Carbon monoxide (CO) exists in your home. You and your family could be exposed to low levels of chronic carbon monoxide that is not being detected by your home CO detector. You may have a carbon monoxide detector that has a digital display reading of zero, but the actual level of carbon monoxide is not zero. In fact, the CO in your home could be as high as 29.0 parts per million (ppm) and still read zero according to CO alarm standards developed by Underwriters Laboratories (UL2034) in collaboration with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Why is this allowed? If people saw readings on their CO detectors higher than zero then they would call the fire department creating an unmanageable need to verify the CO levels in all homes at all times.
Ok, so what level is safe? We contend that if your home is properly ventilated and appliances working as they should then your CO levels should be comparable to outside. Typical levels outside will vary between 0-5ppm. The levels outside are generally higher in summer and lower in the winter. Homes that are well insulated, spray foamed, or too tight may trap high carbon monoxide concentrations along with other toxic pollutants.
Our fully calibrated meters will record the carbon monoxide in your home down to 0.0 parts per million to provide you true peace of mind as to the healthiness of your home regarding CO.
Agency | Exposure Limits |
OSHA PEL (General Industry) | 50 ppm TWA |
OSHA PEL (Construction Industry) | 50 ppm TWA |
OSHA PEL (Maritime) | 50 ppm TWA |
ACGIH TLV | 25 ppm TWA |
NIOSH REL | 35 ppm TWA; 200 ppm Ceiling |
NIOSH IDLH | 1,200 ppm |
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