Each year over 20,000 people visit the ER as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. This odorless and colorless gas is known as the silent killer because it’s practically 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 increases during the winter months when people are trying to heat their homes. To help keep your home safe, Orangutan Home Services is here with a couple tips to safety heat your home.
- Place a CO detector on all floors of your home and replace the batteries every year.
- Keep all likely sources of combustion, such as paper, clothing, bedding, or rugs, at least three feet away from furnaces, space heaters, fire places, or stoves.
- Before lighting a fire in the fireplace, always check to ensure the chimney damper is open and unobstructed.
- Never leave portable heaters or fireplaces alone. Shut off space heaters and make sure all embers in the fireplace are completely extinguished before leaving the area.
- Space heaters should always be positioned on the floor, and on a hard, incombustible surface, like porcelain tile. Keep children and pets away from space heaters.
- When purchasing a new space heater, buy a model that shuts off automatically if the heater tips over.
- Never use a stove to heat your home.
- Have fireplaces, chimneys, gas or oil furnaces, and coal and wood stoves professionally checked and cleaned annually.
The ideal thing you can do for your heating equipment is to ensure it’s not only up to the task of keeping you warm all winter but also safe, is to schedule your heating tune-up. During your furnace tune-up, Orangutan Home Services will check to make sure your furnace is operating safely with a full multi-point inspection and cleaning. Call 602-906-0111 today and learn how you can save on a fall tune-up through November 25th.