Facts About Home Carbon Monoxide Detection

The Invisible Deadly Gas Is Carbon Monoxide!
Carbon Monoxide, known as CO, is a toxic gas that kills nearly 300 people each year in the United States. Carbon Monoxide can claim its victim with little warning because you cannot hear, taste, see, or smell it.

Symptoms of CO Poisoning
Carbon Monoxide poisoning can kill you. When CO is inhaled it binds with hemoglobin in the bloodstream, displacing the oxygen that is needed by the body to function and survive. The initial symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to the flu (but without the fever). They include:

• Dizziness or fatigue
• Headache, confusion or disorientation
• Nausea or vomiting
• Shortness of breath or irregular breathing

Clues You Can See . . .

• Vehicle running in a garage
• Rusting or water streaking on vent/chimney
• Loose or missing furnace panel
• Sooting on appliances
• Loose or disconnected vent/chimney connections
• Debris or soot falling from chimney, fireplace or appliance
• Loose masonry on chimney
• Moisture inside of windows or on walls of furnace room

Clues You Cannot See . . .

• Internal appliance damage or malfunctioning components
• Improper burning adjustments
• Hidden blockage or damage in chimneys

Sources of Carbon Monoxide
Carbon Monoxide is a byproduct of incomplete combustion. Vehicles are major producers of CO. Dangerous levels of CO may occur in a home due to a vehicle left running in the garage or malfunctioning fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, stoves, ovens, water heaters, space heaters and clothes dryers. Additional sources of CO are wood-burning stoves, cooking grills, and fireplaces.

What Can You Do?

• Make sure appliances are installed and operated according to the manufacturers' instructions and local building codes
• Have your fuel-burning appliances inspected by a qualified service technician
• Examine vents and chimneys regularly for improper connections, visible rust or stains
• Install a carbon monoxide detector
• Be alert to conditions that could indicate improper appliance installation:
  1. Decreasing hot water supply
  2. Furnace unable to heat house or runs constantly
  3. Sooting, especially on appliances

What You Should Not Do:

• Never leave a vehicle running in the garage
• Never attempt do-it-yourself repairs on your appliances
• Never use a gas range or oven for heating
• Never burn charcoal indoors or in a garage

Purchasing a Carbon Monoxide Detector:

• Only purchase a carbon monoxide detector that displays the "UL" Underwriters Laboratories Inc. label
• Install and maintain the CO detector per the manufacturers' instructions

Does a Carbon Monoxide Detector Replace My Smoke Detector?
Although some smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are similar in appearance, they are not interchangeable and protect you from two separate hazards. A carbon monoxide detector is not designed or intended to give you the early warning necessary to escape a fire. Carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detector should both be installed in the home to adequately protect and warn you to the hazards of carbon monoxide or a fire.

What To Do If A Detector Sounds Its Alarm:

• Exit the home to a fresh air environment
• Dial 9-1-1 or call your local fire department on their emergency number to conduct an investigation

A cooperative effort of: MISSOURI GAS ENERGY

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