Linda Mosley on fri 5 sep 03
Dear Friends,
Here's one more story supporting the use of a
low-level CO detector in the kiln area.
I had been struggling with my school to provide a
low-level CO detector for use in our new kiln room.
Even though I had explained that it’s as important for
health and safety as having a fire extinguisher and
cost less than $100, they didn't agree to purchase one
until I finally bought one myself (from an Internet
site) and showed them during a firing what I was
concerned about.
The low-level CO detector is also valuable in
determining what ventilation adjustments are working,
as I am firing, because it immediately registers as
low as 5 PPM and alarms when it’s as low as 10 PPM. (I
am not affiliated with the company.)
And here’s one more anecdote for those who are not
convinced. One day at home, I kept hearing a beeping
alarm that sounded like our smoke detectors and went
looking for the source. Finally, I realized it was my
new CO detector, still in its box on a shelf, waiting
to be taken to school. It turned out that the PVC
exhaust pipe from our furnace in the basement had
broken inside the house! It gives me chills to think
what would have happened to my two dogs if I had left
for work that day without knowing about the leak. And
because it alarms at 10 PPM, much lower than common
household detectors, I found the leak before it became
a life-threatening danger.
It astounds me that people are unwilling to invest in
equipment that makes their work (and home) safer and
more efficient, especially since digital pyrometers,
low-level CO detectors, and kiln-vent systems cost
under $200. Even back in the old days, miners took a
canary down with them. Prevention is much more
pleasant and less expensive than the cure for CO or
other heavy metal fume poisoning. And CO is just one
of the reasons to have good ventilation - there may be
other dangerous fumes riding along with it.
May you all live long and healthy lives making
wonderful things out of mud and fire!
- Linda
__________________________________
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Tony Ferguson on fri 5 sep 03
Ok,
Where can I find a good inexpensive CO detector?
Thank you.
Tony Ferguson
On Lake Superior, where the sky meets the Lake
Custom & Manufactured Kiln Design
Stoneware, Porcelain, Raku and more
by Coleman, Ferguson, Winchester...
http://www.aquariusartgallery.com
218-727-6339
315 N. Lake Ave
Apt 312
Duluth, MN 55806
----- Original Message -----
From: "Linda Mosley"
To:
Sent: Friday, September 05, 2003 10:47 AM
Subject: Low-level CO detector story
> Dear Friends,
>
> Here's one more story supporting the use of a
> low-level CO detector in the kiln area.
>
> I had been struggling with my school to provide a
> low-level CO detector for use in our new kiln room.
> Even though I had explained that it's as important for
> health and safety as having a fire extinguisher and
> cost less than $100, they didn't agree to purchase one
> until I finally bought one myself (from an Internet
> site) and showed them during a firing what I was
> concerned about.
>
> The low-level CO detector is also valuable in
> determining what ventilation adjustments are working,
> as I am firing, because it immediately registers as
> low as 5 PPM and alarms when it's as low as 10 PPM. (I
> am not affiliated with the company.)
>
> And here's one more anecdote for those who are not
> convinced. One day at home, I kept hearing a beeping
> alarm that sounded like our smoke detectors and went
> looking for the source. Finally, I realized it was my
> new CO detector, still in its box on a shelf, waiting
> to be taken to school. It turned out that the PVC
> exhaust pipe from our furnace in the basement had
> broken inside the house! It gives me chills to think
> what would have happened to my two dogs if I had left
> for work that day without knowing about the leak. And
> because it alarms at 10 PPM, much lower than common
> household detectors, I found the leak before it became
> a life-threatening danger.
>
> It astounds me that people are unwilling to invest in
> equipment that makes their work (and home) safer and
> more efficient, especially since digital pyrometers,
> low-level CO detectors, and kiln-vent systems cost
> under $200. Even back in the old days, miners took a
> canary down with them. Prevention is much more
> pleasant and less expensive than the cure for CO or
> other heavy metal fume poisoning. And CO is just one
> of the reasons to have good ventilation - there may be
> other dangerous fumes riding along with it.
>
> May you all live long and healthy lives making
> wonderful things out of mud and fire!
> - Linda
>
>
> __________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software
> http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>
Alycia Goeke on fri 5 sep 03
hey tony,
i got mine at home depot. it is the nighthawk brand and costs $50.00. it's
digital and keeps track of previous levels. it plugs in. there are several to
chose from in the $25.00 range but i don't think they are near as sensitive as
the digital one. and after all, the low levels, over time, can be just as
harmful as the larger bursts of gas.
congratulations on a healthy decision!!!!!
happy potting,
alycia
Carl Finch on fri 5 sep 03
At 08:47 AM 9/5/03 -0700, Linda Mosley wrote:
>It turned out that the PVC
>exhaust pipe from our furnace in the basement had
>broken inside the house!
PVC (plastic) for a furnace exhaust pipe?!
Is that appropriate? I wouldn't have thought it suitable for high
temperature combustion products.
--Carl
in Medford, Oregon
Kathi LeSueur on fri 5 sep 03
hozho@MINDSPRING.COM wrote:
> At 08:47 AM 9/5/03 -0700, Linda Mosley wrote:
>
>> It turned out that the PVC
>> exhaust pipe from our furnace in the basement had
>> broken inside the house!
>
>
> PVC (plastic) for a furnace exhaust pipe?!
>
> Is that appropriate? I wouldn't have thought it suitable for high
> temperature combustion products.>>
>
> PVC is commonly used for the exhaust on high efficiency furnaces. The
> fumes are not anywhere near high temperature by the time they reach
> the vent.
