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CURRENT NEWSLETTER
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Lindemann Chimney Supply sells wholesale only to the chimney and hearth industry.
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 March 2008
Lindemann Campaigns for CO Testing
It is our goal to get every chimney sweep in the nation to test for Carbon Monoxide. It’s a simple test that will save lives, according to Operations Director Chuck Phillips. Every year, hundreds, perhaps thousands of people suffer from chronic exposure to CO. "We only hear about the death, or near death exposures", says Chuck, "but the majority of people affected by CO are rarely diagnosed or treated properly." Less than 10% of CO cases are diagnosed by a physician. Most are found by technicians in the field. Some statistics say that up to 70% of CO cases are misdiagnosed because no one is testing. The most common misdiagnoses include flu, coronary artery disease, food poisoning, heart arrhythmia, allergies and depression.
WHY SHOULD WE TEST?
To save lives. Even a home with a CO detector could have levels of CO high enough to create chronic health problems, especially in the elderly or those with other health issues. Home detectors are set to trigger at 70 ppm. But constant exposure to levels as low as 60 ppm can be dangerous according to OSHA. You may
very well be the only technician in that home that will ever test for CO. What a valuable service that is!
WHERE DOES THE CO COME FROM?
It could be generated by one of the systems you are there to service. That’s great, because you can solve the problem. But CO can come from many other sources. One of the leading causes is attached garages where vehicles emit CO and it travels into the living space. I know what you are thinking I don’t
want to get into tracking down CO problems I can’t solve. I couldn’t agree more. When my family doctor found signs of
a problem with my esophagus, she didn’t try to diagnose the problem; she referred me to someone else, a specialist, to
do that. If you find CO in the home, and it is not coming from something you deal with, inform the homeowner of your
findings and let them decide who to call. At least you have found the danger, and made them aware. Without your test,
they may suffer health problems or even die pre-maturely as a result. When you test- you are a hero!
WHAT DOES IT COST?
A good CO meter will cost around $500. If you add $1 to every service call, you will pay for your meter EVEN IF IT DOESN’T BRING YOU WORK.. Which of course it will. Once you own the meter, it should be calibrated at least once a year at a nominal cost.
HOW DO I TEST?
Simply start the meter outside the home. Once it calibrates, enter the home and check the areas you have access to (simply ask the homeowner which rooms they would like tested) Since CO doesn’t stratify (it won’t rise or settle, but stays mixed in the air), if there are chronic levels in the home, it will appear throughout. If you get readings 2-3 ppm above the outside of the home, be suspect of a problem. OSHA puts maximum indoor air quality at 9 ppm. 50 ppm is the maximum concentration for continuous exposure in an 8 hr period.
BE A HERO…. TEST!
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