Tips to Safely Heat Your Home This Winter

Annually, over 20,000 people visit the emergency room as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. This colorless, odorless gas is known as the silent killer because it’s practically undetectable without a carbon monoxide detector. 

Carbon monoxide, according to the CDC, is produced by stoves, gas ranges, boilers, furnaces, and fireplaces so it only makes sense that carbon monoxide poisoning increases during the winter months when people are trying to heat their homes. To help keep you safe, Teays Valley Service Experts is here with a couple tips to safety heat your home. 

• Place a CO detector on every floor of your home and swap out the batteries annually. 
• Keep all possible sources of combustion, such as paper, clothing, bedding, or rugs, at least three feet away from space heaters, stoves, furnaces or fireplaces. 

• Before starting a fire in the fireplace, always check to ensure the chimney damper is open and unobstructed. 
• Don’t leave portable heaters or fireplaces unattended. Power off space heaters and make sure all embers in the fireplace are totally 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 children and pets away from space heaters. 
• When buying a new space heater, purchase a model that turns off automatically if the heater falls over. 
• Do not use a cooking range to heat your home. 

• Have all stoves, fireplaces, chimneys, and all types of furnaces professionally examined and cleaned every year. 

The ultimate thing you can do for your furnace is to make sure it’s not only all set to keep you warm all winter but also safe, is to call for your heating tune-up. During your furnace tune-up, Teays Valley Service Experts will check to make sure your furnace is operating safely with a full multi-point inspection and cleaning. Call 304-760-5088 today and learn how you can save on a furnace tune-up through November 25th.