Nebrasky Plumbing, Heating & Cooling
First in NYS to Be Certified as Carbon Monoxide Analyst

Monroe, NY, May 15, 1999 – Paul Nebrasky, President, today announced that Nebrasky Plumbing, Heating & Cooling management and technicians are the first HVAC contractors in NYS to become certified as Carbon Monoxide Analysts by The Building Performance Institute, Inc (BPI).

Paul Nebrasky, President; Dan Bailey, Service Manager; Marc Hamilton, Service Technician; Rich Doolittle, Service Technician; and Christopher Stock, Technician-in-Training are all certified as CO Analysts.

This certification addresses all aspects of carbon monoxide inspections from equipment requirements, proposed action levels and inspection protocols. “Certified analysts offer a reliable source for homeowners to call when they are concerned about the dangers of CO,” stated Larry Harmon, Executive Director of Building Performance Institute.

In order to prepare for and complete the two hour written examination and the 30-minute hands-on demonstration of CO knowledge, detection and solutions required to become a certified Carbon Monoxide Analyst, Paul Nebrasky and his staff attended a full day class with Jim Davis, a national instructor in CO field testing and treatment.

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Today’s Carbon Monoxide Problem

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can be emitted by home appliances and can cause illness and death. Headlines such as “six dead from carbon monoxide” have increased public awareness of the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning. The Times Herald Record recently carried an article “Carbon Monoxide Sends Mother, Sons to Hospital”. As a result of this and other media coverage, many homeowners have purchased carbon monoxide detectors.

These standard carbon monoxide detectors will go off at CO levels of 70 parts per million. The problem is that lower levels of carbon monoxide, levels as low as 10, are associated with illness. The outdoor EPA carbon monoxide limit is 9 parts per million. The only way that homeowners can currently determine if their appliances are giving off these low levels of carbon monoxide is by calling in a Certified Analyst, like Nebrasky, who has the knowledge and tools to detect and fix low levels of CO. The carbon monoxide detectors on the market, today, will not alert the homeowner of the presence of low level carbon monoxide in the home.

Low levels of carbon monoxide have been shown to be dangerous to people with heart and lung disease, the elderly, pregnant women, unborn child and children. Carbon monoxide poisoning produces flu-like symptoms, headache, sore throat, racing heart, memory loss, thinking difficulty and multi sensory intolerance (sensitivity to light, sound, smell, etc.). Out of the 12,000 patients in the US each year, with flu-like symptoms, 2,000 of them are thought to actually be suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning.

“The certification of our technicians as CO Analysts is very important to our customers and the community,” stated Paul Nebrasky. “Our technicians are now fully trained to detect and solve low level carbon monoxide problems that will not be detected by the customer’s CO detector. We are very proud to be the first contractor in NYS to be able to offer this critical service to our clients and to the community.”

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The Process to Detect and Resolve Low Level CO Leakage

Carbon monoxide in the home can come from many sources, including heating systems, stoves, fireplaces and water heaters. Every Nebrasky truck is stocked with digital carbon monoxide readout equipment. When a Nebrasky Certified Analyst first enters the home, he immediately obtains a carbon monoxide reading. Here are the levels used to determine the action that needs to be taken:

CO levels 0 – 9 parts per million	acceptable
10 – 35 parts per million	look for source of CO and correct
35 – 200	medical alert; query occupants about health symptoms, advise to seek medical attention, open all doors and windows, check every possible source to locate problem and correct
200+	evacuate house immediately, occupants should seek immediate medical attention, open all doors and windows, call 911, once home cleared out, begin testing for source.

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Certification

As discussed above, although today’s detectors can warn of the presence of the odorless, colorless gas at higher levels, the ability of the technician to track down and eliminate the causes of CO, especially at levels that will not be caught by the detector, is critical.

In response to this need, The Building Performance Institute, and the Carbon Monoxide Advisory Council developed a comprehensive protocol for carbon monoxide response personnel and the Certification of Carbon Monoxide Analysts. These protocols give HVAC contractors the tools to locate factors that may lead to elevated levels of CO in a building and to assess the actions necessary to assure the safety of the occupants.

The Building Performance Institute, Inc. is a non-profit organization that develops certifications of competency in a number of building trades. The Carbon Monoxide Advisory Council represents a number of sectors including trainers, researchers, test equipment manufacturers, appliance manufacturers, fire departments, building code officials and government.

“Housing has changed. Anything we do to a house and its systems can affect the safe operation of the house and appliances,” stated Advisory Council member Dr. Thomas H. Griner. “For a technician to operate in a complex interrelated system such as a house requires a great deal of expertise. To obtain the necessary training and education, Certification courses are necessary.”

Nebrasky Plumbing, Heating Cooling, Inc. has operated as a full-service plumbing, heating and air conditioning company since 1988. The firm installs, repairs and services heating, air conditioning and plumbing systems and equipment and also offers water conditioning, drain cleaning and septic-safe garbage disposal systems, serving Orange County and surrounding communities. For more information, please call Paul Nebrasky at (845) 783 – 6661.

