Carbon Monoxide
Any devise that burn carbon based fuel produces some carbon
monoxide. Minor amounts when combustion is complete... and large
amounts if combustion is incomplete.
Hearth products are not excluded from this, however, everything*
that FlameWorks sells is vented. If the venting system is not
blocked and is functioning as designed, the byproducts of combustion
will leave the structure. All fuels (wood, coal, gas, pellet, corn,
grains, oil, kerosene, gasoline, alcohol, etc...) are capable of
producing large amounts of carbon monoxide.
What triggers large amounts of carbon monoxide? Already
answered...Incomplete combustion. BUT, what causes incomplete
combustion? Well it depends on what fuel and appliance you are
talking about as to specific causes, but the main general causes
are: cold fires, low oxygen levels, blocked burners, restricted air
paths, blocked grates, etc.. All either based on poor (or no)
maintenance or improper operation.
So… The question many ask: Could poor design lead to incomplete
combustion and therefore significant amounts of carbon monoxide? The
answer is… possibly, BUT probably not. Part of the testing process
includes evaluating combustion, but more importantly (in our
opinion) is that if a product and the venting are installed meeting
or exceeding specifications and are maintained properly, any carbon
monoxide will leave the structure. Then as a back-up, one or more
carbon monoxide detectors should always be present in any home that
has any burning appliance (fireplace, stove, furnace, water heater,
range, etc..) or an attached garage.
Article from Time Magazine:
Recent mine disasters have brought attention once again on the
perils of coal mining--especially the risk of carbon monoxide (CO)
poisoning.
But carbon monoxide is a concern for all of us. The odorless,
colorless gas can be found at low levels in most homes that have
fuel-burning furnaces or water heaters, gas dryers or attached
garages. It's a product of the incomplete combustion of carbon-based
fuels and is present in the exhaust of all internal-combustion
engines. According to the Centers for Disease Control, carbon
monoxide poisoning contributes each year to an average of 1,091
unintentional deaths and 2,385 suicides in the U.S., where it's the
most common type of accidental poisoning, leading to roughly 40,000
emergency- room visits annually.
When people show up at the ER with CO poisoning, their primary
symptoms are usually dizziness, nausea, headaches and sometimes
unconsciousness--warning signs that the molecule has blocked oxygen
from reaching the brain. So the first concern of doctors is usually
whether there has been brain damage or other neurological effects.
But carbon monoxide can also damage the heart. A new study in the
Journal of the American Medical Association shows that even moderate
exposure to CO can put survivors at greater risk of heart disease.
Researchers from the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation followed
230 patients admitted to the hospital for carbon monoxide
poisoning.More than one-third of them suffered heart-muscle injury,
and of those, nearly 40% were dead within eight years. "We were
surprised that so many of the patients died," says Dr. Timothy
Henry, one of the study's authors. "That's three times as high as
the normal population."
Luckily, it's not hard to protect yourself and your family from
carbon monoxide poisoning. The first step is to install CO monitors
in or near every bedroom in your home. Remember also to have your
fuel-burning appliances inspected regularly by a qualified
technician (once a year if you have an older model). Check
fireplaces before you use them to make sure the flue is
unobstructed, and don't use charcoal burners indoors. Finally, never
start a car in a closed garage or other enclosed space.
Taking a few precautionary steps can mean a safer home--and a
healthier heart.
Sanjay Gupta is a neurosurgeon and CNN medical correspondent
—With reporting by Shahreen Abedin