Every year over 20,000 people end up in the ER because 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, according to the CDC, is given off by stoves, gas ranges, boilers, furnaces, and fireplaces so it only makes sense that carbon monoxide poisoning climbs during the heating months when people are trying to warm their homes. To help keep your home safe, Climate Control Service Experts is here with a couple tips to safety heat your home.
- Put in a CO detector on every floor of your home and change the batteries yearly.
- Keep all likely 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, be sure to check to verify the chimney damper is open and unobstructed.
- Don’t leave portable heaters or fireplaces alone. Shut off space heaters and confirm 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, nonflammable surface, like concrete or tile. Keep kids and furbabies away from space heaters.
- When purchasing a new space heater, invest in a model that shuts off automatically if the heater tips over.
- Never use a stove to warm your home.
- Have fireplaces, chimneys, gas or oil furnaces, and coal and wood stoves professionally examined and cleaned yearly.
The ideal thing you can do for your heating system is to be sure it’s not only up to the task of keeping your family warm all winter but also safe, is to set-up your fall tune-up. During your heating tune-up, Climate Control will check to be sure your furnace is operating safely with a complete multi-point inspection and cleaning. Call 251-202-7503 today and ask how you can save on a heating tune-up through November 25th.