Each year over 20,000 people go to the ER because of carbon monoxide poisoning. The odorless, colorless gas is referred to as the silent killer because it’s virtually undetectable without a carbon monoxide detector.
Carbon monoxide, according to the CDC, is given off by fireplaces, boilers, furnaces, stoves, and gas ranges so it only makes sense that carbon monoxide poisoning increases during the colder months when people are trying to keep their homes heated. To help keep your family safe, Finch Air Conditioning & Heating is here with a few tips to safety keep your home heated.
- Put in a CO detector on each floor of your home and swap out the batteries yearly.
- Keep all likely sources of combustion, such as bedding, paper, or clothing, a minimum of three feet away from space heaters, stoves, furnaces or fireplaces.
- Before igniting a fire in the fireplace, be sure to check to ensure the chimney damper is open and unclogged.
- Never leave portable heaters or fireplaces unwatched. Power off space heaters and be sure all embers in the fireplace are totally extinguished before going to bed or leaving home.
- Space heaters should always be situated on the floor, and on a hard, incombustible surface, like porcelain tile. Keep young ones and animals away from space heaters.
- When investing in a new space heater, invest in a model that powers off automatically if the heater falls over.
- Don’t use a stove to heat your home.
- Have all stoves, fireplaces, chimneys, and all types of furnaces professionally checked and cleaned annually.
The ultimate thing you can do for your heating equipment is to make sure it’s not only up to the task of keeping your home warm all winter but also safe, is to schedule your heating tune-up. During your heating tune-up, Finch will check to ensure your heating system is operating safely with a full multi-point inspection and cleaning. Call 281-407-9478 today and learn how you can save on a fall tune-up through November 25th.