Consumer Safety Awareness
IMERC Fact Sheet - Mercury Use in Thermostats
"Mercury Use in Thermostats" summarizes the use of mercury in thermostats found in residences, businesses, and industrial settings, including thermostats sold as stand-alone units and as components within heating and cooling equipment. This Fact Sheet covers all types of thermostats that contain mercury in the individual devices; the total amount of mercury in all of the devices that were sold as new in the U.S. in 2001, 2004, and 2007; companies that have phased-out the products? manufacture and sale; and non-mercury alternative devices.
The information in this Fact Sheet is based on data submitted to the state members of the Interstate Mercury Education and Reduction Clearinghouse (IMERC)1 including Connecticut, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The data is available online through the IMERC Mercury-Added Products Database.
A number of important caveats must be considered when reviewing the data summarized in this Face Sheet:
- This Fact Sheet does not include mercury thermostats used in cooking ranges; those thermostats are covered in the face sheet entitled, "Mercury Use in Gas & Electric Cooking Ranges and Other Cooking Equipment."
- The information may not represent the entire universe of mercury-containing thermostats sold in the U.S. The IMERC-member states continuously receive new information from mercury-added product manufacturers, and the data presented in this Fact Sheet may underestimate the total amount of mercury sold in this product category.
- The information summarizes mercury use in thermostats sold nationwide since 2001. It does not include mercury thermostats sold prior to January 1, 2001 or exported outside of the U.S.
- Reported data includes only mercury that is used in the product, and does not include mercury emitted during mining, manufacturing, or other points in the products' life cycle.
For the full article please view the publication.
Protect Your Family and Yourself from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Carbon monoxide has the ability to kill a person in minutes and what makes it worse, you can't see or smell it. Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced when gas, oil, kerosene, wood or charcoal is burned. If your appliances aren't properly maintained, you run the risk of allowing dangerous levels of CO to enter your living space.
At moderate levels CO poisoning can cause headaches, dizziness, mental confusion, nausea, or faint spells. Prolonged exposure can cause death. Low levels cause shortness of breath, mild nausea and headaches. Since many symptoms are similar to the flu, this poisoning can go unnoticed.
For more information, please visit the full article.
Protect You and Yours from Carbon Monoxide with the Carbon Monoxide Alarm
The Carrier Carbon Monoxide Alarm uses sophisticated electronics and unmatched sensor technology to detect and record the levels of CO circulating in your indoor air. Key features include:
- CO levels monitored
- loud audible alarm
- protection provided during a power outage by a rechargeable lithium ion batter
- 7-year limited warrany
