The managers and owners of apartment buildings are often saddled with the responsibility of preventing residents from hazards like carbon monoxide. However, in some cases, they may not do the needful and, as such, expose the residents to carbon monoxide poisoning.
To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s paramount for you to understand how carbon monoxide poisoning can happen in apartments.
Ineffective Burning Of Fuel
Generally, most apartments have central heating systems, gas fires, water heaters, boilers, cookers, gas refrigerators, space heaters, wood-burning stoves, gas clothes dryers, charcoal grills. And other essential household appliances. These appliances often rely on different kinds of fuels such as wood, oil, gas, and coal. After burning these fuels, the by-product is carbon monoxide.
Unfortunately, these household appliances can be a source of carbon monoxide poisoning when they do not burn fuel fully. Resultantly, the fuel will produce carbon monoxide that will circulate in the air. Hence, people in your household may inhale it. When these items don’t function properly or lack proper ventilation, there will be an accumulation of carbon monoxide that can cause ill-health.
In some cases, if these household appliances are not installed properly, they can also produce lots of carbon monoxide when used. This is particularly common with improperly installed cook-top vents or kitchen appliances.
Running A Car In An Enclosed Area
Carbon monoxide poisoning can also happen if you are running a car engine in a small or enclosed space such as a garage without proper ventilation. This is because the carbon monoxide will be retained in the space. Consequently, people in the place can be poisoned by the gas.
Similarly, carbon monoxide poisoning can take place in a ground-floor apartment complex close to a busy street. This usually occurs during the rush hour when lots of trucks and cars are plying the road. These vehicles will produce lots of fumes when burning fuel. Over time, the fumes will get into the ground-floor apartment and may cause carbon monoxide poisoning if they are in a large and unhealthy quantity.
Run To Failure
Another way through which carbon monoxide can happen in apartments is run to failure. Simply put, run to failure refers to a situation in which an individual prefers to repair broken parts of an old piece of equipment instead of replacing it. This is quite common with furnaces or any other appliances that require fuels.
For example. Some apartment complexes still rely on furnaces that were installed in the 1980s or 1990s. These furnaces have exceeded their life expectancy of about 25 years. Whenever they have problems, the apartment managers and owners will only fix their parts and continue using them for the apartment. Over time, the furnaces will not function properly and will continue to lead to the accumulation of carbon monoxide in various parts of the apartment. Whenever the accumulated carbon monoxide is inhaled excessively, carbon monoxide will occur.
Dealing With Carbon Monoxide Poisoning In Apartments
It is worthwhile to note that carbon monoxide has several risks on any affected individuals. Some of the common symptoms and signs of the poisoning include blurred vision, headache, loss of consciousness, weakness, nausea or vomiting, confusion, dizziness, and shortness of breath.
To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning in your apartment, you need to get a portable carbon monoxide detector. This device monitors your apartment and sets off an alarm once a certain level of carbon monoxide has been detected. As a result of this. A portable carbon monoxide detector can protect you and your household from the risks associated with this poisoning.
