Stay alert:
If symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, such as dizziness or fatigue, occur near a water heater, open windows and doors to ventilate the area
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By Yeh Li-pin, Wang Kuan-jen and Esme Yeh / Staff reporter, with staff writer
Rooftop water heaters should only be installed outdoors or in properly ventilated areas to prevent the formation of toxic gases, the Yilan County Fire Department said after a man died of carbon monoxide poisoning in Taipei on Monday last week.
The 39-year-old man surnamed Chen (陳), an assistant professor at Providence University in Taichung, was at his home in Taipei on vacation when the incident occurred, press reports said.
He was showering in the bathroom of a rooftop addition when carbon monoxide – a toxic byproduct of combustion – leaked from a water heater installed in a poorly ventilated room.
Photo: Taipei Times
Chen's older sister, who lived downstairs, found him lying in the bathroom with the faucet turned on.
An autopsy revealed he died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
The Yilan County Fire Department said carbon monoxide is an “invisible killer” at home because the colorless and odorless gas is difficult to detect.
People who inhale carbon monoxide may feel tired or dizzy before losing consciousness and eventually dying, it said.
Rooftop flue gas water heaters, also called outdoor water heaters, installed in poorly ventilated spaces tend to produce carbon monoxide as the liquid petroleum gas or natural gas would burn incompletely due to lack of oxygen, it said.
In Taiwan, gases must be treated with a mercaptan odorant to make leaks easier to detect, it said.
Carbon monoxide's affinity for hemoglobin is 200 to 250 times greater than that of oxygen, meaning it would substitute for oxygen to bind to hemoglobin and form carboxyhemoglobin, reducing the oxygen carrying capacity of hemoglobin, it said.
If tissues do not receive enough oxygen, symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning such as headache, nausea or loss of consciousness would occur, the department said, adding that death occurs in severe cases.
People who experience dizziness, nausea, drowsiness or other symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning when using a gas-powered water heater should immediately turn off the device and open doors and windows to ventilate the area, it said.
They should call 119 if they feel seriously unwell, it said.
If a person believes someone has symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, they should also perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) after calling 119, it said.
Although paramedics would perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation and oxygen therapy, correctly performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation and administered immediately is essential to prevent brain death caused by hypoxia, the department said.
Proper installation of gas water heaters can prevent the formation of carbon monoxide, it said.
People should purchase water heaters with a CNS certification mark and select the appropriate type based on the ventilation capacity of the room where it will be installed, it said.
Rooftop flue water heaters should only be installed in places with good ventilation, such as outdoors, while forced vent water heaters or forced vent and balanced flue water heaters are recommended for poorly ventilated areas or indoor spaces, it said.
To maintain good ventilation, avoid installing additional doors, windows or rain shelters that would block the area around a water heater, and avoid drying a lot of clothing around a water heater, even outdoors, it said.
A water heater should be installed and checked regularly by a qualified technician, it said.
Only a qualified technician should replace or move a water heater or rearrange its ducts or pipes, it said.
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