Propane

[habu68]

I have run my single burner propane forge in a 10x12x12 foot shop with the walk in door, window and ceiling vent fan running. In the first 10 min of running my forge in this room I have watched my digital co sensor run from 0 to 999 parts per million CO. The forge is well tuned but the cold start does not give a full burn of the carbon in the propane. 900 parts per million CO will cause loss of consciousness in less than 5 min. 135 ppm will kill over longer exposures. After my forge reaches operating temps my CO levels in the room drop back to 0, but remember that you are still producing Co2 and burning available oxygen. Coal, charcoal, and fuel oil will also produce CO.

I have had two close encounters with CO in automotive settings they are not fun. My personal opinion is that a CO detector is as necessary as safety glasses. I recommend the Nighthawk Digital CO unit, the digital read out gives you a visual warning prior to the nightmarish alarm going off and waking the neighbors, also this unit has a cumulative exposure algorithm that sets the alarm off when you have a low exposure over a long period of time.

Disclaimer: I am not associated in any way with the Nighthawk company. I only know that they have saved my life on more than one occasion.

[agsolder]

Friend and I were forging one day back when my small, two-burner propane forge was inside the shop, man doors open at each end, good cross-draft augmented by open hatch up at the ridge of the roof, but we looked at each other after a couple hours and shut down. Bad headaches, each. Carbon monoxide or whatever, propane exhaust is evil stuff, ad it seems to just linger. I moved the forge outdoors, but even then last year had to put a 5-foot diameter, 10-foot high tipi of corrugated roofing around it to draft the nasties up and away from me. Let us not forget that propane is a heavy gas and if there is a leak or a spill, it just lays there waiting to explode or burn. Didn't that happen to the famous sculptor, albert Paley, when a bottle tipped on him when he was working from inside a cherry picker bucket a few years back? Bad burns. Isn't having a bottle indoors against the building/fire code?

[Marc]

The CO detector is a real life-saver. Mine, like habu's, gives off lots of CO until the forge gets good and hot. My forge is in a 2-car garage, and I replaced the doors with swing-outs, complete with opening windows. With the doors and windows closed, it'll get to over 250ppm in about 15 minutes. So I've got a Wally-mart variety pedestal fan blowing out one window and the window on the opposite side open. The CO detector stays at 0 when I do that. After a while, I can shut off the fan.

But this forge is nothing compared to my lawn tractor. I had it in the shop to check something out and the CO went to 500ppm in about a minute.

[MRobb]

Thank you Pete for bringing this subject up. I am constantly amazed at the wealth of info on this site. I too run a gas forge. I have to admit, I've never thought of the risks that were brought up here. I will definitelly pick up a co detector or two for my shop. It seems to me that a detector is probably the first ( & most important ) tool that that should go into any shop. Thanks again to Pete & all those who have shared their experiences & knowledge.