Safety
AROUND YOUR HOME

A warning that needs airing

Bill Campbell

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisonings happen every year across America. A couple years ago, I read about one incident in California that claimed the lives of three people in a family of five.

Then this summer I read that two people died here in Illinois when they went down a well housing where a gasoline powered pump had been operating. This poisoning reminded me that we will soon be entering the winter months when these incidents occur more frequently. Cold winter months, homes closed tight, and people using unusual methods to keep themselves warm contribute to this type of accident.

In the California poisoning, the family started their car in a closed garage on a cold November morning as they prepared to go to church. The garage was attached to the home and the door from the garage to the home was left open. CO gas moved from the garage to the living quarters and overcame the victims.

Everyone needs to be reminded of the dangers associated with CO. It is produced in varying quantities any time a fuel such as wood, natural gas, fuel oil, kerosene, diesel fuel or gasoline is burned. The quantity increases whenever the supply of oxygen is limited during the combustion process.

If you are like most people over the last 20-25 years, you have a home that was built or remodeled with energy savings in mind. This means your home is tight to keep heating and cooling bills down (and limit the ability of oxygen to get in). If you decide to use a combustion heating device such as a kerosene heater, you have a perfect recipe for tragedy.

Cold temperatures, weatherized houses, and power outages would seem to be the greatest threats for CO poisonings. However, normal operation of any combustion device can cause poisonings if it is not vented properly. This means the inspection of chimneys, stove vents and fireplaces is necessary prior to each heating season to clear obstructions, repair leaks, and maintain proper updraft under all operating conditions. If you use a fireplace or wood-burning stove, regular cleaning is important to prevent chimney fires, improve the updraft and keep smoke and deadly gases out of your home.

Remember to keep your furnace's return air ducts clear if your home has them. If not, you need to make sure there is free flow of air to your furnace. Limiting air flow could cause a suction in the furnace room whenever your furnace fan comes on. This will draw air and toxic gases back down the chimney and poison your home.

Proper inspection and maintenance of your heating system are good steps toward preventing CO poisonings. But there are other things you may want to consider. One of the most important is the installation of CO detectors. These can be purchased at any hardware or home store and installed by anyone who can use a screwdriver. Unlike smoke detectors, which are usually installed in or near the bedrooms, CO detectors are installed near your combustion devices. This way they will detect problems before CO spreads throughout your home.

CO detectors operate differently than smoke detectors. Smoke detectors sound when smoke levels are above a set threshold and stop if levels return to below that threshold. CO detectors function more like a strainer. They collect the CO in the air and sound when they have collected a set amount. Once they have sounded, they cannot be turned off unless the collector is replaced. In this way, they warn you if you have a high concentration for a short time, or lower concentrations over longer periods (equally dangerous).

For more information about protecting your family from carbon monoxide poisoning, contact your heating contractor or the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension.

Bill Campbell is an Extension Educator, Farm Systems, at the Springfield Extension Center, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Illinois. You can write to Campbell in care of Illinois Country Living, P.O. Box 3787, Springfield, IL 62708. Telephone: 217-782-6515. E-Mail: campbellw@idea.ag.uiuc.edu

14 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING OCTOBER 1996