How to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Leaks in Your Home

Winter temperatures drive homeowners to secure their homes and turn up the thermostat, expanding the risk of carbon monoxide (CO) exposure. About 50,000 people in the U.S. end up in the emergency room annually because of inadvertent CO poisoning, and more than 400 people die.

This odorless, tasteless, colorless gas is a byproduct of imperfect combustion, meaning it’s created each time a material is burned. If some appliances in your home rely on natural gas, oil, propane, kerosene, wood, gasoline or charcoal, you’re susceptible to CO poisoning. Learn what happens when you inhale carbon monoxide gases and how to reduce your risk of exposure this winter.

The Dangers of Carbon Monoxide

Often known as the “silent killer,” carbon monoxide is lethal because it prevents the body from processing oxygen properly. CO molecules dislodge oxygen that’s part of the blood, starving the heart, brain, lungs and other vital organs of oxygen. Dense concentrations of CO can overtake your system in minutes, leading to loss of consciousness and suffocation. Without urgent care, brain damage or death could occur.

Carbon monoxide poisoning can also happen gradually if the concentration is fairly minimal. The most frequent signs of CO poisoning include:

• • Headaches

• • Dizziness

• • Weakness

• • Fatigue

• • Nausea

• • Vomiting

• • Chest pain

• • Confusion

Since these symptoms mimic the flu, a lot of people never discover they have carbon monoxide poisoning until minor symptoms progress to organ damage. Be wary of symptoms that decrease when you leave home, indicating the source might be somewhere inside.

Carbon Monoxide Safety Tips

While CO poisoning is alarming, it’s also entirely preventable. Here are the top ways to help your family avoid carbon monoxide exposure.

Use Combustion Appliances Correctly

• • Never let your car engine run while parked in a covered or partially enclosed building, like a garage.

• • Do not leave a generator, lawn mower or other gasoline-powered system in an indoor space like a basement or garage, no matter how well-ventilated it is. Also, keep these devices around 20 feet away from open windows, doors or intake vents.

• • Don’t use a charcoal grill or portable camping stove inside a home, tent or camper.

• • Keep all vents and flues clear of debris that may produce a blockage and trigger backdrafting of carbon monoxide emissions.

Install, Test and Replace the Batteries in Your Carbon Monoxide Detectors

If you ever run combustion appliances in or close to your home, you should put in carbon monoxide detectors to alert you of CO leaks. These detectors can be hardwired, battery-operated or plugged into an outlet depending on the style. Here’s how to make the most of your carbon monoxide detectors:

• • Install your detectors properly: As you review the best locations, don’t forget that a home does best with CO alarms on all floors, near each sleeping area and close to the garage. Keep each unit away from combustion appliances as well as sources of heat and humidity. The higher on the wall or ceiling you can place your detectors, the better.

• • Review your detectors regularly: Most manufacturers suggest monthly testing to confirm your CO alarms are operating properly. Just press and hold the Test button for 5 to 20 seconds, wait for the alarm to sound and release the button. You will hear two short beeps, watch a flash or both. If the detector doesn’t work as anticipated, swap out the batteries or replace the unit entirely.

• • Change out the batteries: If these detectors are battery-powered models, change the batteries every six months. If you favor hardwired devices that use a backup battery, swap out the battery once a year or if the alarm begins to chirp, whichever comes first. Then, install new carbon monoxide alarms every 10 years or as often as the manufacturer suggests.

Arrange Annual Furnace Maintenance

Multiple appliances, such as furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces and clothes dryers, may release carbon monoxide if the equipment is installed improperly or not running as it should. A once-a-year maintenance visit is the only way to ensure if an appliance is faulty before a leak appears.

A precision tune-up from Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing consists of the following:

• • Inspect the heating appliance for carbon monoxide leaks.

• • Search for any problems that could lead to unsafe operation.

• • Review additional spaces where you could benefit from installing a CO detector.

• • Tune up your system so you know your equipment is running at peak safety and productivity.

Contact Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing

If your gas furnace, boiler or water heater has developed a CO leak, or you want to stop leaks before they happen, Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing can help. Our HVAC and plumbing maintenance and repair services help provide a safe, comfortable home all year-round. Contact your local Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing office for more details about carbon monoxide safety or to schedule heating services.