Escapees November-December 2023

“The fact that CO is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and non-irritating poison compounds the problem. Without a CO detector, you’ll never be aware that CO is present until it begins to a ff ect you.”

It is a tragedy to have lives lost when a small amount of preven tion could have saved them. That prevention is a functional carbon monoxide (CO) detector, also called a CO alarm, installed in your RV. If you don’t have a CO detec tor in your rig, I’m going to try to convince you that you need one. In fact, by the end of this article, I hope to convince you that CO can pose a real threat to your health and your life. C arbon monoxide is a highly toxic gas that can kill at small concen trations of 300 parts per million (ppm) or less. Carbon monoxide gas is produced when fossil fuel burns incompletely because of insuf fi cient oxygen. Properly installed and maintained fuel-burn ing appliances produce only small amounts of carbon monoxide, but malfunctioning appliances can be deadly. Anything that disrupts the burning process or results in a shortage of oxygen can increase carbon monoxide production. Wood, coal and char coal fi res always produce carbon monoxide, as do gasoline engines. Potential sources of CO in or around your RV can include a malfunctioning propane furnace or ventless heater, exhaust from a generator or gasoline engine or a wood or charcoal- fi red barbecue or stove. (SeeRV CO source diagrams, at left.) Because of their smaller living spaces, RVs can be even more dangerous if CO is present because a smaller space increases the concentration of carbon monoxide. For instance, operation of a defective, unvented gas heater in a 1,680-square foot

home might raise CO levels to 30 ppm. In a 200-square foot RV, the same heater could quickly raise the CO concentrations to a dangerous 200 ppm or more. Colorless, Odorless, Tasteless The fact that CO is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and non-irritating poison compounds the problem. Without a CO detector, you’ll never be aware that CO is present until it begins to affect you. When exposed to high concentrations, a person will become dizzy, unable to stand or move to fresh air and often collapse. The brain does not receive suf fi cient oxygen during a CO exposure, resulting in confusion. Because it takes several hours for the body to remove carbon monoxide, it is a cumulative poison. The amount of CO in the body continues to increase while unknowingly breathing it from surround ing air. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) places the maximum allowable concentration for continuous exposure for healthy adults in an eight-hour period at only 50 ppm! Not convinced yet? Well, consider this: Gas kitchen ranges release unvented combustion products into the interior of your RV. The amount of CO in combustion products varies widely, from a few ppm from a properly operating gas burner, to 20,000 to 30,000 ppm from an improperly operat ing gas burner. Contrary to popular belief, carbon monoxide can be, and often is, produced from a blue-burning fl ame. Using the range hood to exhaust the combustion products, along with cooking odors, grease and moisture produced during cooking, is a great idea, however; the vent may not be enough to protect you from carbon monox ide exposure. And, you should never use the range burners to heat the RV.

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November/December 2023 ESCAPEES Magazine