Protecting Your Home from Carbon Monoxide

The Silent Killer

Carbon monoxide, the colorless, odorless, tasteless, and non-irritating gas, kills about 400 Americans per year. Upon inhalation the poisonous gas, your body replaces the oxygen in your red blood cells with carbon monoxide; risking permanent organ damage or death due to lack of oxygen.

Protect Yourself

Despite our senses being unable to detect carbon monoxide, it CAN BE STOPPED! Here are recommendations that will equip your home with the essentials to protect your family against carbon monoxide.

Maintenance

Carbon monoxide can be found from the exhaust of fuel-burning appliances and engines. But that isn’t the only thing you should worry about, a home with poor ventilation makes carbon monoxide more dangerous than it already is. With nowhere for the gas to escape, this combination allows the gas to build up and increases the likelihood to poison someone. If you’re concerned about your home appliances and/or ventilation system, then schedule a maintenance checkup today.

Appliances: Where fuel is being burned to run your appliances, carbon monoxide is being created, and you can never be too careful when it comes to its risks. Just as you service your car, you should service your home’s appliances. The gas appliances around your home should be serviced once a year by a service technician. Schedule a maintenance checkup once a year on your fuel-burning appliances including heat pumps, furnaces, and fireplaces. If you’re considering making changes to your appliances or to their ventilation ability, reach out to your HVAC provider to make sure that your home is prepared.
Ventilation: Poor ventilation allows carbon monoxide to build up and collect throughout the home. Chimneys, vents, and flues are common ventilation hazards that could affect the safety of your home. You can stay in front of these hazards by having them regularly inspected by a trained HVAC technician that can tell if a buildup of carbon monoxide has occurred.

Although many people see maintenance checkups as a means of sustaining equipment, it can also be a means of saving your family and home. There is no better person to examine your appliances and ventilation than an experienced HVAC technician. They have the skills and equipment to best evaluate and inspect the safety of your home. When technicians are checking and correcting components of your equipment, they are ensuring that your appliances are working for and not against you.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Carbon monoxide detectors when combined with regular maintenance, can nearly eliminate the risks of poisoning. These detectors are designed to detect dangerous levels of carbon monoxide and alert everyone. The best and safest place to put them is in the hallway of every sleeping area. Inside these devices, a light beam shines onto a specialized gel that changes color when it comes in contact with carbon monoxide. Once the light beam notices the gel change color, it will trigger an alarm to alert everyone in the home. This equipment is well worth the cost to safeguard your home and family.

What To Do If You Suspect (CO) Poisoning

If you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning, know what to look out for. When exposed to a substantial amount of carbon monoxide, you might experience the following symptoms:

Seizure
Fatigue
Impaired Judgement
Nausea or vomiting
Shortness of breath
Confusion
Blurred Vision
Loss of consciousness
Dizziness

If and when you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning, immediately retreat to a safe, well-ventilated location. If possible, shut off any fuel-burning appliance and keep exit doors open. After you’ve found a safe place, contact your local fire department. They will help locate the source of carbon monoxide and make sure the building is safe before re-entering. Moving forward, you may want to have a further inspection of your home by an HVAC technician.

Here to Help