Gas
appliance
should be
placed on
non-flammable
material. Do
not allow
flammable
material in
proximity of
gas
appliance.
2.
Before using
gas
appliance,
check if the
air around
appliance
smells any
gas, and
make sure
there is no
gas leakage.
3.
Keep good
ventilation
when using
gas
appliance,
but be
careful not
to let the
air blows
off flame.
4.
When using
auto
ignition gas
appliance,
if the
appliance
fails to
light up
after
several
ignition
attempt,
then wait
shortly and
let unburned
gas dilutes
away before
trying
another
ignition.
5.
Do not leave
gas
appliance
running
unattended.
When walking
away, turn
off gas.
6.
Do not
install gas
water heater
in enclosed
bath room or
poorly
ventilated
indoor area.
7.
Clean gas
appliance
regularly to
avoid
incomplete
burn.
8.
Use air
regulator on
gas range to
adjust the
color of the
flame until
it turns
blue. Red
flame and
floating
flame are
both
undesirable.
9.
Heat
efficiency
is maximized
when the
flame color
is normal
and the tip
of the flame
comes right
to the
bottom of
cooking pan.
10.
Flat-bottom
pan saves
more gas
than
dome-shape
wok.
11.
Do not
connect more
than one gas
appliance to
one gas
regulator.
12.
When testing
for gas
leakage, use
soap bubble
and never
use fire.
13.
Check for
tightening ,
aging,
cracking,
and insect
biting on
rubber pipe
that
connects to
gas
appliance.
14.
If gas
leakage
occurs,
gently open
windows and
doors to
allow gas
floats away,
and do not
turn on any
electric
appliance or
fan.
15.
In case of
CO
Intoxication,
move victim
to well
ventilated
area and
seek for
emergency
medical
rescue.
◎Keep
good ventilation when using gas
appliance to avoid Hyproxia
accident Gas appliance
advances rapidly in recent years,
and residential houses we live in
are now better equipped, such as
air-tight aluminum frame windows and
doors, which keep the air of
comfortable temperature vented from
air conditioner indoor from leaking
out. Doors, windows, and roof top
of aged old houses have many gaps,
and air indoor and outdoor may
naturally exchange as frequently as
5 to 10 times per hour. Heating
energy we used in the old days was
low combustion ratio charcoal, and
therefore there was no problem with
air ventilation. However, air
exchange ratio in air-tight modern
houses is as low as 0.5 to 2 times.
In the same time, because of higher
living standard, gas appliances we
use indoor today have more variety
and quantity, and consume more
volume of gas. Natural air exchange
will definitely not able to supply
sufficient volume of oxygen from
fresh air for gas burning. Low
oxygen ratio in air will lead to
incomplete burn, which will affect
human body with syndrome in the
Table 1 and 2 below. For a safe,
healthy, and comfortable living,
please keep good indoor ventilation
if gas energy is used in your
household.
Table 1: Symptoms
of CO Intoxication at Different
levels of Carbon Monoxide Ratio in
Air:
CO
Ratio in Air (%)
Symptoms According to
Duration of Inhalation
0.02
2~3hours:
minor headache
0.04
1~2
hours: minor headache.
2.5~3.5
hours: headache in the
back of head
0.08
45
minutes: headache,
dizziness, and vomit. 2
hours: confusion
0.16
20
minutes: headache and
dizziness, vomit. 2
hours: death
0.32
5~10
minutes: headache, and
vomit. 30 minutes:
death.
0.64
1~2
minutes: headache and
dizziness. 10~15
minutes: death.
1.28
1~3minutes:
death.
◎Why
Need Air Ventilation?
Human life depends on breathing
air, which consists of 21% of oxygen
and 79% of nitrogen. If fresh air is
not supplied in enclosed space,
oxygen will be slowly consumed and
depleted, and human will eventually
die in suffocation. Air with oxygen
ratio below 16% will cause function
disorder in human body, and when
below 10%, coma, stop breathing, and
heart ceases beating.
Gas appliance, such as table top
heater, air heater, and water
heater, like human being, consumes
oxygen and releases carbon monoxide
into air when burning, which
converts to heat for our use.
However, if air is lack of oxygen,
then gas will burn incompletely and
produce dangerous carbon monoxide in
a very short period of time.
To allow gas to burn completely
when using gas appliance, sufficient
supply of air is required. That is,
provide fresh air for gas appliance
is absolutely needed.
