Preventing Fire and Carbon Monoxide Deaths

Oct. 27, 2004 -- -- Nearly 4,000 people will die this year in house fires and hundreds more will die or be poisoned by carbon monoxide before they even know what's happening. And most of these deaths will occur in the next few months, according to "Good Morning America's" Home Improvement Editor Ron Hazelton.

The dangers of carbon monoxide, often called the "silent killer," are even more pronounced in winter, when heaters and idling cars produce the colorless, odorless and poisonous gas.

"Sadly, the season tragedy has already begun with the death of three people in Staten Island, N.Y., from carbon monoxide poisoning at home," Hazelton said. "Investigators found a plastic bag blocking a flue pipe in the house's boiler... and that this might have been the cause that forced carbon monoxide into the apartment while the family slept."

Carbon monoxide is produced by furnaces, water heaters, cooking ranges and idling cars. It is a colorless and odorless gas that cannot be detected by smell, taste or sight. The gas is not only deadly, but deceptive as well, because carbon monoxide poisoning often masquerades as other illnesses.

Each year, 200 people in the United States die from carbon monoxide poisoning, and several thousand more go to the hospital to be treated for it. Dr. Mike Touger, a specialist in treating carbon monoxide poisoning at New York's Jacobi Medical Center, said that there are specific signs of carbon monoxide poisoning that you can look for.

"Red flags would include multiple members of a household all getting similar symptoms at the same time," Touger said. "Or symptoms which are geographically specific, meaning that you feel sick in your home. When you leave your home and go to work you feel somewhat better until you return home, and then the symptoms recur."

Hazelton says the only way to know if there is carbon monoxide in your home is to use a carbon monoxide detector.

There are three types of detectors. One plugs in an outlet in your wall. One is battery operated and there is also one that is wired into your home's electrical system. The hard-wired version is best for a home because if the leak starts in the basement it will set an alarm off there and one upstairs. You'll know about the leak before you feel sick. It's good to think about installing this kind if you're building a new home, Hazelton said. Otherwise, it requires an electrician to install and can cost you several hundred if not a thousand dollars or more. Most people will get the plug-in or battery kind, which are fine and far better than nothing, according to Hazelton. These detectors range in price from $25 to $80.

Protecting Your Family From the Silent Killer

1.) Do an annual inspection of heating system and gas-burning appliances. A qualified technician should come equipped with a digital CO analyzer such as the Bacharach Monoxor II, which can be used to check the furnace, water heater, range, oven and other gas-burning appliances while they are in operation.

2.) Install working carbon monoxide alarms. CO detectors have a useful life of around five years. Older units should be replaced. Newer models (meeting the current UL standards) will alarm only when there is a sustained level of 70 ppm (parts per million) of carbon monoxide in the air. Lower CO levels, especially if prolonged, may be harmful to babies, youngsters, pregnant women and older people. Choose an alarm with a digital readout and memory that will record the highest CO level that occurred since the last reset.

3.) What to do if alarm goes off: Evacuate the house. Call the fire department. If CO levels are not high, ask that your family be tested with a CO breath analyzer (the CO in the house may have dissipated by the time the fire department arrives).

Other tips:

a. Avoid warming up automobile in the garage.

b. Never use charcoal to cook inside.

c. Do not use generators in garages, basements or indoors.

4.) Backdrafting: Exhaust gases from furnaces, fireplaces, water heaters and other appliances can be pulled back inside a tightly sealed house when exhaust fans, clothes dryers and other appliances are operated. This can happen when:

a. The house is tightly sealed (weather-stripping, energy efficient windows). b. The furnace and other fuel-burning appliances are old or have been poorly maintained. c. Exhaust fans have been added in kitchens and bathrooms. d. Wood-burning fireplaces do not have glass doors. e. Basements have been remodeled reducing the supply of combustion air to the furnace.

House Fires

"Most people have a misconception about what fire in the home is like. It's not like the fire you see in movies where people are running around in a room dragging others out. Within a matter of a couple of minutes, a home can be unsurvivable. It's crucial you know about a fire as soon as possible," Hazelton said.

Fire detectors should be installed on every level of your home, according to Hazelton. Most detectors are battery operated, so it's up to you to make sure the batteries aren't low. The best way to keep track, according to Hazelton, is change your batteries every time you set your clock back or forward.

If the battery gets low before you change it, the unit should start beeping by itself. But you can also test it yourself by pushing a button on the detector that will reveal whether or not your battery is working. However, Hazelton says consumers need to remember that smoke alarms don't last forever. If your detector is five to 10 years old, you should consider replacing it, whether or not it beeps when you test it. Smoke alarms generally cost $10 to $15.

If you're looking for a detector that can alert you both of carbon monoxide and smoke, you're in luck. New alarms on the market can test for both elements. The alarm will actually tell you whether it's detecting smoke or carbon monoxide in your home. Both First Alert and Kidde manufacture these combination units. The detectors cost about $50.

Home Sprinklers

"Smoke alarms are crucial. However, they can only alert you to the presence of a fire and give you time to get out. That's important, but the ultimate in fire protection is home fire sprinklers. If there is a fire in your home, they will, in most cases, put it out even before the fire department arrives," Ron said.

Sprinklers will cost you $1.50 per square foot if you're building a new home. If you want to put them into your current home, they'll cost you around $3 per square foot.