CPSC Urges Seasonal Furnace Inspection to Prevent CO Poisonings

• Text: The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) urges consumers to have a professional inspection of all fuel burning appliances - including furnaces, stoves, fireplaces, clothes dryers, water heaters and space heaters - to detect deadly carbon monoxide leaks.
• Text: CO is a colorless, odorless gas produced by burning any fuel. The initial symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to flu and include headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea and dizziness. Each year, CO poisoning associated with using fuel burning appliances kills about 200 people. Additionally, CPSC recommends that the yearly professional inspection include checking chimneys, flues and vents for leakage and blockage by debris.
• View of furnace
• Views of professional inspecting furnace
• View of professional inspecting chimney
• Text: CPSC recommends that every home should have at least one CO alarm that meets the requirements of the most recent Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 2034 standard or International Approval Services 6-96 standard.
• Text: In 1998, the manufacturers of manufacturers of high-temperature plastic vent (HTPV) pipes conducted a vent pipe recall for replacement. The HTPV pipes could crack or separate at the joints and leak CO. Call the HTPV pipe recall hotline toll-free at (800) 758-3688.
• Views of professional inspecting pipes.
• Text: The next three graphics depict furnaces with HTPV pipe.
• Views of HTPV pipes.
• Text: The next graphic depicts a boiler with HTPV pipe.
• View of Boiler with HTPV pipe.
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