(RVing Women, November/December 2001)

Take Only Pictures, Leave Only Footprints

Carbon monoxide poisoning is a silent killer that you can’t see. Whether it is your furnace, water heater, fireplace, gas stoves or your grill, all put out carbon monoxide. If they are not working properly, all can introduce poisoning.

The initial symptoms that cause one to be ill are similar to flu, but without fever. It causes dizziness, fatigue, headache, nausea and irregular breathing.

If you have a heart condition, your condition may be aggravated by carbon monoxide. Ingestion of barbiturates and alcohol may in­crease the gas’ health effects. Further, smokers will have higher carbonhemoglobin than non-smok­ers, and therefore face higher risk from carbon monoxide exposures

Other signs and symptoms may include: slower motor function, poor judgment, chest pain, weakness, confusion, and even death. The effects of CO poisoning can get worse over time. A person exposed to low levels for a long period of time could actually be worse off than~ someone with a shorter exposure to a higher amount.

If any of these symptoms occur to you and you feel better when you go outside, but the symptoms reap­pear when you go back inside, you probably have carbon monoxide poisoning.

A lot of common items produce carbon monoxide: fuel-fired furnaces (not electric), gas water heaters, fireplaces and wood stoves, gas stoves, charcoal grills, lawn mowers, snowblowers, and other non-electric yard equipment, as well as automo­biles and other vehicles left running in garages or buildings.

If you suspect any of the above symptoms, open all windows possible to vent and leave the vehicle or home.

Here are some preventive safety tips to help reduce the risk of being exposed to carbon monoxide.

A yearly check-up of all fuel-burning vented systems in the RV and/or home.

A yearly check-up of all com­bustion appliances is suggested. In many areas, upon request, the gas company will provide this service.

Don’t block ventilation areas around gas appliances.

Check the operation of your carbon monoxide detector. Don’t have one? Get one installed in your RV and/or home now. The devices should be installed near the sleeping area near the floor.

Choose a model that meets Underwriters Laboratories (UL) standard 2034 effective October 1 1995. These detectors measure both high CO concentrations over short periods of time and low CO concen­tration over long periods of time, sounding an alarm before the level of CO in a person’s blood becomes crippling.

There are a number of different types and brands of carbon monoxide detectors on the market today. They can be most easily characterized by whether they operate on household current or batteries. Underlying this, in most cases, is the type of sensor employed in the detectors’ operation. Detectors using household current typically employ some type of solid-state sensor, which purges itself and re-samples for CO on a periodic basis. This cycling of the sensor is the source of its increased power demands. Detectors powered by batteries typically use a passive sensor technology that reacts to the prolonged exposure to carbon mon­oxide gas.

Each of the two types of detec­tors mentioned previously has applications in the home along with associated advantages and disadvan­tages. The proper detector for each application or installation should be chosen based on the application requirements and the products specifications.

 What should I do when my carbon monoxide detector goes off?

 First, stay calm. Most situations resulting in activation of a carbon monoxide detector are not life threatening. To determine the need to call 911, ask the following question of everyone in the household:

 “Does anyone feel ill? Is anyone experiencing the ⁴flu-like’ symptoms of headache, nausea or dizziness?”

If the answer to the above by anyone in the household is true, evacuate the household/vehicle to a safe location and have someone call 911. Failure to evacuate immediately may result in prolonged exposure and worsening effects from possible carbon monoxide gas. The best initial treatment for carbon monoxide gas exposure is fresh air.

If the answer to the above by everyone in the household is no, the likelihood of a serious exposure is greatly diminished and one probably does not need to call 911. Instead, turn off any gas burning appliances or equipment, ventilate the area and attempt to reset the alarm. If the alarm will not reset or resounds, call a qualified heating and ventilating service contractor to inspect your system for possible problems. If at any time during this process someone begins to feel ill with the symptoms described above, evacuate the household to a safe location and have someone call 911.

Have a safe and happy winter.