My buddy who just finished G2 in school tells me we are required to do a flue gas analysis after a furnace cleaning?
What do you guys think?
It's definitely a good idea to test for CO, but there is no requirement to do so. They are probably only testing outside at the exhaust termination for CO, or the inside ambient. To do a real flue gas analysis you have to have a port at the furnace in the venting system. Some installers are installing a special fitting, in the venting system, to accomodate this test. Most employers wouldn't want their new technicians making a hole in the venting and then plugging it. TPi sells plastic plugs for this reason, but I don't think they're good or safe!
There is only one Director's Order from TSSA, that requires a flue gas test on natural draft boilers under 300CFH - Directors Order FS-072-06-R6 (http://hvactechgroup.com/index.php?topic=DirectorsOrder)
This is a recent news story from Ottawa,
QuoteTwo men are in hospital with what is being described as "moderate carbon monoxide poisoning" after a repairman discovered dangerously high levels of the gas inside a Bell St. building just after 8 p.m. Tuesday.
The men, 46 and 47 years of age, were treated at the scene and taken to hospital, while a 57-year-old woman was also examined and released.
The cause of the leak is under investigation. It's not known if the repairman was there for this reason or for something unrelated.
Carbon monoxide accounts for 250 deaths annually in the United States.
When levels top 150 parts per million to 200 PPM, the gas can cause disorientation, unconsciousness and death if the victim is not removed from the environment.
Ottawa paramedic superintendent Gary Chamberlain said the technician in this case found levels had reached 1000 PPM, a level that can cause death within two to three hours.
A good reason to take CO readings.
Thanks for the response. I agree with always taking a CO reading, this guy is taking it to the next level and doing the flue gas analysis at the exhaust? Seemed like overkill but he was pretty sure he was required. I told him I had never seen this in the code. Still new to the trade myself so wasn't 100% sure.
Thanks