Don’t Mess with CO

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As I mentioned on WERU’s Common Health show this week, home performance is about a lot more than comfort and energy savings. Those things are important, of course, but they aren’t worth a thing if your home isn’t safe and healthy.

The biggest health issues we see are poor indoor air quality and unsafe levels of carbon monoxide.  CO is pretty scary stuff, both because it can be lethal and because there’s such a lack of understanding about it. (I’m looking at you, folks who unplugged the CO monitor because it wouldn’t stop beeping). Let’s start at the beginning:
 

What is carbon monoxide?
CO is an odorless, colorless, toxic gas.
CO makes you sick by preventing your body from absorbing oxygen.
CO accumulates in your body over time, so even low levels can be dangerous.

Where does CO come from?
Anyplace there’s a flame, there’s a chance carbon monoxide (CO) is being produced.  Whether your central heating system, gas stovetop or oven, woodstove, gas hot water heater – these appliances create heat through combustion – and CO is a dangerous by-product of that process.

What are the effects of carbon monoxide?
Symptoms of CO poisoning range from flu-like symptoms – headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea, and fatigue – to impaired vision and brain function, to death.  Reactions vary greatly from person to person, but children, pregnant women, and the elderly are at the greatest risk.

When it comes to CO, how much is too much?
Carbon monoxide levels are measured in ppm, or parts per million. Because CO accumulates in your body, health affects vary according to levels and length of exposure as well as the age and health of the person, and it’s hard to say absolutely what is safe. Most research and regulations focus on acute exposure, and everyone agrees that concentrations above 100-200 ppm are immediately dangerous. There’s less consensus about lower CO levels, but some studies show that chronic exposure to levels as low as 5 ppm may cause permanent mental or physical problems.

How can you monitor carbon monoxide levels?
Every home should have carbon monoxide detectors correctly positioned (unobstructed and high) on each floor and in each sleeping area.  Readily available, relatively low-cost, UL-listed CO monitors are designed to alert homeowners to high levels:

  • 30 ppm for up to 30 days
  • 70 ppm for up to 4 hours
  • 150 ppm for up to 50 minutes
  • 400 ppm for up to 15 minutes

These levels are higher than those allowed by OSHA and would even allowyou to breathe air with 358 ppm for 45 minutes without an alarm!

That’s why we recommend low-level CO monitors, which are more precise, expensive instruments designed to protect against chronic, low level CO poisoning. The CO Experts model has six audio/visual alarm levels ranging from 10 ppm to 100 ppm. Recommended actions for each alarm level vary from calling your HVAC service provider to evacuating immediately and calling 911.

Contact us today to learn more!

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From beginning to end – that is from the moment Justin McEdward stepped into our home to assess our energy conservation needs until the crew left – the Evergreen Home Performance process went absolutely smoothly. Justin made a thorough inspection and took pictures with an infrared camera. His proposal described the scope of work in detail, and he explained what we could expect the proposed work to accomplish. Our proposal was forthcoming within a couple of days, and Justin was available to discuss it and answer questions.

Adrienne Harkavy

Evergreen came out 2 years ago to do an assessment and insulate our roof. This year we had them come back and do the basement as well. They are hands-down the best crew we've ever hired to work on our house. They are experts at what they do, and super meticulous in their work. After working in our house for a week with blown insulation, there was no trace they were ever here. We've seen a huge decrease in our energy bills while at the same time the house has become way more comfortable. Can't recommend them enough.

RC Lations II

Portland

Several years ago Brian Robinson evaluated the crawl space at my summer home on Islesboro where I knew moisture was becoming a problem. I had done quite a bit of work in the space many years prior with mixed results. When Brian offered some suggestions, they were ideas that incorporated work previously done, and would be a relatively low cost effort to improve the situation. He offered this advice over several phone conversations of some length, informally, and at no charge.

Cliff R.

Islesboro

Evergreen did a fantastic job insulating our 1930's home. The onsite team was professional, clean, and really just a joy to interact with throughout the process. A blower test at the end showed a significant decrease in air leakage. I highly recommend Evergreen.