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1.	What is Carbon Monoxide?
2.	Do all furnaces, space heaters, boilers, water heaters and fireplaces make carbon monoxide?
3.	Do ovens or stoves produce carbon monoxide?
4.	Do cracked heat exchangers emit carbon monoxide?
5.	If my appliances or heating system are producing carbon monoxide, do they need to be replaced?
6.	I have a carbon monoxide detector. If it doesn’t go off, am I safe to assume that there are not dangerous levels in my home?
7.	I had someone look at my furnace and water heater and they said it looked like they were operating correctly. Are they safe?
8.	Are most contractors properly trained in carbon monoxide testing?
9.	How do I know if the contractor checking or servicing my equipment is qualified in carbon monoxide testing and repair?
10.	Do Fire Departments, Utilities and Contractors all have the same abilities to test for carbon monoxide?
11.	Is rust on equipment normal and can it indicate a carbon monoxide problem?
12.	I had someone check my house for carbon monoxide without checking my appliances. Am I safe?

1. What is Carbon Monoxide?

Carbon Monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can be emitted by home appliances and can cause illness and death. Even low levels of carbon monoxide are associated with illness and have been shown to be particularly dangerous to people with heart and lung disease, the elderly, pregnant women, unborn children and children. Carbon monoxide poisoning produces flu-like symptoms, headache, sore throat, racing heart, memory loss, thinking difficulty and sensitivity to light, sound, smell, etc. Out of the 12,000 patients each year in the US with flu-like symptoms, 2,000 of them are thought to actually be suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning.

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2. Do all furnaces, space heaters, boilers, water heaters and fireplaces make carbon monoxide?

All gas, oil, wood and coal appliances can produce acceptable levels of carbon monoxide. Appliances that are properly vented should never produce detectable levels and internally should produce less than 100ppm of carbon monoxide. Unvented appliances do give off carbon monoxide into the area; therefore the level that they produce should be 50ppm of carbon monoxide or less. These appliances should only be operated with proper ventilation and for short periods.

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3. Do ovens or stoves produce carbon monoxide?

All ovens produce carbon monoxide, even electric ones. Proper ventilation is recommended, especially during warm-up and self-cleaning operation. Carbon monoxide from gas ranges increases each time the oven door is opened.

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4. Do cracked heat exchangers emit carbon monoxide?

Usually the small cracks that are found in heat exchangers do not emit carbon monoxide. Larger holes or openings, however, can produce carbon monoxide. A cracked heat exchanger is a sign of poor operation and is a defect that needs to be repaired before it becomes dangerous. If the furnace is emitting minimal levels of carbon monoxide into the area, the equipment is safe to operate.

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5. If my appliances or heating system are producing carbon monoxide, do they need to be replaced?

Most appliances that are emitting high levels of carbon monoxide can be repaired or adjusted. Based on age or efficiency, repair cost needs to be compared to replacement cost and overall savings and safety.

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6. I have a carbon monoxide detector. If it doesn’t go off, am I safe to assume that there are not dangerous levels in my home?

No! The standard carbon monoxide detectors in homes today will go off at levels of 70 parts per million. The problem is that, often, lower levels of carbon monoxide are associated with illness. The only way that homeowners can currently determine if their appliances are giving off these low levels of carbon monoxide is by calling in a Certified Analyst, who has the knowledge and tools to detect and fix low levels.

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7. I had someone look at my furnace and water heater and they said it looked like they were operating correctly. Are they safe?

Anyone that evaluates the operation of equipment by sight alone is negligent, ill advised, poorly skilled and jeopardizing your safety.

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8. Are most contractors properly trained in carbon monoxide testing?

Unfortunately there are many contractors who are not trained in the proper procedures for carbon monoxide detection and repair, and many do not have a digital carbon monoxide analyzer, the proper testing equipment.

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9. How do I know if the contractor checking or servicing my equipment is qualified in carbon monoxide testing and repair?

The contractor must:

-Have a digital carbon monoxide analyzer
-Inform you that carbon monoxide testing is part of their regular service
-Have carbon monoxide testing listed on their work ticket or invoice
-Ask you if you have other appliances to be tested
-Test the space and each appliance specifically
-Show you actual readings that they take
-Be listed with C-MAC and/or have proof of approved training.

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10. Do Fire Departments, Utilities and Contractors all have the same abilities to test for carbon monoxide?

They all have the same opportunity to have the proper knowledge, but heating contractors should have more qualifications to pinpoint the exact problem and repair it, because that is their main business.

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11. Is rust on equipment normal and can it indicate a carbon monoxide problem?

Rust is a sign that an appliance is not venting properly, which, over time, can cause a serious carbon monoxide problem to occur.

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12. I had someone check my house for carbon monoxide without checking my appliances. Am I safe?

Carbon monoxide is an intermittent problem in many cases. It occurs at its highest levels at night when the house or building is closed up, with little traffic in and out. Checking the space only provides minimal information and guarantees very little.

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