Annually, over 20,000 people end up in the hospital 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 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 heating months when people are trying to keep their homes heated. To help keep your home safe, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning is here with a couple tips to safety keep your home heated.
- Install a CO detector on every floor of your home and change the batteries yearly.
- Keep all potential sources of combustion, such as paper, clothing, bedding, or rugs, a minimum of three feet away from space heaters, stoves, furnaces or fireplaces.
- Before lighting a fire in the fireplace, always check to verify the chimney damper is open and unobstructed.
- Do not leave portable heaters or fireplaces neglected. 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 situated on the floor, and on a hard, fire-resistant surface, like ceramic tile. Keep kids and pets away from space heaters.
- When purchasing a new space heater, invest in a model that turns off automatically if the heater tumbles over.
- Do not use a oven to heat 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 equipment is to ensure it’s not only ready to keep you warm all winter but also safe, is to schedule your furnace tune-up. During your heating tune-up, Service Experts will check to make sure your furnace is operating safely with a total multi-point inspection and cleaning. Call 330-269-7235 today and ask how you can save on a heating tune-up through November 25th.