About 21 per cent of air is oxygen. When a fuel burns in plenty of air, it receives enough oxygen for complete combustion. Complete combustion needs a plentiful supply of air so that the elements in the fuel react fully with oxygen. Fuels such as natural gas and petrol contain hydrocarbons. These are compounds of hydrogen and carbon only. Visual inspection of the burner will reveal obvious problems including rust, scale, or soot. Obvious flame pattern disruptions or improper color indicates a problem with combustion.
Unfortunately, visual inspection is NOT sufficient to verify proper combustion. Conversely, burners producing little carbon monoxide can burn yellow.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-irritating and highly poisonous gas at low concentrations. Because it is not possible to reliably determine if a burner is producing excessive carbon monoxide visually, the use of an electronic carbon monoxide analyzer with digital display is recommended. Use of an instrument to measure carbon monoxide concentrations outdoors, inside the structure, and in the flue products is critical to insure the heating appliance is operating safely.
One cause— insufficient primary air opening. Flame Color: Yellow Can be either high or low CO, depends on adequate secondary air for complete combustion, no reliable visual method of determining CO production.
Burner and combustion chamber design affects the amount of carbon monoxide produced. Methods of reducing carbon monoxide production include providing excess air, increasing burner chamber temperature, and providing a large combustion zone. Unburned combustion products will continue to be oxidized in a hot combustion chamber with excess air.
Unfortunately, excess air, high temperatures, and large combustion zones reduce efficiency and increase costs. Simple actions, such as placing a cold pan on a kitchen stove top burner or blowing air from a fan across an unvented burner can increase carbon monoxide production. Oxidation of the combustion gases stops when the hot gases impinge on the cold pan or are cooled by the air from the fan. Any carbon monoxide not yet oxidized will be released into the room.
Adjustment of the burner affects the amount of CO produced. Insufficient primary burner air increases CO production. Restricted air inlets often produce a noticeable disruption of the flame and a change from blue to yellow. Particulate matter PM , or soot, is composed of small floating particles that readily enter your eyes, nose and mouth, causing irritation and inflammation down into the lungs and the heart.
Some PMs can cause cancer. All kinds of issues can contribute to incomplete combustion in household or workplace appliances. All too often, the reason an appliance begins to operate inefficiently is due to neglected preventative maintenance. Over time, buildup of dirt, debris, scale, soot, rust and other residue can impact the interaction between the heat source and the oxidant.
Blocked vents, flues, shutters or registers can prevent adequate oxygen from reaching the fuel source. Malfunctioning pilot lights or ignition switches, compromised electrical wiring or heat exchangers and improper gas pressure can each contribute temperature troubles with the heat source. Preventative maintenance service includes a safety inspection and basic cleaning that can address combustion issues ranging from dirt and debris to blockages and leaks, quickly correcting the combustion process so it once again works as designed.
While an annual safety inspection and preventative maintenance service can restore combustion processes to their normal function, this service alone cannot address the byproducts now residing in your indoor air supply. The Environmental Protection Agency recently released a concerning report stating that our indoor air is now up to five times more toxic than the air outside.
One major reason for this increase in indoor air toxicity is airtight construction. Without any natural leaks or cracks for indoor air toxins to escape, airborne toxins stay put and slowly build up inside our homes and workplaces.
This is why Ontario now requires new construction in the GTA to include the installation of a heat recovery ventilator to provide ventilation using mechanical processes.
Heat recovery ventilators are fantastic in airtight spaces - they can refresh and oxygenate your indoor air and help with seasonal humidity balancing. For this, you need a specialized air cleaner. The two most popular indoor air cleaners are the ultraviolet air purifier and the HEPA filter.
An ultraviolet air purifier works to change the chemical composition of airborne toxins so they cannot harm you. Leave this field empty. Contact Us. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Search for:. All Rights Reserved. Website Design and Hosting by Centennial Arts.
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