Dangerous Gases of an Oil Furnace

Almost all types of appliances can cause hazards, but those such as oil furnaces that burn fuel for heating and cooking can be especially dangerous to your health. Most oil furnaces are safe, but sometimes they can produce gases that can be dangerous and even fatal. Oil furnaces can be a source of carbon monoxide gas. Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless and deadly poisonous.

Hazards

• Possible health effects of dangerous gases include severe headaches, drowsiness, watery eyes, trouble breathing and even death. These harmful effects may appear immediately after exposure or may be delayed, depending on the type and amount of gases and the degree of exposure.

Carbon Monoxide

• According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 200 deaths occur annually in the United States because of pollutants from indoor combustion devices. Carbon monoxide is invisible and has no odor. An entire family can be poisoned by CO without being aware of its presence.

  Carbon monoxide reduces the ability of blood to carry oxygen. Red blood cells absorb CO faster than they do oxygen, so CO can replace oxygen in the red blood cells, preventing oxygen from reaching body tissues and thus damaging the tissues.

  Breathing high doses of carbon monoxide can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. Symptoms include headache, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, a gagging sensation, vomiting, chest pain, loss of consciousness and, finally, death. CO poisoning can affect both people and animals. Infants and people with cardiac, respiratory or blood disorders are most susceptible.

Nitrogen Dioxide

• Inhalation of nitrogen dioxide at high levels irritates the respiratory tract and shortens breath. Children and asthmatic patients are most susceptible to the harmful effects of breathing nitrogen dioxide. Children may suffer from more flu and colds even when low levels of nitrogen oxide affect them. People suffering from asthma may experience narrowing of their airways after inhaling low levels of nitrogen dioxide.

Sulfur Dioxide

• Inhaling low levels of sulfur dioxide can irritate the eyes, nose and respiratory tract. Inhaling high levels can cause narrowing of the airways, leading to wheezing and trouble breathing. It can also cause tightness in the chest. Asthmatic people are more adversely affected than others by breathing sulfur dioxide.

Increased Humidity

• Sometimes, the combustion of an oil furnace can lead to increases in the humidity of indoor air. For example, cooking that gives off steam can add moisture to the air in a room. High relative humidity during cooking encourages the growth of harmful microorganisms such as dust mites and bacteria. These can lead to serious diseases like pneumonia.

Other Pollutants

• Suspended particles in the air can affect the eyes, nose and throat. These particles can also irritate the lungs and aggravate respiratory symptoms. Carcinogenic chemicals may be attached to such particles, raising the risk of lung cancer. Pollutants such as unburned hydrocarbons and aldehydes can also result from combustion in an oil furnace, creating myriad health hazards.