Carbon Monoxide: The Invisible Gas That Kills in Silence — And How to Stop It

Most people protect their homes against fire and smoke. Far fewer protect against the one fire-related danger they can't see, smell, or hear coming: carbon monoxide. It produces no flame and no smoke, so a smoke alarm never sounds — yet it kills people every winter, often in their sleep. This guide explains exactly what it is, how to avoid it, and what to do if you suspect it.

What carbon monoxide actually is

Carbon monoxide (ნახშირჟანგი, "CO") is a gas created whenever a fuel burns without enough oxygen — petrol, diesel, natural gas, wood, charcoal, kerosene, anything that burns. Normal, well-ventilated burning produces mostly harmless carbon dioxide. But starve the flame of air — a blocked flue, a closed room, an engine in a garage — and it produces carbon monoxide instead.

What makes it so dangerous is that it is completely undetectable by your senses:

• No colour — you cannot see it.
• No smell — unlike natural gas, nothing is added to warn you.
• No taste, no irritation — nothing makes you cough or react.

Inside your body, CO latches onto your blood hundreds of times more easily than oxygen, so your organs are slowly starved of oxygen even while you keep breathing normally. That is why it so often kills quietly, overnight, before anyone realizes anything is wrong.

The absolute rules — never break these

*1. Never run a generator, BBQ/charcoal grill, or any fuel engine indoors.*

This is the single most important rule. Not in a house, a room, a tent, a caravan, a basement, or a closed garage — and not even with a window or door open. A generator must run outdoors only, far from any window, door, or air vent so its exhaust cannot drift back inside. This one rule would prevent the most common CO tragedies.

*2. Never use a gas hob or oven to heat a room.*

Cookers are built for short bursts of cooking, not hours of heating. Used to warm a room, they can build up dangerous CO.

*3. Never sleep near a running engine or fuel heater in an enclosed space.*

Including warming up in a parked car with the engine on in a closed garage.

The slower dangers: heaters, water heaters and flues

CO isn't only about generators. In Georgian homes, faulty or poorly maintained gas appliances are a real, documented hazard:

• Gas heaters and gas water heaters must be installed correctly, serviced, and properly ventilated. A unit burning with a yellow or orange flame instead of crisp blue can be a warning sign of incomplete combustion.
• Flues and chimneys must be clear. A blocked or leaking flue pushes exhaust — and CO — straight back into the room.
• Air vents exist for a reason. Never seal or block ventilation to "keep the heat in"; that traps CO with you.

Get a carbon monoxide detector — it is NOT a smoke alarm

A carbon monoxide detector (ნახშირჟანგის დეტექტორი) is a small, inexpensive device that sounds an alarm when CO builds up — long before it would kill you. The critical point many people miss:

> A smoke detector does not detect carbon monoxide, and a CO detector does not detect smoke. If you burn any fuel at home, you need both.

Place a CO detector near sleeping areas and on each level. Test it regularly, just like a smoke alarm. Combined smoke + CO units exist and are a convenient option.

Know the symptoms — and act fast

CO poisoning often feels like flu or tiredness without a fever:

• Headache, dizziness, nausea
• Weakness, confusion, blurred vision
• Drowsiness and loss of consciousness

The biggest clue: several people — or pets — feel ill at the same time, and feel better when they leave the building. If you suspect carbon monoxide:

1. 1.Get everyone outside into fresh air immediately.
2. 2.Don't stop to investigate — leave first.
3. 3.Call 112 and seek medical help.
4. 4.Do not go back inside until it's confirmed safe.

Your CO safety checklist

• [ ] A CO detector fitted near where you sleep (separate from, or combined with, your smoke alarm)
• [ ] Generators and grills used outdoors only, away from windows
• [ ] Gas heaters/water heaters serviced; flames burn clean blue
• [ ] Chimneys and flues kept clear; air vents never blocked
• [ ] Everyone in the home knows the symptoms and the "get out, call 112" rule

Fire safety is also about the fire-related dangers you can't see. Protecting against the invisible is exactly what ORDEX stands for.

Note: In Georgia, the Energy Ombudsman has repeatedly warned about the risks of unsafe gas appliances. Emergencies: dial 112 (free, nationwide). CO guidance reflects standard combustion-safety practice; see also the 2024 Gudauri tragedy (Case Study).