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When propane is burned in a properly designed, installed, vented and adjusted furnace or appliance, harmless carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor are formed, and useful heat is released. Small traces of carbon monoxide (CO) may also be formed, but these will be harmlessly vented to the outdoors. But, if the furnace or appliance isn’t functioning or venting properly, excessive amounts of CO may form. Please contact our office with any questions or to request a brochure with more information on CO. |
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Exposure to CO can be hazardous to your health. Here are some signs of CO exposure: |
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Flu-like symptoms, headache, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, irregular breathing or eye irritation. |
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CO poisoning may result in confusion, disorientation, physical collapse and death. The very young, the elderly and people with heart disease are most susceptible. |
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Conditions leading to CO formation include: |
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Anything that plugs the vent system: a bird nest, an internal collapse of a masonry chimney or damage to the vent piping. Plugged fresh-air vents in crawl spaces, basements, utility rooms, or closets housing a gas appliance. |
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Vent pipes have rusted completely through inside the building. |
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A leaking heat exchanger in a furnace or space heater. (Have your furnace inspected routinely.) |
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Excessive caulking, insulating, sealing or use of taped plastic storm windows can reduce the natural influx of fresh air and “starve” an appliance of oxygen, causing excessive levels of CO to form. |
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Improper air adjustment, wrong orifice size, or misalignment within burner systems can create excessive amounts of CO that may infiltrate indoors if the vent system isn’t working properly. |
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Please follow manufacturers’ operating and maintenance instructions on appliances and equipment. Also, consider purchasing gas and carbon monoxide detectors to provide warning of the presence of these gases. |
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