Carbon Monoxide Safety Information General Co Information; Possible Sources - Kidde 900-0122-UK User Manual

Carbon Monoxide Safety Information
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,
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 stoves, gas clothes dryers, water heaters, portable
gas/paraffin 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, and a loose or cracked boiler heat exchanger can also
cause CO. Vehicles and other combustion engines running in
an attached garage and using a charcoal/gas grill in an enclosed
area are all possible sources of CO.
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 (gas hob, oven,
fireplace, etc.), temperature inversions which can trap exhaust
gasses near the ground, car idling in an open or closed attached
garage or near a home.
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