Carbon Monoxide Testing
This year, Precision Air Conditioning and Heating are including carbon monoxide (CO) testing of your gas furnace as part of our Precision Plan™ - without additional charge. We are Certified Carbon Monoxide & Combustion Analysts. We have the proper training and equipment to protect you from appliance-related CO poisoning by making sure your gas appliances are operating within the proper parameters. The safety of our customers is of paramount importance to us. If you have any other gas appliances in the house – like a gas stove, dryer, water heater or gas logs – these can be tested at the same time for an additional fee.
Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of poison-related death and injury in the world. The medical establishment has recently started to recognize the danger of long-term low-level carbon monoxide exposure. Low-level CO poisoning is a widespread problem. When people in a Kentucky emergency room with flu-like symptoms received a blood-test as part of a random study, the test revealed that 23.6% of them were actually suffering from CO poisoning.
Store-bought carbon monoxide alarms (all UL-Approved) will not protect you from low-level carbon monoxide poisoning because their sensors are not designed to alarm until you have been exposed to CO at a level of 70 parts per million (ppm) or above for up to 3.5 hours.
Why is this a problem?
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The World Health Organization says that levels above 9 ppm can cause low-level CO poisoning with symptoms. |
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OSHA regulations prohibit employees from working in any level above 35 ppm for longer than 8 hours. |
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Outside air is regulated at a limit of 9 ppm for 8 hours (or a maximum of 35 ppm for one hour) by U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standards. |
Despite the recognized danger of these lower-levels of CO, UL-Listed CO alarms are prohibited from sounding an alarm for any level below 70 ppm. This rule was adopted to avoid “nuisance calls” from alarms from low-level exposure to emergency call centers rather than impose safe standards on the air in our living spaces. Because of this inherent danger, UL-Approved CO alarms specify in their instructions that they are only suitable for most healthy adults.
UL-Listed CO alarms are not suitable for children, the pregnant, the elderly, those with heart ailments, breathing problems or other health issues.
Most UL-Listed CO alarms fail to provide protection even for the 70 ppm due to improper installation. If one of these CO alarms is plugged into an outlet at knee level on the first floor, the alarm will not sound until CO levels are much higher. CO alarms MUST be installed at eye-level to work properly. CO is lighter than air, so it rises. Harmless carbon dioxide sits at knee-level.
We hope this information will be helpful to you. Please call us at the office, 372-0036 to schedule your appointment for our Precision Plan™ service or a furnace clean and check with Carbon Monoxide Testing.
Our Memphis Carbon Monoxide Testing Services
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