-proofing materials or other coatings containing alkylalkoxysilanes.
Carbon Monoxide Safety Information