by: tiffany crawford
certain carrier gas furnaces, which are commonly used in b.c., have a design flaw that has caused several dangerous carbon monoxide exposures in the province, according to a technical safety bc report thursday.
the safety authority launched an investigation after eight people were hospitalized in separate incidents because of carbon monoxide exposures caused by failures in the line of residential gas-burning furnaces.
lead investigator eric lalli said technical safety bc is recommending owners of carrier furnaces immediately install a co detector and contact a licensed contractor to inspect their unit.
“these furnaces have the potential to release elevated levels of co for some time before being detected, and british columbians may not be aware of the potential hazard present in their homes,” he said.
although the manufacturer stopped making these furnaces in 2011, the agency said many b.c. residents are still using the old ones.
technical safety estimates there are hundreds of these furnaces still in operation, if not thousands, based on response from gas contractors interviewed in 2020.
carbon monoxide risks can include serious illness, severe side effects or death.