Kristen H.

South Portland

Greetings one and all! I am writing to express my gratitude to all involved in my insulation project.  From start to finish, I appreciate the universal theme which was maintained by each and every one of you, to ensure that my home was insulated and protected from freezing pipes as if it was your home. Andrea, thanks for helping me navigate my way to the project. Nate, thanks for the thorough initial assessment and the time you took to explain this project to me, step by step. Brian, thanks for setting up my project - so happy

Michele

Working with Brian and with Nate and the rest of the crew was a pleasure. They made everything very easy and understandable. This was a major renovation and they were always at the ready with a lot of information. We had an extensive renovation on the basement which was a dirt basement and it came out beautifully. We can already tell from all of the insulation work what a difference it's made in sound and temperature. Brian worked with me on the rebates that are available when you do this kind of work. I would highly recommend this company to…

Valerie L.

Rockland

I never leave reviews, but had a great experience with Evergreen and wanted to spread the word! In short, we worked with them to insulate our roof this winter and have noticed surprising immediate results. The constant ice dams I have wrestled with are completely gone, and the home is noticeably more comfortable. It's a little too early to tell if our oil bill is going to reduce, but I imagine we will see an impact there as well.

Joel W.

Portland

From start to finish, our experience was incredible. Justin was extremely helpful. The crew was fast, friendly, and efficient. And most importantly, our home is WAY warmer and our heating is less costly. I'd highly recommend evergreen to anyone looking to upgrade their home!

John S.

South Portland

Update 12/2018: Evergreen has completed Phase II of my house (insulating and installing air/moisture barrier on exterior walls, replacing old windows) and now that heating season is upon us, the difference is astonishing. The house is tight as a drum and so easy to keep warm. Worth every penny. Thank you all! Working with Evergreen was a positive experience from start (no charge energy audit) to finish (a MUCH more comfortable home). Brian Robinson spent a lot of time with me on the audit, explaining clearly what he was finding in my ca.

Rebekah W.

Rockport

My experience with Evergreen was excellent. From their thorough and thoughtful initial consultation to their detailed post-work visit, the team was professional, knowledgeable, and responsive. Their workmanship was top notch. Our home is now much warmer and more efficient. I highly recommend their services!

Douglas R.

Edgecomb

Evergreen has just completed Phase 2 of 2 at my home. They are professional, hard-working and courteous. They communicate well..no surprises. They've gone above and beyond to make my home comfortable and were very respectful of my home.I recommend them unequivocally!!!Many thanks to Brian, Brian, Rick, Eddie, Dawson and the rest of the Evergreen crew!!

David Henry Feldman

Evergreen came back this year to finish insulating our house. We have been remodeling and renovating an 1850s cape for several years. Their employees are very professional and pleasant to deal with. Over several years Brian Robinson has been able to schedule us in for several small areas that needed addressing and finally turning a room we used to close off in the winter into a comfortable usable space. We primarily heat with wood and since Evergreens great work our furnace has only come on ONCE this winter. Fantastic. Really satisfied customer in Thomaston.

Chris F.

Thomaston

Led by Brian Robinson, the Evergreen Home Performance team just completed an insulation refit at my home. It was truly a great experience from start to finish, a period of time that was a fraction of the time that I originally anticipated due to the team's unbelievable work habits and professional knowledge of their tasks. As impressive were the communication skills and friendliness of each and every member of the team.

Anne W.

Rockport

Really great experience from start to finish with Evergreen. They helped us prioritize what needed to be completed first, and has made a significant difference in our hearing costs already. Plus they were really friendly and considerate to work with!

Amy W.

Kennebunk

The Evergreen crew who installed insulation in my attic were fantastic! They were very professional, worked exceedingly hard, and they did an excellent job. They were very pleasant and friendly to be around. They cleaned up beautifully after each work day, and left my home in great shape on when they walked out the door for the last time. I can't believe they were able to accomplish all that they did with heat soaring into the 80s and 90s. It was pretty unbearable up there! They have my highest praise and my gratitude.

Cynthia F.

South Portland

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