Votes - 5, Average rating: 3.8
(
)
)
|
manual abstract
The flame should be blue. A yellow flame means fuel is not being burned completely and CO may be present. Keep the blower door on the furnace closed. Use vents or fans when they are available on all fuel-burning appliances. Make sure appliances are vented to the outside. Do not grill or barbecue indoors, or in garages or on screen porches. • Check for exhaust backflow from CO sources. Check the draft hood on an operating furnace for a backdraft. Look for cracks on furnace heat exchangers. • Check the house or garage on the other side of shared wall. • Keep windows and doors open slightly. If you suspect that CO is escaping into your home, open a window or a door. Opening windows and doors can significantly decrease CO levels. In addition, familiarize yourself with all enclosed materials. Read this manual in its entirety, and make sure you understand what to do if your CO Alarm sounds. Fuel-burning appliances like: portable heater, gas or wood burning fireplace, gas kitchen range or cooktop, gas clothes dryer. Damaged or insufficient venting: corroded or disconnected water heater vent pipe, leaking chimney pipe or flue, or cracked heat exchanger, blocked or clogged chimney opening. Improper use of appliance/device: operating a barbecue grill or vehicle in an enclosed area (like a garage or screened porch). Transient CO Problems: “transient” or on-again-off-again CO problems can be caused by outdoor conditions and other special circumstances. The following conditions can result in transient CO situations: 1. Excessive spillage or reverse venting of fuel appliances caused by outdoor conditions such as: • Wind direction and/or velocity, including high, gusty winds. Heavy air in the vent pipes (cold/humid air with extended periods between cycles). • Negative pressure differential resulting from the use of exhaust fans. • Several appliances running at the same time competing for limited fresh air. • Vent pipe connections vibrating loose from clothes dryers, furnaces, or water heaters. • Obstructions in or unconventional vent pipe designs which can amplify the above situations. 2. Extended operation of unvented fuel burning devices (range, oven, fireplace). 3. Temperature inversions, which can trap exhaust close to the ground. 4. Car idling in an open or closed attached garage, or near a home. These conditions are dangerous because they can trap exhaust in your home. Since these conditions can come and go, they are also hard to recreate during a CO investigation. 4 REGULATORY INFORMATION FOR CO ALARMS WHAT LEVELS OF CO CAUSE AN ALARM? Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Standard UL2034 requires residential CO Alarms to sound when exposed to levels of CO and exposure times as described below. CO levels are measured in parts per million (ppm) of CO over time (in minutes). UL2034 Required Alarm Points*: • If the alarm is exposed to 400 ppm of CO, IT MUST ALARM BETWEEN 4 and 15 MINUTES • If the alarm is exposed to 150 ppm of CO, IT MUST ALARM BETWEEN 10 and 50 MINUTES. • If the alarm is exposed to 70 ppm of CO, IT MUST ALARM BETWEEN 60 and 240 MINUTES. * Approximately 10% COHb exposure at levels of 10% to 95% Relative Humidity (RH). The unit is designed not to alarm when exposed to a constant level of 30 ppm for 30 days. CO Alarms are designed to alarm before there is an immediate life threat. Since you cannot see or smell CO, never assume it’s not present. • An exposure to 100 ppm of CO for 20 minutes may not affect average, healthy adults, but after 4 hours the same level may cause headaches. • An exposure to 400 ppm of CO may cause headaches in average, healthy adults after 35 minutes, but can cause death after 2 hours. This CO Alarm measures exposure to CO over time. It alarms if CO levels are extremely high in a short period of time, or if CO levels reach a certain minimum over a long period of time. The CO Alarm generally sounds an alarm before the onset of symptoms in average, healthy adults. Why is this important? Because you need to be warned of a potential CO problem while you can still react in time. In many reported cases of CO exposure, victims may be aware that they are not feeling well, but become disoriented and can no longer react well enough to exit the building or get help. Also, young children and pets may be the first affected. The average healthy adult might not feel any symptoms when the CO Alarm sounds. However, people with cardiac or respiratory problems, infants, unborn babies, pregnant mothers, or elderly people can be more quickly and severely affected by CO. If you experience even mild symptoms of CO poisoning, consult your doctor immediately! Standards: Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Single and Multiple Station carbon monoxide alarms UL2034. According to Underwriters Laboratories Inc. UL2034, Section 1-1.2: “Carbon monoxide alarms covered by these requirements are intended to respond to the presence of carbon monoxide from sources such as, but not limited to, exhaust from internal-combustion e...