Instructions / Assembly

ManualsBrandsFirst Alert ManualsKitchenPlug-In Explosive Gas and Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Digital Display

What I should know about carbon monoxide

Where does carbon monoxide come from?

CO can be produced by the combustion that occurs from fossil fuel burning

appliances like a furnace, clothes dryer, range, oven, water heater, or space

heater. When appliances and vents work properly, and there is enough fresh air

in your home to allow complete combustion, the trace amounts of CO produced

are typically not dangerous. And normally, CO is safely vented outside your

home.

Problems may arise when something goes wrong. An appliance can malfunction,

a furnace heat exchanger can crack, vents can clog, or debris may block a

chimney or flue. Fireplaces, wood burning stoves, gas heaters, charcoal grills, or

gas logs can produce unsafe levels of CO if they are unvented or not properly

vented. Exhaust can seep into the home from vehicles left running in an attached

garage. All these things can cause a CO problem in the home.

Summary of content (5 pages)

PAGE 1
What I should know about carbon monoxide Where does carbon monoxide come from? CO can be produced by the combustion that occurs from fossil fuel burning appliances like a furnace, clothes dryer, range, oven, water heater, or space heater. When appliances and vents work properly, and there is enough fresh air in your home to allow complete combustion, the trace amounts of CO produced are typically not dangerous. And normally, CO is safely vented outside your home.
PAGE 2
What is carbon monoxide? Carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible, odorless gas. It is a common by-product of incomplete combustion, produced when fossil fuels (like oil, gas or coal) burn. Because you can’t see, taste or smell it, carbon monoxide can kill you before you know it’s there. Exposure to lower levels over time can make you sick. Why is carbon monoxide so dangerous? Carbon Monoxide robs you of what you need most: oxygen, which is carried to your cells and tissue by the hemoglobin in your blood.
PAGE 3
o Check furnace connections to the flue pipes and venting systems to the outside of the home for signs of corrosion, rust, gaps or holes. o Check furnace filters and filtering systems for dirt or blockage. o Check forced air fans for proper installation and to assure correct air flow of flue gases. Improper furnace blower installation can result in carbon monoxide build-up because toxic gas is blown into rather than out of the house.
PAGE 4
o Check the clothes dryer vent opening. Lint may block proper venting outside the house. What do I do if my carbon monoxide alarm goes off? Never ignore an alarm! It is very possible that you won’t be experiencing symptoms of CO poisoning when the alarm sounds. That doesn’t mean there is no carbon monoxide present. The alarm is designed to go off before you feel sick, so you have time to react and take action. Don’t panic.
PAGE 5
How does a carbon monoxide alarm work? It’s not like a smoke alarm. While a smoke alarm triggers an alarm when it detects particles of smoke, a carbon monoxide alarm triggers an alarm based on exposure to CO over time. It is designed to sound an alarm before an average, healthy adult would experience symptoms. Remember, with carbon monoxide, it is the concentration of CO over time that poses a threat.