Francis Plumbing & Heating
Ottawa's Home Comfort
Specialist
(613) 224-0041
Before you learn what CO testing is - it is important to know what CO is: What is Carbon
Monoxide?
Improperly installed or poorly maintained appliances that run on these fuels can create unsafe levels of CO. In enclosed spaces like your home, cottage or vehicle, even a small amount of CO is dangerous. Click here to learn more about Carbon Monoxide.
What are the CO test result definitions? CO = Carbon Monoxide. This reading tells us how much carbon monoxide is being exhausted by your unit back into your home. CO is measured in ppm or parts per million. Anything under 100ppm is considered safely acceptable. Co2 = Carbon Dioxide – this rating refers to the quality of the burn (technical use only mostly applicable for oil burners) O2 = oxygen – this rating also refers to the quality of the burn. Xair = excess air – how much extra air is going through not burning Eff = efficiency – how efficient the appliance is – please note this reading may not accurately reflect the efficiency of the unit overall – just the efficiency at that very moment within that phase of operation. Stack temp = the stack is the exhaust pipe so to speak and it represents the temperature of the exhaust (flu gas) leaving the unit. What do all these results mean to a licensed and TSSA certified gas fitter? It tells him/her the operating condition of your draft hood boiler or heating unit and just how safe that unit is at that moment. Note: If your service technician is not a licensed TSSA certified gas fitter you may want to consider changing to a licensed company to avoid risking the life of everyone in your home. What does CO levels mean? Newer draft hood boilers (furnaces/hydronic heating systems) should be operating at 0ppm where as 20+ year old systems should still be operating at less than 30ppm. We recommend upgrading your heating system if you are seeing more than 50ppm after professionally having your system cleaned, inspected and maintenanced. Warning: In homes where the CO levels are above 100ppm it is now mandatory that the system be turned off completely & red tagged with notice being sent to Enbridge gas that the unit exceeds legal safety limits. For this reason you want to make sure that your licensed service technician is TSSA certified, experienced and capable of doing whatever repairs are necessary to bring CO levels back down to less that 100ppm. Once the repairs are completed the service technician can have the gas turned back on and the boiler reactivated. Who made the decision about CO level safety? The Province of Ontario’s Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) Fuels Safety Program issued a Director’s Public Safety Order. The order requires a mandatory inspection of existing installations of natural draft gas boilers having inputs less than 300,000 Btuh and equipped with a draft hood installed in one- and two-family residential buildings. The order also requires all Ontario-certified gas technicians that perform service, maintenance, and/or emergency response work, to conduct a CO check in the boiler’s flue (between the heat exchanger and the draft hood) and take action when the level is above 100 ppm (not an air-free sample). The check is required whenever a technician enters a home with this type of boiler, regardless of whether the homeowner has requested service on that boiler. The gas technician is also expected to examine the boiler and take action if there are signs of spillage or poor operation. The order also provides contractors with a homeowner information sheet that outlines the requirement, the need for proper maintenance, and the recommendation of installing a CO alarm. Can I refuse to have a CO test done on my draft hood boiler furnace? The technician is actually required by law to check it even if he is only there to hook up a gas bbq or gas dryer or gas hot water tank. Thus any TSSA certified licensed gas fitter will have to perform a CO test or they risk fine and loosing their license. Why should I want a CO test? The CO test is there to recognize and prevent possible carbon monoxide poisoning that can be caused by CO backdrafting due to improper installation, blocked vents, too tightly air sealed home, or malfunctioning draft hood boilers. Simply put the CO test is performed to keep you and your family safe from potentially fatal exposure to carbon monoxide. What is a backdraft?
A backdraft is caused when more air is being drawn out of the house than what is coming in creating a negative pressure thus sucking exhaust down the chimney pulling dangerous fumes into your home. It is essential that your home air is balanced with fresh air intakes to prevent this potentially fatal condition. To learn more about Carbon monoxide be sure to read our other articles: To schedule a certified technician for your annual service maintenance on your heating system call: 613-224-0041 |
