Every year over 20,000 people end up in the emergency room as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. This odorless and colorless gas is known as the silent killer because it’s virtually undetectable without a carbon monoxide detector.
Carbon monoxide, as specified by the CDC, is given off by stoves, gas ranges, boilers, furnaces, and fireplaces so it only makes sense that carbon monoxide poisoning rises during the colder months when people are trying to warm their homes. To help keep your home safe, Teays Valley Service Experts is here with some tips to safety keep your home heated.
- Place a CO detector on each floor of your home and swap out the batteries every year.
- Keep all potential sources of combustion, such as paper, clothing, bedding, or rugs, at least three feet away from space heaters, stoves, furnaces or fireplaces.
- Before igniting a fire in the fireplace, always check to ensure the chimney damper is open and unclogged.
- Do not leave portable heaters or fireplaces neglected. Shut off space heaters and confirm 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, incombustible surface, like ceramic tile. Keep kids and animals away from space heaters.
- When purchasing a new space heater, invest in a model that powers off automatically if the heater tips over.
- Don’t use a stove to increase the temperature in your home.
- Have all stoves, fireplaces, chimneys, and all types of furnaces professionally inspected and cleaned yearly.
The ideal thing you can do for your heating system is to make sure it’s not only ready to keep you warm all winter but also safe, is to schedule your furnace tune-up. During your furnace tune-up, Teays Valley will check to be sure your heating system is operating safely with a complete multi-point inspection and cleaning. Call 304-760-5088 today and find out how you can save on a furnace tune-up through November 25th.