The main source of carbon monoxide at home

Carbon monoxide is a colorless and tasteless gas. Because people cannot perceive carbon monoxide, they are unconsciously exposed to potentially dangerous carbon monoxide every day. When people are in the environment with high concentration of carbon monoxide, it is easy to cause dizziness, weakness and even death. Therefore, it is very necessary to install carbon monoxide detector at home. This paper mainly lists several places where carbon monoxide is produced in the home, as well as the methods to protect themselves from the threat of carbon monoxide.

High concentrations of carbon monoxide may be produced in the home

Carbon monoxide is produced by incomplete combustion of carbon, so it is easier to produce carbon monoxide in rooms with fuel equipment and auxiliary garages.

Stoves and kitchen: This is one of the main sources of carbon monoxide. The kitchen is a room that almost every family owns. When people cook, it will inevitably produce a certain concentration of carbon monoxide. Without good ventilation or range hood, it is easy to lead to the accumulation of carbon monoxide in the kitchen. Therefore, it is necessary to clean kitchenware regularly and keep the kitchen ventilated during the use of kitchenware.

Fireplace: Fireplace is common in European countries. People use it to keep warm in winter. As the smoke generated by burning wood is very easy to accumulate in the home, thus increasing the concentration of carbon monoxide in the air, be sure to open the chimney pipe when using the fireplace.

Grill: People prefer to barbecue with charcoal because it will make the taste of food closer to nature. However, do not barbecue in a closed environment, because burning charcoal will consume oxygen in the environment. If charcoal is burned in a deficient oxygen environment, it will produce a concentration of carbon monoxide as high as 1000ppm within 2 ~ 3 minutes, which is a very dangerous concentration.

Water heater and heater: Although these equipment are converted from electric energy to heat energy, they should also be inspected and maintained regularly to avoid the accumulation of carbon monoxide due to the failure of the ventilation system of the equipment.

Cars, RV: Most vehicles run on gasoline. In winter, due to the cold weather, people like to start the car to warm up when driving, so that the inside of the car will be warmer. However, starting a car in a closed environment is the most likely to cause carbon monoxide accumulation. Therefore, please be sure to open the garage door and let the car run in an airy environment. At the same time, check the car's exhaust system regularly.

In addition to home, many people will choose to rent. Compared with home, tenants don't have to worry about the accumulation of exhaust gas, but the behavior of others in the rented building can also lead to the production of carbon monoxide.

Ventilation: In many apartments, several rooms share a wall, which makes it difficult to increase the ventilation of the apartment. Because there are few doors and windows, the air circulation is limited, especially when cooking, it will increase the emission of carbon monoxide. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the ventilation in the apartment.

Heater: Since the heating device in the apartment is shared by multiple users, the space for placing the device is not large. In addition, if it is used for a long time every day, it is easy to cause the accumulation of carbon monoxide if the ventilation effect is not good. Therefore, it is recommended to turn off the heating device after use, and leave a certain space and good ventilation environment for the device.

Symptoms caused by different carbon monoxide concentrations

When people are in the environment with different concentrations of carbon monoxide, the following corresponding symptoms will appear.

How can I prevent carbon monoxide poisoning

According to statistics, the number of deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning in Britain is 60 every year. In order to further reduce the harm of carbon monoxide to people, it is very necessary to install carbon monoxide detectors at home. If qualified users can install a carbon monoxide detector in each room of their home and use the interconnection system to interconnect all detectors. At present, many combined smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are also popular in the market, which can improve the detection efficiency. It is recommended to buy products certified by authoritative institutions. For example, buy products that meet the latest CE standard in Europe and products with UL symbol in the United States.

If you live in an apartment, according to the regulations of most areas, each room in the apartment needs to be installed with a carbon monoxide detector. If not, you have the right to ask the landlord to provide a carbon monoxide detector.

Whether at home or in an apartment, the most important thing is to ensure indoor ventilation. The generation principle of carbon monoxide is caused by incomplete combustion in an oxygen free environment. If there is sufficient oxygen in a ventilated environment, it will not lead to incomplete combustion and carbon monoxide will not be generated. Therefore, it is very important to regularly check the ventilation duct and maintain the gas equipment. Be vigilant when the following situations occur to the fuel appliances.

• Soot strips around fuel burning appliances, or soot in fireplaces
• There is no upward airflow in the chimney
• Excessive moisture and condensation on windows, walls and cold surfaces
• Flue or electrical jack rusted
• Orange or yellow flame in combustion appliance (flame shall be blue)
• The bricks on the top of the chimney are damaged or discolored

In summary, carbon monoxide is mainly produced from kitchens, stoves, garages and gas equipment. The high concentration of carbon monoxide is mainly caused by the incomplete combustion of carbon due to the poor indoor air circulation. Therefore, regular inspection of the ventilation of gas equipment and maintaining indoor ventilation at all times are effective means to effectively prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Finally, Remember to buy a carbon monoxide detector.