what is safe resid. CO level?

nb_3

i am a homeowner with large oil boiler, cast iron rads in one half of house,, hydrocoil in other. plugged-in CO detector on back says on label that alarm goes off at 400 ppm sustained for 15 min. the digital readout alwayrs reads zero. if i push the test button, i get a readout of around 238, then it blinks back to zero. i saw on a website that authoriries say 50 ppm or even less is unsafe. this is a kidde nighthawk brand detector. what gives? am i unsafe at 238? if so, how come the alarm is designed to go off at 400? i don't think i have CO symptoms, but who knows, i often feel lousy anyway. does having the air handler for hydrocoil in same basement area as boiler a hazard for CO getting into the ductwork? many thanks for any answers

jim lockard

Zero

Zero is a safe level for CO anything less is ok to. Any Reading above Zero in you home needs to be corrected. Feeling worn out can be a sign of CO, if you feel better away from your home then in. Have your boiler/furnace checked by a Pro who owns a CO detector and knows how to use it. Look to the top left for Pro's in your area.
Best Wishes J.Lockard

jp_2

Glenn Harrison_2

That 238 is a test code,

that shows up when the test button is pushed or the unit is unplugged and plugged in. Check your owners manual for more info on what the code means. The government standards are 35 ppm max over an 8 hour period and 10 max continuous exposure. The reality is any CO can cause damage to your body. So 0 is the only safe level. If your in doubt, have your oil supplier, service contractor, or local Fire Department come out and test your house to be sure. The digital displays on store CO detectors are not perfect, plus they cannot alarm until at least 70 ppm has been registered over a few hours. Last, get to your doctor and talk to him/her about your fatigue, do blood tests on your immune system, and they can do a CO test at the same time.

Brian_24

I think if you were exposed to 400ppm for 15 mins you might be aroung to hear the alarm. If it is at 399 for hours it is not going to alarm. I recomend a low level co monitor like co experts sell. It alarms at 10ppm. Leaves you time to get out and get the problem corrected

S Ebels

CO

[Does having the air handler in the same basement area as the boiler cause a hazard for CO in the duct system?]

Yes, under certain conditions is can. You didn't detail how small an area they are in or if it is actually a closed off room so it's tough to be sure from where I sit at my desk if you have a problem. What happens when you have a tightly closed off space, the leaks in the return duct can cause a pressure drop that will allow flue gas to spill into the room and from there into the return sid eof the duct system.

My advice, have someone with a good CO tester or better yet, combustion analyzer come and test your boiler and ambient air for CO. Only then will you know for certain.

Check out the CO detectors at CO experts (.com) I think. That's the only oone on the market that's worth anything.

rudy_2

CO-Experts Low Level Monitors

The website for the CO-Experts Monitors is www.coexperts.com .

I used to have a Nighthawk in my own home but after running the two in a bag filled up with 100ppm CO calibration gas and finding that the CO-Experts alarmed in 20 sec's as opposed to the Nighthawk's 4 1/2 hour response time, I pitched the Nigthawk and bought another CO-Experts...

If you can't find them locally, you might try http://www.ncinstitute.com/LowLevelCO.htm

Mark Hunt

0 ppm = safe


Air handling equipment can cause depressurizations enough to draw combustion products out of appliances and distribute them through the home. (See the story on my website documenting 6 people killed when this happened)

Your best bet at safety is to find a contractor that SPECIFICALLY tests for CO.

Tell us where you are located, and perhaps we can help.

Mark H



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