Dangers of Carbon Monoxide

What it is?

Carbon Monoxide is a colourless, Odorless gas and it can harm you even at small concentrations. Carbon Monoxide (CO) displaces oxygen which binds with the hemoglobin and thus suffocates the body. Carbon Monoxide can harm you in low concentration over a period of several hours. However, in higher concentrations Carbon Monoxide can kill in less than five minutes.

Please see table published by CMHC (Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation) below for concentration of carbon monoxide and their effects:

CO concentration in parts per million (ppm)	Effects
0 – 2	Normal conditions in and outside Canadian houses.
10	Recommended exposure limit over a 24-hour period.3
25	Recommended exposure limit over a 1-hour period.3
30	CO detectors are not allowed to sound alarm unless this concentration is maintained for more than 30 days.2
70	CO detectors must sound alarm within 1 to 4 hours.2
150	CO detectors must sound alarm within 10 to 50 minutes.2
200	Slight headache, fatigue, dizziness and nausea after 2 to 3 hours. CO detector alarm must sound within 35 minutes.4
400	CO detectors must sound alarm within 4 to 15 minutes.2
800	Dizziness, nausea and convulsions within 45 minutes, death within 2 to 3 hours.4
1,600	Death within 1 hour.4
13,000	Danger of death after 1 to 3 minutes.4

How it is produced?

In a House Carbon Monoxide is produced by any fuel burning appliance which has malfunctioned or improperly installed, such as!

• Furnace
• Stove and Oven
• Water heater
• Dryer
• Room and space Heater
• Fireplace and wood Stove
• Charcoal Grills
• Automobiles
• Clogged Chimneys or flues

How to protect yourself?

• Service your furnace regularly by certified HVAC Technician.
• Get flues, dampers and chimneys inspected yearly by certified professional for any obstruction or crack.
• If you have an attached Garage make sure the door between the garage and house is properly sealed and it has a self-closing devise.
• Install Carbon Monoxide detectors in the house preferably on each floor and especially near sleeping area where it can easily be heard while sleeping. Furthermore, test them regularly for proper operation.

For more information on Carbon Monoxide please visit
Carbon Monoxide Article by CMHC

At RK Home Inspection we check all the Carbon Monoxide detectors present into your house. Recommend them if they are absent. Furthermore, we carry our own Carbon Monoxide detector to test the concentration of Carmon Monoxide concentration in the ambient air.

 We Are Available 7 days a week and we serve entire GTA

Home Inspection Toronto, Home Inspection Mississauga, Home Inspection Brampton, Home Inspection Vaughan, Home Inspection GTA 

Find us on google places / maps Home Inspection Mississauga, Home Inspector Mississauga, Mississauga Home Inspection

Related Blogs

1. RK Home Inspections
2. GFCI Outlet?
3. What is Home Inspection?
4. Ice Damns
5. Causes of wet basement
6. Common electrical problems in a House
7. Aluminum Wiring
8. Issues affecting older Homes from Insurance point of view
9. Winter Home Maintenance Tips 

 

 

 

 

GFCI Outlet

What it is?

                         GFCI OUTLET

GFCI stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter.

Where it is required?

GFCI outlets in Ontario are required in kitchen, washrooms, laundry room within 1.5 meters (5 feet) of the water source (edge of sink, vanity, tub, laundry sink). Furthermore, they are required on the outside of the house. They are recommended as a safety upgrade but not required in the garage of the house.

How they operate?

GFCI outlet is a very sensitive devise which can detect minor variation in the current flowing between hot and neutral slots. If there is an imbalance in the current flow it trips the circuit. It is able to sense a mismatch as small as 4 or 5 milliamps, and its reaction time is as quick as one-thirteenth of a second.

To better understand its function I always explain my clients during Home Inspection like this. Suppose we are playing a passing a ball game, and I throw towards you a ball weighing a 50 grams. Then you are also supposed to pass me back the same ball weighing 50 grams. If for some reason the ball you threw back was 40 grams, then the 10 grams is getting dissipated or disappearing in thin air somewhere. The GFCI outlet measures the difference in the amount of current supplied and returned and if there is a difference it trips the circuit to prevent the person from shock.

How to test it?

                         GFCI TESTER

During Home Inspection I test all GFCI outlets using a GFCI tester. GFCI tester is a devise which creates a condition or difference in the incoming and the outgoing current by press of the test button. GFCI outlet trips the circuit and then needs to be reset by pressing the reset button on the outlet

I advise Home Owners to test their GFCI outlets every month by pressing the test button on the outlet itself.