>
> Kathi
iandol on sat 6 sep 03
Dear Friends,
I believe the upper permissible limit for Carbon Monoxide in the =
workplace is in the order of 25 parts per million whereas Carbon dioxide =
is of the order of 5000 parts per million, or half a percent.
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis. Redhill, South Australia
Sam or Mary Yancy on sat 6 sep 03
Question, are the CO and other fumes at the begining of tje firing cycle to XX degrees F or do they "generate throughout the entire firing and/or cool down cycle. Anybody know? Sam in daly city. also where can I buy a Co detector
Tony Ferguson wrote:Ok,
Where can I find a good inexpensive CO detector?
Thank you.
Tony Ferguson
On Lake Superior, where the sky meets the Lake
Custom & Manufactured Kiln Design
Stoneware, Porcelain, Raku and more
by Coleman, Ferguson, Winchester...
http://www.aquariusartgallery.com
218-727-6339
315 N. Lake Ave
Apt 312
Duluth, MN 55806
----- Original Message -----
From: "Linda Mosley"
To:
Sent: Friday, September 05, 2003 10:47 AM
Subject: Low-level CO detector story
> Dear Friends,
>
> Here's one more story supporting the use of a
> low-level CO detector in the kiln area.
>
> I had been struggling with my school to provide a
> low-level CO detector for use in our new kiln room.
> Even though I had explained that it's as important for
> health and safety as having a fire extinguisher and
> cost less than $100, they didn't agree to purchase one
> until I finally bought one myself (from an Internet
> site) and showed them during a firing what I was
> concerned about.
>
> The low-level CO detector is also valuable in
> determining what ventilation adjustments are working,
> as I am firing, because it immediately registers as
> low as 5 PPM and alarms when it's as low as 10 PPM. (I
> am not affiliated with the company.)
>
> And here's one more anecdote for those who are not
> convinced. One day at home, I kept hearing a beeping
> alarm that sounded like our smoke detectors and went
> looking for the source. Finally, I realized it was my
> new CO detector, still in its box on a shelf, waiting
> to be taken to school. It turned out that the PVC
> exhaust pipe from our furnace in the basement had
> broken inside the house! It gives me chills to think
> what would have happened to my two dogs if I had left
> for work that day without knowing about the leak. And
> because it alarms at 10 PPM, much lower than common
> household detectors, I found the leak before it became
> a life-threatening danger.
>
> It astounds me that people are unwilling to invest in
> equipment that makes their work (and home) safer and
> more efficient, especially since digital pyrometers,
> low-level CO detectors, and kiln-vent systems cost
> under $200. Even back in the old days, miners took a
> canary down with them. Prevention is much more
> pleasant and less expensive than the cure for CO or
> other heavy metal fume poisoning. And CO is just one
> of the reasons to have good ventilation - there may be
> other dangerous fumes riding along with it.
>
> May you all live long and healthy lives making
> wonderful things out of mud and fire!
> - Linda
>
>
> __________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software
> http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>
______________________________________________________________________________
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
wayneinkeywest on sat 6 sep 03
Low cost (about $20 US) CO detectors can be purchased from (dare I say it)
Home Depot, your local better-equipped hardware store,
or any electrician can order one for you.
We just installed them in a client's home, one in each hallway leading to
the bedrooms.
They go off every time the owner walks in with a cigar...which is the reason
his wife wanted them in the first place :>)
Wayne in Key West
> Question, are the CO and other fumes at the begining of tje firing
cycle to XX degrees F or do they "generate throughout the entire firing
and/or cool down cycle. Anybody know? Sam in daly city. also where can I buy
a Co detector
> Tony Ferguson wrote:Ok,
>
> Where can I find a good inexpensive CO detector?
>
>
> Thank you.
>
> Tony Ferguson
>
Alycia Goeke on sat 6 sep 03
hi tony,
it seems like the danger would be in the early phase when all the organic
material is being burned out but a potter friend of mine, who used to be a
chemical engineer, says is in the later phase when the kiln approaches temperature i
am talking about bisque temp.
so...i don't know, but i think it's safe to say that at no time is it safe to
hang out with a firing kiln and by having a good digital monitor, you will be
able to determine the CO cycle of your particular clay body and firing habit.
as for monitors, hardware stores carry them. also lowes or home depot.
nighthawk is a good brand. the less expensive ones are like smoke detectors. from my
understanding, they don't always give very accurate readings. i think for our
purposes, the digital one that cost $50.00, is a better choice. with such a
health risk as this, that is a small price to pay.
good luck finding what you need.
alycia-
Ron Roy on sun 7 sep 03
Hi Sam,
First of all - one of the points was - don't buy the inexpensive ones -
they don't go off soon enough - you want to know when CO is being generated
at the beginning so you can take appropriate steps to clear the air.
You need a detector that has a digital display at least and will warn you
when a small amount of CO is detected. I think $50 US and up. If you have
power failures you might consider have at least one with a battery backup.
CO is generated whenever combustion occurs - if the combustion process
begins to run out of oxygen - just assume it can happen anytime and you
can't go wrong. Wax or gums burning in a glaze firing for instance.
We all may assume the CO danger is over when the firing is over - but - as
I have written many times on this list - it soaks into wall board, soft
fire brick - any porous enough material - you turn the ventilation and the
kiln off - next thing you know your detector is going nuts
RR
>Question, are the CO and other fumes at the begining of the firing
>cycle to XX degrees F or do they "generate throughout the entire firing
>and/or cool down cycle. Anybody know? Sam in daly city. also where can I
>buy a Co detector
>Tony Ferguson wrote:Ok,
>
>Where can I find a good inexpensive CO detector?
Ron Roy
RR#4
15084 Little Lake Road
Brighton, Ontario
Canada
K0K 1H0
Phone: 613-475-9544
Fax: 613-475-3513
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