safe out put of co for gas heating equip.

Roy Ferrara

what is the safe CO out put of gas heating equipment?
using bachrac CO tester

Mark Eatherton1

Industry standards

allow up to 400 PPM.

The true safest amount is the least amount you can generate while obtaining the lowest reasonable O2 (3 to 6%) and highest CO2 reading for the appliance. Too low of an O2 will put you on the threshold of MEGA CO prodcution.

I would strongly suggest that you contact the National Comfort Institute and sign up for Jim Davis' class at your next opportunity. Having a combustion analyzer is a step in the right direction. Understanding the results and knowing what you can do to change those results is even more important.

If you're not testing, you're just guessing, and someone could die as a result.

ME

Alan(CaliforniaRadiant)Forbes

I don't like

to see anything above 200 ppm.

Most of the boilers I test come in at amazingly low CO levels, like below 10. As the numbers get higher, it means that something is wrong with the combustion of natural gas. The burners may be dirty, perhaps the air mixture is not correct. It usually has something to do with the heat exchanger (needs cleaning) or even perhaps with the flue itself.

It's your job to get those CO numbers down so not only do you have to correct the problem, you have to make sure it doesn't happen again. Cool return water temperatures (below 130°) can cause the heat exchanger to get wet and pick up products of combustion from the flames. In extreme cases, you can't see light through the heat exchanger.

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Mad Dog

ON Long Island, the gas utility will lock out

any appliance that exceeds 50 ppm in the flue after initial start up. As ME said take a Jim Davis Class With NCI - he is the best....Mad Dog

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Unknown

Carbon Monoxide

ANSI Standards allow up to .04% (400 PPM) on boilers and furnaces also water heaters. It is however never a good idea to leave them on at above 100 PPM. When we get to making adjustments we shoot for under 50 PPM. Sometimes difficult to do on older equipment. I must say if the utility Mad Dog is talking about is Keyspan they sure do not follow that policy up here In New England and it is the same company. In the last year I have tested about 400 situations in Mass and have seen most of them running at over 200 PPM. I would guess that at least half of those had been serviced by Keyspan in the last year. I have seen a couple of Munchkins running at 90 PPM with perfect adjustment. I would not shut those off.

As for gas ovens the allowable is .08% or 800 PPM. The gas oven is a real problem and is often overlooked by technicians. Working on getting an oven down below 50 PPM can be a real job.

Try testing a decorative fireplace sometime and see what the CO reading is you will be shocked. Most of them are over 500 PPM.

If you are in the North east and are interested I will be running a class on combustion analysis and testing on Thursday December 18 in Warren, Rhode island.