We Are Available 7 days a week and we serve entire GTA Home Inspection Toronto, Home Inspection Mississauga, Home Inspection Brampton, Home Inspection Vaughan, Home Inspection GTA 

Find us on google places / maps  Home Inspection Mississauga, Home Inspector Mississauga, Mississauga Home Inspection

Related Blogs

1. RK Home Inspections
2. GFCI Outlet?
3. What is Home Inspection?
4. Dangers of Carbon Monoxide.
5. Ice Damns
6. Common Electrical problems in a House
7. Aluminum Wiring
8. Winter Home Maintenance Tips
9. Issues affecting older Homes from Insurance point of view
10. Causes of Wet Basement

 

 

RK Home Inspections

About Us

RK Home Inspections Inc. was founded by Rohit Kumar, who is InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspector and a Licensed Architect (OAA) in the Province of Ontario and has around 15 years of Building Construction experience. Furthermore, he is a Project Management Professional (PMP). Rohit has worked and was involved with one of the most reputed projects around the world. This extensive experience and education gives him the excellent knowledge of Building Structures and Construction Practices.

 

 Why Us

1. Home Inspections performed by Certified Professional Inspector.
2. Home Inspector has over 15 years of experience in construction industry.
3. We are First Time Home Buyer Friendly as we take extra time in explaining the client how their home works and what steps to be taken to maintain it.
4. Competitive fees with excellent service.
5. Complete and detailed Inspection reports with colored pictures explaining the problem areas clearly by using industry's best software.
6. Modern and High Efficiency equipment and tools are used for every inspection such as! 

• Moisture Meter 
• Multi meter
• Carbon Monoxide detector
• Gas Leak Detector
• Infra Red Thermometer and many more

 We Are Available 7 days a week and we serve entire GTA

Home Inspection Toronto, Home Inspection Mississauga, Home Inspection Brampton, Home Inspection Vaughan, Home Inspection GTA 

Find us on google places / maps Home Inspection Mississauga, Home Inspector Mississauga, Mississauga Home Inspection

Related Blogs

1. What is Home Inspection?
2. Dangers of Carbon Monoxide.
3. Ice Damns
4. Common Electrical problems in a House
5. Aluminum Wiring
6. Winter Home Maintenance Tips
7. Issues affecting older Homes from Insurance point of view
8. Causes of Wet Basement
9. GFCI Outlet?

 

What is a Home Inspection?

Home Inspection is visual, non invasive examination of the structure of the house. It is usually done during the purchase of the house by a Home Inspector. Home Inspector is a person who is Certified by one of the Professional Associations such as InterNACHI (International Association of Certified Home Inspectors) or OAHI (Ontario Association of Home Inspectors). Furthermore, he has years of experience in construction industry and in some cases highly qualified persons such as Professional Engineers (PEng) Licensed Architects (OAA) are also lending there services as Home Inspectors.

Its very Important for the prospective clients to do thorough research about the qualifications of the Home Inspector before  hiring one. Good Home Inspectors don't come cheap and many people fall for the cheap Home Inspectors which don't have the appropriate knowledge, experience and the qualifications to carry out a complex task of Home Inspection.

An inspector will check the roof, basement, heating system, water heater, air-conditioning system, structure, plumbing, electrical and many other aspects of buildings looking for improper building practices, those items that require extensive repairs, items that are general maintenance issues, as well as some fire and safety issues. To assist him with The Inspection an Inspector carry many tools with him to check for Moisture, correct electrical wiring, GFCI tester,  Gas Leakage, Carbon Monoxide Levels etc. Inspector provides client with the written report explaining areas of concern and safety issues. The client uses inspectors findings to take an informed decision about the purchase of the property.

A good Inspector is invaluable asset to home buyers. Defects or repair items discovered during a home inspection can easily justify the cost of the quality home inspection.

At RK Home Inspections we are available 7 days a week and we serve entire GTA Home Inspection Toronto, Home Inspection Mississauga, Home Inspection Brampton, Home Inspection Vaughan, Home Inspection GTA, Home Inspection Markham

Find us on google places / maps  Home Inspection Mississauga, Home Inspector Mississauga, Mississauga Home Inspection

Related Blogs

1. RK Home Inspections
2. GFCI Outlet?
3. What is Home Inspection?
4. Dangers of Carbon Monoxide.
5. Ice Damns
6. Common Electrical problems in a House
7. Aluminum Wiring
8. Winter Home Maintenance Tips
9. Issues affecting older Homes from Insurance point of view
10. Causes of Wet Basement

www.rkhomeinspections.ca