Annually, over 20,000 people visit the ER due to carbon monoxide poisoning. This odorless and colorless gas is called the silent killer because it’s virtually undetectable without a carbon monoxide detector.
Carbon monoxide, as confirmed by the CDC, is produced 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 heat their homes. To help keep your home safe, Roland J. Down Service Experts is here with some tips to safety keep your home heated.
- Put in a CO detector on all floors of your home and replace 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 igniting a fire in the fireplace, be sure to check to verify the chimney damper is open and unblocked.
- Never leave portable heaters or fireplaces alone. Power off space heaters and be sure all embers in the fireplace are fully extinguished before going to bed or leaving home.
- Space heaters should always be positioned on the floor, and on a hard, fire-resistant surface, like porcelain tile. Keep young ones and pets away from space heaters.
- When purchasing a new space heater, purchase a model that powers off automatically if the heater tips over.
- Never use a cooking range to increase the temperature in your home.
- Have wood and coal stoves, fireplaces, chimneys and gas or oil furnaces professionally inspected and cleaned annually.
The best thing you can do for your furnace is to be sure it’s not only up to the task of keeping your home warm all winter but also safe, is to schedule your furnace tune-up. During your heating tune-up, Roland J. Down will check to be sure your furnace is operating safely with a total multi-point inspection and cleaning. Call 518-417-2938 today and find out how you can save on a fall tune-up through November 25th.