➲ Cover feature
SILENT AND DEADLY
A faulty heater can leave you with far worse than just cold feet.
Professionals
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Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odourless, colourless
gas – the by-product of hydrocarbon combustion.
When hydrocarbons such as natural gas and liquefied
petroleum gas (LPG) are burnt, the carbon and
hydrogen react with the oxygen in the air to form
carbon monoxide and water. However, when this
combustion is incomplete, large quantities of carbon
monoxide can be produced.
This can occur in gas appliances we all use every day,
such as ducted heating units, space heaters, hot-water
units, and decorative gas fireplaces if they have been
left unserviced or in faulty condition.
family’s rented home in Mooroopna resulted
in fatal carbon monoxide poisoning as they slept
in their beds in 2010.
Their mother Vanessa survived, but sustained
long-term health problems from the leak.
This tragedy resulted in increased action from
state and federal government bodies, and the
creation of the Chase and Tyler Foundation, which
aims to create awareness of the dangers of carbon
monoxide poisoning.
But six years on, accidents continue to occur around
the country as a result of carbon monoxide leaks.
Common faults that can result in carbon monoxide
leaks can include an obstruction of the flame, incorrect
gas operating pressures, poor air-to-gas ratios,
bad burners, or cracks in the heat exchanger.
This year alone, there have been 25 cases of carbon
monoxide poisoning reported in South Australia
that have resulted in hospitalisation.
And when such leaks take place in, or spread to,
enclosed spaces such as closed bedrooms, toilets,
or bathrooms with no ventilation, dangerous levels
of carbon monoxide can build up.
And just last month in the Victorian town of Churchill,
one person died and another was hospitalised due to
suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in their home.
The use of barbecues indoors without adequate
ventilation has also resulted in two serious cases
of poisoning in Western Australia recently.
In the case of brothers Tyler and Chase Robinson, aged
eight and six, a faulty gas heater in a bedroom of their
Although carbon monoxide poisoning can be fatal
or cause chronic illness, it can be difficult to diagnose.
10 | HVAC&R Nation | www.hvacrnation.com.au | August 2016