Save Yourself from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning with These Tips

When you think about the safety of your home, you think you are fine with a fire extinguisher and a smoke detector. The truth is that you are not safe unless you add a carbon monoxide detector to your home. Carbon monoxide poisoning can happen at any time and can cause severe illness and even death. If you have a CO source in your home, you want to make sure that you have a carbon monoxide detector that works.

How Does Carbon Monoxide Get into Your Home?

Carbon monoxide will enter your home through exhaust pipes. You can find these on all your gas appliances. This can come from many sources. This includes natural gas, gasoline, propane, wood, coal, generator, or pellet fuel. Common sources where CO can come from include the following.

• Water heater
• Furnace
• Wood burning fireplaces
• Stoves
• Clothes dryer
• Lawn equipment
• Automobiles
• Generators

If you have any of these, make sure that you have a carbon monoxide detector installed to avoid exposure.

The Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

There are many symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. They include chest pain, dizziness, and trouble breathing. It also includes extreme drowsiness, blurry vision, nausea, and headaches. You want to leave the house if you have any of these symptoms. Exposure to carbon monoxide can cause death if you do not leave the area immediately.

Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

There are many ways to protect yourself from carbon monoxide exposure and poisoning. The most important thing you will want to do is to call an HVAC company out to install a CO detector. You can install them yourself, but if you install them wrong, they may not alert you to danger. An HVAC professional will come out and install CO detectors on each floor of your home. You should have them install both battery-operated and corded. You want to check your CO detector to make sure that it is working. Replace the batteries in the unit every six months to ensure that you are well protected.

Other Tips to Protect Against Exposure to Carbon Monoxide

Other things to protect yourself from carbon monoxide poisoning include the following.

• HVAC system. You will want to make sure that you have a well-maintained HVAC system to prevent exposure to CO. When you maintain your system, it should not create any CO gas in your home. Having yearly inspections will help to ensure that your HVAC unit is working as it should.
• Appliances. You will want to make sure that you maintain your appliances well. This is especially true if they run on gas. Make sure that they are well-vented, and if there is an issue with them, you get them repaired immediately.
• Chimney. If you use a wood heater, you will want to ensure that your chimney is in good shape. Make sure that you clean and inspect it at least once a year.

CALL US TODAY

Protect yourself from carbon monoxide. Maintain your HVAC system and install a CO detector. At Thornton Heating Services, Inc., we have a team of HVAC professionals to help. We help to make sure that your system is well-vented and working. We can also install CO detectors to protect you and your family.