What is carbon monoxide?
It is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas created when fuels, such as gasoline, wood, charcoal, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, kerosene and methane burn incompletely.
Where does carbon monoxide come from?
Heaters, fireplaces, furnaces, appliances and cooking sources using coal, wood, petroleum products, and other fuels producing carbon monoxide.
Products and equipment powered by an internal combustion engine, such as portable generators, cars, lawn mowers, and power washers produce carbon monoxide.
Operating equipment inside an attached garage increases the risk of introduction of carbon monoxide into a living space.
What are the risk factors of carbon monoxide?
Carbon monoxide fumes are dangerous and may be deadly. Especially at risk are:
unborn babies
infants
older adults
people who smoke
people with chronic heart disease, anemia or respiratory problems
Why should my home have carbon monoxide alarms?
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, approximately 2,100 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning every year in the United States.
There are more than 10,000 injuries annually from carbon monoxide.
Fuel burning home heating and cooking equipment are sources of carbon monoxide.
Car exhaust in an attached garage may leak carbon monoxide into the house even with the main garage door open.
Why is carbon monoxide harmful?
It displaces oxygen in the blood and deprives the heart, brain, and other vital organs of oxygen.
The molecules attach to your red blood cells more easily than oxygen molecules, depriving oxygen from getting into the body. This may damage tissues and result in death.