Owner Vince DiFilippo talks about Carbon Monoxide Safety

As one of only about 2000 certified CO/Combustion Analysts in the world, I am asking families to take a little time out of your busy day to do some detective work and use this check list to see if you are having any CO problems. If you do find any, please call your heating contractor to identify and correct the problems. A qualified technician should come equipped with a digital CO analyzer which also reads oxygen, and stack temperature, and a draft gauge for measuring proper chimney/flue operation. The remediation and repairs of the CO problem should be done by a Certified CO and Combustion Analyst.

CARBON MONOXIDE CHECKLIST

Here is what you’re looking for:

1. Any rust around the top of your gas/oil water heater where the metal flue pipe comes out. Do you see melted stickers or pipe insulation? These are all indicators where the fumes are reversing and spilling into the living area. Flue gas’s are acidic and will leave rust marks where they spill. This is Dangerous situation.
2. Any rust on or around the fluepipe or where it connects to the furnace or chimney.
   Is there any “white soot” visible? It looks like dried salt on the roadway in winter.
3. Any water dripping or seeping from joints or from the base of the chimney. This is an indication that there could be a partial blockage of the flue, the furnace is not operating at proper firing rates, or there is a venting problem.
4. When the furnace blower fan comes on, does the basement door get “sucked” closed? Do you feel air rushing under the door into the basement when the furnace comes on? This is an indication that your basement is going into a negative state and is very dangerous because if the air can’t be sucked through the bottom of the door, it may pull the fumes out of the chimney. This is a dangerous condition.
5. Do you have to keep lighting the pilot all of the time? Do you smell fumes anytime your in the basement or when you come in from outside? It could be a venting problem.
6. Do you feel tired, have a headache or feel nauseous when you wake up in the morning but feel better when you go to work?
7. Are your pets acting funny? Have you lost any pets during the Fall/Winter Months?
8. Has your Carbon Monoxide alarm EVER gone off? There is no such thing as a false alarm when it comes to CO activations.
9. Do you warm-up your car in the garage?
10. Have you remodeled your basement recently and enclosed the furnace in a separate room?
11. Have you added bathroom exhaust fans or a new kitchen exhaust fan?
12. When was your furnace last serviced? (hint...it should be every year!)