Carbon Monoxide Information

Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning is a serious threat to many households so I wanted to take a quick minute to give you some information about Carbon Monoxide and the Illinois law that requires the installation of Carbon Monoxide detectors in your home. Please read over these Frequently Asked Questions and the enclosed brochure.

What is Carbon Monoxide?

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and toxic gas produced as a by-product of combustion. Any fuel burning appliance, vehicle, tool or other device has the potential to produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide gas. Examples of carbon monoxide producing devices commonly in use around the home include:

• Fuel fired furnaces (non-electric)
• Gas water heaters
• Fireplaces and woodstoves
• Gas stoves
• Gas dryers
• Charcoal grills
• Lawnmowers, snow-blowers and other yard equipment
• Automobiles

How many carbon monoxide detectors should I have and where should I place them?

The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends a detector on each floor of a residence. At a minimum, a single detector should be placed on each sleeping floor with an additional detector in the area of any major gas burning appliances such as a furnace or water heater. In general, carbon monoxide detectors should be placed high (near the ceiling) for most effective use. Detectors should also not be placed within five feet of gas fueled appliances or near cooking or bathing areas.

What are the medical effects of carbon monoxide and how do I recognize them?

Carbon monoxide inhibits the blood's ability to carry oxygen to body tissues including vital organs such as the heart and brain. When CO is inhaled, it combines with the oxygen carrying hemoglobin of the blood to form carboxyhemoglobin. Once combined with the hemoglobin, that hemoglobin is no longer available for transporting oxygen.

• Stage 1 Mild headache.
• Stage 2 Nausea and serious headache. Quick recovery with oxygen or fresh air.
• Stage 3 Symptoms intensify. Potential for long term effects especially in the case of infants, children, the elderly, victims of heart disease and pregnant women.
• Stage 4 Unconsciousness.
• Stage 5 Death.

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

First and foremost, stay calm. Most situations resulting in activation of a detector are not life threatening and do not require calling 911. To determine the need to call 911, ask the following question of everyone in the household: "Does anyone feel ill? Is anyone experiencing the 'flu-like' symptoms of headache, nausea or dizziness?" If the answer is yes, evacuate the household 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 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.