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The dangers of carbon monoxide have become well enough known to encourage many more people to install detectors for their protection. While that is encouraging, there still remains the matter of placement of these detectors. Positioned in the wrong place, a carbon monoxide detector can be little more than a talisman – comforting, perhaps, but in the end not very effective. To understand the proper placement of carbon monoxide detectors for maximum effectiveness, it is necessary to know the nature of the gas itself. Carbon monoxide is a color, odorless gas that cannot be tasted. It is produced during the incomplete combustion of a carbon fuel (including gas, petrol, coal, kerosene, wood and the like). It has a specific gravity of 0.9657, which is very close to that of air, which is 1.0. Therefore, carbon monoxide can easily mix with air and be found at nearly any level of a room. For example, if a burner on a gas stove is not working correctly and produces carbon monoxide, the heat of the air can carry not only up towards the ceiling, but into upper floors of a house. The gas causes damage by replacing oxygen carried by red blood cells (hemoglobin). When it is breathed in, hemoglobin finds it 240 times more attractive than oxygen, which means that even small concentrations of carbon monoxide in the air can cause oxygen starvation of cells in the body, including the brain. In great enough concentration, carbon monoxide can lower the oxygen saturation of the blood from its normal levels (in healthy individuals) from 95% or greater to below 80%, where it begins to cause cell death. Moreover, since the brain is affected by carbon monoxide poisoning, resulting in confusion, fatigue and even unconsciousness, a victim may not know that they are being poisoned. This is particularly problematic when an individual is asleep, since they will keep breathing in the toxic gas until, potentially, they expire. Knowing all that, it is clear that the first line of defense for carbon monoxide detectors with alarms be placed near bedrooms or sleeping areas. Since the gas can be present anywhere in the house, wherever the air currents take it, at least one detector should be placed on every floor of a multi-story house or building. To avoid false alarms, however, these detectors should not be placed within a few feet of household cleaning liquids or other chemicals, as some detectors can read those fumes as false positives. Also, since many burners (such as on a stove or furnace) emit a small burst of carbon monoxide when they first turn on, detectors should not be placed too close to them. The height at which a carbon monoxide detector should be placed varies upon the type and brand of the unit. Since manufacturers of detectors test their products to determine their optimum placement in a room, it is good policy to follow their instructions. Although most advocates of the use of carbon monoxide detectors stress their use in homes, there are other locations where they can serve well. Enclosed garages, particularly attached to a house, have the potential for raised levels of carbon monoxide. While its common sense not to allow a car’s motor to run in an enclosed space, particularly a garage with the door closed, it is possible for the toxic gas to build up just from the normal, brief times of parking a vehicle. Added to that are potential leaks from a malfunctioning gas-fired furnace or hot water heater located on the other side of the common wall. Some house designs even place these appliances in the garage to allow more room in the house. Garden sheds or workshops which use gas space heaters can also be points of danger. Caravans and camping tents with space heaters also present the risk of accumulated carbon monoxide (there are several models of portable detectors which can be used on camping trips). Another point of potential danger, often overlooked, are power boats with an enclosed motor; carbon monoxide can build up and cause harm. Even sail boats with sleeping berths, when docked next to motorboats, can also be hot spots for carbon monoxide. In brief, any location where fuel is being burned, there is the potential for carbon monoxide poisoning. Laura Ginn knows that the correct placing of a CO detector is paramount to its ability to save lives. Visit uSwitch.com to learn more about how to protect yourself and your family from the effects of carbon monoxide.
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Home, Home Safety, Carbon Monoxide, Carbon Monoxide Detectors,
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