Carbon monoxide safety

Appliance safety and maintenance

Maintaining gas appliances with annual servicing is one of the best ways to protect against carbon monoxide exposure in your home or building. Here are some tips: 

• Have gas appliances installed and inspected regularly by a Technical Safety BC licensed gas contractor. Find a licensed contractor in your area using our online directory.
• Annual appliance maintenance should also include checking pipes, vents and ducts to make sure they’re not disconnected, blocked or corroded.
• Make sure the gas contractor employs certified gas fitters (ask to see the gas fitter’s certification) and ask if the gas fitter knows how to check heat exchangers–companies that only clean furnaces and ducting may not be qualified to do this kind of inspection.
• Always keep furnace fan compartment doors and/or the filter access panel in place.
• If you’re planning energy-conservation upgrades to your home or building such as caulking, draftproofing or insulation or adding high-volume exhaust fans, talk to your licensed gas contractor to ensure gas appliances and heating systems will have adequate ventilation.

Preventing carbon monoxide problems

Along with regularly maintaining gas appliances, installing carbon monoxide detectors and ensuring proper ventilation when burning fuels, here are some tips to help reduce your risk of carbon monoxide exposure:

• Never use equipment designed for outdoor use, such as barbecues, camp stoves, propane lanterns, generators or lawnmowers, in any enclosed space.
• Remove vehicles and gas-powered equipment from the garage immediately after starting the engine.
• When using a wood-burning fireplace, open the damper and partially open a window or door at the level of the fireplace. Close the damper only after the fire is completely out and ashes have cooled.
• When buying equipment, look for the seal of an approved certification agency such as the Canadian Gas Association or the Canadian Standards Association, and make sure to use it as intended.

See more prevention tips in How to prevent carbon monoxide exposure.

Don’t ignore the signs of carbon monoxide

Breathing in carbon monoxide depletes the oxygen in your blood. Being exposed to carbon monoxide for too long could lead to unconsciousness, brain damage and death. Symptoms to watch for include:

• chronic headaches
• nausea
• drowsiness
• impaired judgment
• loss of coordination

If you feel better after leaving the house or building, or other occupants report the same symptoms, it could be a sign of exposure to carbon monoxide.

For more details about the signs and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, visit Technical Safety BC.

What to do in an emergency

If your carbon monoxide detector indicates high CO levels in your home or building, or you suspect carbon monoxide exposure:

1. turn off your appliances
2. get all people and pets out of the building and don’t go back inside until it’s safe
3. call 911 or FortisBC’s emergency line at 1-800-663-9911 (24 hours)
4. seek medical attention to treat any symptoms

FortisBC takes CO calls seriously and will investigate all potential CO problems. If there is a source of CO exposure, a FortisBC technician will clear and vent the area, and when it’s safe, they’ll allow you back inside.

Buying and installing carbon monoxide alarms

Carbon monoxide alarms, in addition to regular appliance maintenance and functioning smoke alarms, can warn you if CO is present and provide extra protection for your home and family.

What to look for on the package:

• Canadian Standards Association (CSA) approved models should have the CSA logo (blue flame) and current standard number (CSA 6.19-17) on the label. 
• The replacement date and warranty period should be clearly listed. 

Key features

• battery operated (look for sealed lithium batteries) OR 
  110-volt plug-in with battery backup (note: battery backup may only operate for a few hours after the power fails)
• display that shows the peak level and hours since peak (these features show you the highest level of carbon monoxide reached and how long ago the reading occurred)

How to install carbon monoxide alarms

• Install carbon monoxide alarms in bedrooms or the hallway near sleeping areas on each level of your home. 
• If your CO alarm is battery operated, check batteries at least twice a year.