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 $55 each.
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.
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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.
If you are looking for a Certified Carbon Monoxide & Combustion Analyst for your Memphis area home, please call us today at 901-372-0036 or complete our service request form. | 
"Your Service Tech was very professional and courteous. I could not be happier with the work done or the attitude displayed by Precision."
