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cessors, and do not give off fumes nearly as noxious as they used to, they still release enough
fumes to cause problems for some people.
Figure 4-2. Portable kerosene space heater. Photo courtesy of Sengoku Portable Heaters
Caution: When using a fuel-burning portable stove for indoor cooking or space heating that
is not vented to the outside with a chimney or some kind of vent pipe, you must take extreme
caution to prevent carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning! When in use, make sure you crack a win-
dow or door approximately 1 inch for ventilation, and never sleep in a room with a charcoal
brazier or kerosene heater running.
Carbon Monoxide and Space Heater Safety Precautions
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, poisonous, invisible gas that is a byproduct of
incomplete combustion, and is formed whenever fuels are burned, such as charcoal, kerosene,
alcohol, gasoline, coal, and propane. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), car-
bon monoxide poisoning results in roughly 15,000 emergency room visits, and 500 uninten-
tional deaths in the United States each year (King 2007). The problem is that CO binds to the
hemoglobin in your red blood cells more easily than does oxygen, so the victim of CO poison-
ing essentially dies from lack of oxygen. Since you can't see, smell, or taste CO, it is incredibly
and insidiously dangerous, and for this reason it is wise to install CO detectors (or combination
CO and smoke detectors) inside your home. Code approved heating appliances installed inside
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