Safety
AROUND YOUR HOME

A deadly air pollutant

What odorless, colorless, tasteless but deadly intruder might be lurking in your home? Carbon monoxide gas. It's produced when fuel is burned. Poisonings can occur when this gas collects in enclosed spaces such as homes or vehicles. The initial symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to the flu but without a fever. They include dizziness, fatigue, headache, nausea, confusion and irritability. As levels of carbon monoxide increase, individuals lose consciousness and finally brain damage and death result.

Barbara Cooper

Carbon monoxide is produced by common home appliances such as gas or oil furnaces, gas clothes dryers, gas ranges, gas or oil water heaters or space heaters, fireplaces, charcoal grills and wood burning stoves. Fumes from automobiles and gas-powered lawn mowers also contain carbon monoxide. Electric powered heating appliances don't produce carbon monoxide.

Prevention is the key to avoiding carbon monoxide poisoning. Make sure appliances, including furnaces, are installed according to manufacturer's instructions and local building codes. Adequate air must be provided to assure complete combustion of the fuel. An inadequate air supply can cause conditions known as backdrafting or reverse stacking. This causes exhaust fumes to filter into the house instead of going up the chimney.

Yearly maintenance of heating appliances, including gas dryers and water heaters, is important. A qualified technician should check the electrical and mechanical parts such as thermostat controls and safety devices. Chimneys and flues should be checked for blockages, corrosion and loose connections. Some signs that a heating appliance isn't operating properly are: decreasing hot water supply, furnace unable to heat house or runs constantly, sooting — especially on the appliance, unfamiliar or burning odor, and increased condensation inside the windows. Homes or appliances showing these signs need to be checked.

Unvented appliances such as gas or kerosene space heaters add pollutants to the indoor air so their use should be carefully considered. Besides observing fire safety rules, make sure the burner is properly adjusted and that there is good ventilation. Never use these appliances in a closed room. Keep doors open throughout the house and open a window slightly for fresh air.

Never use outdoor appliances such as BBQ grills or construction heaters indoors. Don't use appliances such as ovens or clothes dryers to heat the house. Never keep a car running in an attached garage.

One way to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning is to buy a carbon monoxide detector. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends installing at least one carbon monoxide detector in your home near the sleeping area. Choose a UL (Underwriters Laboratories Inc.) listed detector that sounds an alarm. Many models simply plug into a standard electric outlet while others operate from a battery. Most building supply or hardware stores carry a variety of carbon monoxide testers. The Consumer Product Safety Commission believes that carbon monoxide detectors are as important to home safety as smoke detectors.

If the detector goes off and any member of your household is experiencing symptoms of poisoning, get them out of the house and call your local fire department for help. Infants and children may be affected more quickly. If no one is experiencing symptoms and the alarm has gone off, ventilate the home with fresh air, turn off anything that might give off carbon monoxide and call a reputable service person to inspect the combustion appliances in your home.

There are a number of indoor air pollutants that can affect health and wellness. Most are not as deadly as carbon monoxide. Consumer and family economics educators with University of Illinois Extension have more information on indoor air quality. You can contact them through your local University of Illinois Extension office.

Barbara Cooper is an Estension Educator, Crop Systems, at the Springfield Extension Center, University of Illinois Extension. You can write to her in care of Illinois Country Living, P.O. Box 3787, Springfield, IL 62708. Telephone her at (217) 782-6515 or send e-mail to cooperb@ldea.ag.uiuc.edu.

16 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING FEBRUARY 1999