Annually, over 20,000 people visit the hospital as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. This colorless, odorless gas is referred to as the silent killer because it’s virtually undetectable without a carbon monoxide detector.
Carbon monoxide, as specified by the CDC, is put off by fireplaces, boilers, furnaces, stoves, and gas ranges so it only makes sense that carbon monoxide poisoning climbs during the colder months when people are trying to heat their homes. To help keep your family safe, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning is here with a couple tips to safety warm your home.
- Install a CO detector on every floor of your home and change the batteries yearly.
- Keep all possible sources of combustion, such as bedding, paper, or clothing, at least three feet away from fireplaces, furnaces, stoves, or space heaters.
- Before lighting a fire in the fireplace, make sure you check to confirm the chimney damper is open and unobstructed.
- Never leave portable heaters or fireplaces unattended. Power off space heaters and confirm all embers in the fireplace are completely extinguished before going to bed or leaving home.
- Space heaters should always be placed on the floor, and on a hard, nonflammable surface, like concrete or tile. Keep children and pets away from space heaters.
- When purchasing a new space heater, purchase a model that turns off automatically if the heater falls over.
- Do not use a oven to warm your home.
- Have all stoves, fireplaces, chimneys, and all types of furnaces professionally examined and cleaned annually.
The ideal thing you can do for your heating system is to make sure it’s not only all set to keep your family warm all winter but also safe, is to call for your heating tune-up. During your furnace tune-up, Service Experts will check to be sure your furnace is operating safely with a complete multi-point inspection and cleaning. Call 239-908-6991 today and ask how you can save on a heating tune-up through November 25th.