Eight people hospitalized with symptoms of CO poisoning after furnace heat exchanger failure

Location: Surrey

Regulated industry sector: Gas - Natural gas system

Incident overview

A natural gas furnace was operating in a residential home with eight occupants. The furnaces secondary heat exchanger had corroded. The corrosion created holes in the heat exchanger and restricted the airflow of the combustion products through it. The restricted airflow led to incomplete combustion and the production high levels of carbon monoxide and aldehydes. The carbon monoxide and aldehydes then entered the home creating a hazardous atmosphere inside.

This incident investigation formed part of our report on Carrier gas furnaces. For more information, download the full report.