Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Investigations
By Forensic Engineering Firm, McDowell Owens
Failures of gas-fired appliances not only can result in explosions and/or fires but can also result in losses involving carbon monoxide poisoning.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas that results from the incomplete combustion of fuels. Fuel requires oxygen to burn completely and with sufficient oxygen the byproducts of combustion are mostly water vapor and carbon dioxide; however, when the oxygen supply to an appliance is insufficient, the fuel does not burn completely and produces potentially deadly amounts of carbon monoxide.
The most common causes of carbon monoxide poisoning are restricted or insufficient air flow into the combustion chamber of a gas appliance; impaired or blocked venting; improper venting to the exterior/outside; or separations, holes or other means for flue products to escape the combustion chamber and/or venting system and enter the living space of the property. Some common signs that carbon monoxide may be escaping the venting system and migrating into the living space include the following: sooting; loose or disconnected vent systems; water streaks on the vent systems/piping of fuel-burning appliances.
Again, the professional engineers and fire scientists at McDowell Owens Engineering have over twenty-five years of experience responding to and conducting failure analysis of all types of gas systems and their associated appliances from cooking appliances such as gas ovens, ranges and cooktops, to water heaters, furnaces and gas log fireplaces. We analyze every aspect of the installation and its functionability and code compliance to determine what factors have contributed to the introduction of carbon monoxide into the home.
When you need a carbon monoxide poisoning expert to investigate a gas system failure, contact McDowell Owens at (281) 358-2876 or complete our contact form.