Table 2:
Intoxication at different Carbon
Monoxide Hemoglobin
Ratios in Blood:
Carbon Monoxide
Hemoglobin Ratio
in Blood (%)
Symptoms
Static Status
In
Motion
0~10
No
symptom
No
symptom
10~20
No
symptom
Minor
headache
20~30
Causes headache
Dizziness and shortness
of breath
30~40
Headache, racing heart,
vomit, and shortness of
breath
Dizziness, shortness of
breath, and spasticity
40~50
Vision, hearing, and
consciousness disorders
Fatigue, spasticity, and
vomit
50~60
Sudden faint
Increased pulse ratio
and sudden faint
60~70
Heart
failure, faint
Dying
70~80
Weak
pulse and weak breath
Breath Difficulty and
death
◎Fatal
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
Carbon monoxide has very strong
capability to bind with hemoglobin (Hb)
in human blood; 200 ~ 300 times
stronger than oxygen. Despite small
amount in air, carbon monoxide will
bind with hemoglobin immediately. If
hemoglobin is already bonded with
oxygen , then carbon monoxide will
replace oxygen and bind with
hemoglobin.
Hemoglobin is supposed to carry
oxygen contained in the air breathed
into lung and transport oxygen
allover to human body through blood
vein system. If hemoglobin is bonded
with carbon monoxide instead of
oxygen, then what the blood that
oxygen-dependent human body receives
contains is full of CO hemoglobin
and very few oxy hemoglobin. Despite
respiration is active, human will
still die in suffocation due to
hyproxia. Noticeably, when oxygen
ratio in blood decreases, brain
cells are injured first. Even though
life is saved, brain functions will
still be difficult to recover, and
human will suffer from many
aftereffects.
That is why supply of fresh air is
required wherever people are.
Additionally, gas appliance that
consume large volume of gas, such as
gas range, water heater, or whatever
gas-burning appliance, will all need
large volume of fresh air. In other
words, residential houses in which
people live and gas appliance is
installed shall need to take fresh
air in and exhaust dirty air
frequently.
However, ceilings, doors, and
windows of which most recently built
houses and apartment installed are
all seamless. People usually keep
doors and windows closed tightly in
winter to keep out the cold winds.
In this situation, oxygen is
consumed quickly and carbon monoxide
in produced by people's respiration
and gas burning. The cycle of
insufficient oxygen level →
incomplete burn → carbon monoxide is
consequently produced. To avoid
fatal accident, ventilation must be
maintained. No matter how superior
the functions of gas appliance are
and no matter how carefully these
gas appliance are inspected, if
ventilation is not maintained, fatal
accident shall bound to happen.
◎How
to Maintain Ventilation?
For regular residential unit,
ventilating 3 ~ 6 times of indoor
space volume per hour is required.
Because steel reinforced concrete
apartments can only ventilate 0.5 ~
2 times per hour, therefore, please
pay attention to methods of
effective ventilation.
(1) Install Air Vents
Install an air intake vent near
floor on one side of house, and an
air exhaust vent near ceiling on the
opposite wall. This configuration
produces excellent ventilation
effect. Air taken in from lower vent
will rise naturally after being
heated indoor. After floating
through indoor space, air will be
exhausted outdoor through the upper
vent on the opposite wall. If a door
is installed on one side, then
adding a blind window on the lower
part of the door will be an
alternative.
If installing vents on two opposite
sides is not possible and installing
two vents on the same wall is the
only option, then maximize top-down
distance between the two vents. If
top-down configuration is not
possible, then install a larger
window.
(2) Remember to Open Up Windows
Open up a small window or leave a
narrow opening on window when using
gas appliance. As long as curtain is
drawn on, warm air will stay indoor
while air is still ventilated.
Opening up windows on two opposite
walls will do a great job of
ventilation.
Open up windows wide once per
every hour to allow fresh air comes
into indoor. It will be even better
if opening up windows on south and
north or east and west sides.
(3) If Water Heater is Installed
Indoor, then Ventilation Appliance
must be installed and windows Must
be Opened for Ventilation
All intoxication accident cases
were caused by water heaters that
were installed in bath room or
enclosed corridor or kitchen. Water
heater running for long time at low
heat or in poorly ventilated area
will still cause fast carbon
monoxide production and unburned gas
due to distinguished flame. Any of
these is very dangerous.
◎How
to Choose When Shopping for Gas
Appliance:
(1) Ask if there is any
after-purchase service when shopping
for gas appliance.
(2)Check if Qualified Inspection
Sticker from Bureau of Standard,
Metrology, and Inspection and
Insured Product Sticker from Taiwan
Gas Appliance Manufacturers
Association are pasted on the main
unit of gas appliance
(3)Products with the Association's
insurance stickers pasted on are
entitled for three major
protections:
1.The product has qualified
inspections administered by Bureau
of Standard, Metrology, and
Inspection of Ministry of Economic
Affairs
2.The product has qualified random
check administered by Taiwan Gas
Appliance Manufacturers Association
3.This product has been insured
with liability insurance for public
accidents.
Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association of Taiwan
Addresss:No.90, Ln., 1434, Chunri Rd., Taoyuan Dist., Taoyuan City, Taoyuan County,Taiwan, R.O.C.
E-Mail:tgama@ms43.hinet.net TEL:
03-3550251 FAX: 03-3265769
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