Winter聽temperatures聽encourage聽homeowners to聽secure聽their homes and聽turn up聽the thermostat,聽elevating聽the risk of carbon monoxide (CO)聽exposure.聽Close to聽50,000 people in the U.S聽go to聽the emergency room聽every year聽as a result of聽unintended聽CO poisoning, and more than 400 people die.
This odorless, tasteless, colorless gas is a聽side effect聽of聽incomplete聽combustion,聽which means聽it’s聽created聽any time聽a material聽is combusted or used for fuel. If聽the聽appliances in your home聽use聽natural gas, oil, propane, kerosene, wood, gasoline or charcoal, you’re聽susceptible to聽CO聽exposure.聽Find out聽what happens when you聽inhale聽carbon monoxide聽gases聽and how to聽minimize聽your risk of聽exposure聽this winter.
The聽Dangers聽of Carbon Monoxide
Often聽known as聽the “silent killer,” carbon monoxide is lethal because it聽keeps聽the body from聽using聽oxygen聽properly. CO molecules聽uproot聽oxygen聽within聽the blood,聽starving聽the heart, brain, lungs and other vital organs of oxygen.聽Large volumes聽of CO can聽overwhelm聽your system in minutes,聽causing聽loss of consciousness and suffocation. Without聽immediate聽care, brain damage or death聽may聽occur.
Carbon monoxide poisoning can also聽happen聽slowly聽if the concentration is聽fairly聽modest. The most聽prevalent聽signs of CO聽exposure聽include:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Weakness
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Chest pain
- Confusion
Since聽these symptoms聽resemble聽the flu,聽numerous聽people聽don't聽find out聽they have carbon monoxide poisoning until聽moderate聽symptoms聽evolve聽to organ damage.聽Look out for聽symptoms that聽decrease聽when you聽leave home,聽suggesting聽the source聽might聽be聽originating from聽inside.
Carbon Monoxide Safety Tips
While CO聽exposure聽is聽intimidating, it’s also entirely聽avoidable. Here are the聽ideal聽ways to聽help your family avoid聽carbon monoxide聽gas.
Operate聽Combustion Appliances聽Properly
- Don't run your car engine聽while parked in聽a covered聽or partially enclosed聽structure,聽like聽a garage.
- Do not聽use聽a generator, lawn mower or other gasoline-powered聽tool聽in聽a confined聽space聽like聽a basement or garage,聽no matter聽how聽well-ventilated聽it聽might be. Also, keep these devices聽around聽20 feet away from open windows, doors or intake vents.
- Never use聽a charcoal grill or聽small聽camping stove聽within聽a home, tent or camper.
- Keep聽all vents and flues聽free聽of debris聽that聽may聽lead to聽a blockage and聽trigger聽backdrafting of carbon monoxide聽gases.
Install, Test and Replace the Batteries in Your Carbon Monoxide Detectors
If you ever聽operate聽combustion appliances in or聽close to聽your home, you should聽put in聽carbon monoxide detectors to聽alert聽you of CO聽emissions. These聽devices聽can be hardwired, battery-operated or plugged into an outlet聽depending on聽the style. Here’s how to聽make the most聽of your carbon monoxide detectors:
- Install your detectors聽securely:聽As you聽consider聽the best聽locations,聽don't forget聽that聽a聽home聽does best with聽CO alarms on聽every floor, near聽each聽sleeping area and聽near聽the garage. Keep each unit聽out of reach聽from combustion appliances聽as well as聽sources of heat and humidity. The higher on聽a聽wall or ceiling you can聽place聽your detectors, the better.
- Review聽your detectors聽on a regular basis:聽The bulk of聽manufacturers聽suggest聽monthly testing to聽confirm聽your CO alarms are聽operating聽correctly.聽Simply聽press and hold the Test button for 5 to 20 seconds, wait for the alarm to聽begin聽and聽let go of聽the button. You聽ought to聽hear two聽brief聽beeps,聽see聽a flash or both. If the detector聽does not聽function聽as聽anticipated,聽change聽the batteries or replace the unit聽entirely.
- Swap out聽the batteries:聽If聽you have聽battery-powered models,聽swap out聽the batteries聽after聽six months. If you聽prefer聽hardwired devices聽that use聽a backup battery,聽Swap out聽the battery once a year or聽when聽the alarm聽begins to chirp, whichever comes first. Then, install new carbon monoxide alarms every 10 years or聽whenever聽the manufacturer聽suggests.
Arrange聽Annual Furnace Maintenance
Multiple聽appliances,聽including聽furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces and clothes dryers,聽may聽release聽carbon monoxide if the聽equipment聽is installed聽improperly聽or not聽performing聽as it should.聽A yearly聽maintenance visit is the only way to聽ensure聽if an appliance is聽faulty聽before a leak聽develops.
A precision tune-up from 黑料社区 offers聽the following:
- Check聽the heating appliance for carbon monoxide leaks.
- Spot聽any聽malfunctions聽that聽could聽cause聽unsafe operation.
- Review聽additional聽areas聽where you聽might聽benefit from聽putting in聽a CO detector.
- Tune up your system so you know your聽equipment聽is聽operating聽at peak safety and聽effectiveness.
Contact 黑料社区聽
If your gas furnace, boiler or water heater has聽sprung聽a CO leak, or you want to聽prevent聽leaks before they happen, 黑料社区 can help. Our聽HVAC maintenance聽and repair services聽help provide聽a safe,聽comfortable聽home all year-round.聽Contact聽
