CPSC Urges Seasonal Furnace Inspection to Prevent CO
Poisonings
WASHINGTON, D.C. - As the weather turns colder throughout much of
the country, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) urges consumers
to have a professional inspection of all fuel-burning appliances - including
furnaces, stoves, fireplaces, clothes dryers, water heaters and space heaters -
to detect deadly carbon monoxide (CO) leaks.
These appliances burn fuels
- typically gas, both natural and liquefied petroleum; kerosene; oil; coal; and
wood. Under certain conditions, these appliances can produce deadly CO. However,
with proper installation and maintenance, they are safe to use. An annual
inspection and service is the first line of defense against this silent
killer.
CO is a colorless, odorless gas produced by burning any fuel. The
initial symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to flu, and include headache,
fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea and dizziness. Exposure to high levels of
CO can cause death.
"Each year, CO poisoning associated with using
fuel-burning appliances kills about 200 people," said CPSC Chairman Ann Brown.
"Having this inspection performed could prevent a terrible tragedy."
CPSC
recommends that the yearly professional inspection include checking chimneys,
flues and vents for leakage and blockage by debris. Birds, insects and other
animals sometimes nest in vents and block exhaust gases, causing the gases to
enter the home. Leakage through cracks or holes could cause black stains on the
outside of the chimney or flue. These stains and strange smells can mean that
pollutants are leaking into the house. In addition, have all vents to furnaces,
water heaters, boilers and other fuel-burning appliances checked to make sure
they are not loose or disconnected.
Have your appliances inspected for
gas leaks and adequate ventilation. A supply of fresh air is important to help
carry pollutants up the chimney, stovepipe or flue, and is necessary for the
complete combustion of any fuel. Never block ventilation air openings. Also,
make sure the appliance is operating on the fuel that it is designed to use. An
appliance must be modified by a professional to burn propane.
CPSC
recommends that every home should have at least one CO alarm that meets the
requirements of the most recent Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 2034 standard or
International Approval Services 6-96 standard. CPSC worked with UL to improve
the CO alarm standard to improve the reliability of alarms, and reduce the
potential for nuisance alarming.
Consumers should also have the vent
pipes on their heating systems inspected. In 1998, CPSC worked with the furnace
and boiler industry and the manufacturers of high-temperature plastic vent
(HTPV) pipes to conduct a vent pipe recall program. The program's purpose is to
replace, free of charge, an estimated 250,000 HTPV pipe systems attached to gas
or propane furnaces or boilers in consumers' homes. The HTPV pipes could crack
or separate at the joints and leak CO. Consumers should call the recall hotline
toll-free at (800) 758-3688, between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. ET, seven days a week,
to verify that their appliance venting systems are subject to this
program.
CPSC continues to work with the furnace industry to develop new
technologies to address the hazards of CO poisoning and fire. Results include a
standard that added blocked-vent shut-off devices to protect against blocked
vent pipes and chimneys, and requirements to guard against a vent pipe becoming
separated from the furnace. Both of these conditions could lead to CO
poisonings. Also, all gas-fired furnaces manufactured since 1987 have flame
roll-out protection technology that prevents flames from shooting out of the
furnace's combustion chamber and starting a fire.
The U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission protects the public from unreasonable risks
of injury or death from 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's
jurisdiction. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call
CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or
visit CPSC's web site at http://www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. For information on
CPSC's fax-on-demand service, call the above numbers or visit the web site at
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/103.html. To order a press release through
fax-on-demand, call (301) 504-0051 from the handset of your fax machine and
enter the release number. Consumers can obtain this release and recall
information at CPSC's web site at http://www.cpsc.gov.