Each year over 20,000 people end up in the emergency room as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. This colorless, odorless gas is known as the silent killer because it’s essentially undetectable without a carbon monoxide detector.
Carbon monoxide, as specified by the CDC, is produced by fireplaces, boilers, furnaces, stoves, and gas ranges so it only makes sense that carbon monoxide poisoning rises during the colder months when people are trying to keep their homes heated. To help keep you safe, Midland Air Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning is here with some tips to safety keep your home heated.
- Put in a CO detector on every floor of your home and swap out the batteries every year.
- Keep all possible sources of combustion, such as bedding, paper, or clothing, at least three feet away from fireplaces, furnaces, stoves, or space heaters.
- Before igniting a fire in the fireplace, be sure to check to verify the chimney damper is open and unclogged.
- Do not leave portable heaters or fireplaces neglected. Power off space heaters and confirm all embers in the fireplace are completely extinguished before leaving the area.
- Space heaters should always be situated on the floor, and on a hard, nonflammable surface, like porcelain tile. Keep young ones and furbabies away from space heaters.
- When buying a new space heater, invest in a model that shuts off automatically if the heater falls over.
- Don’t use a stove to heat your home.
- Have all stoves, fireplaces, chimneys, and all types of furnaces professionally checked and cleaned annually.
The ideal thing you can do for your heating equipment is to be sure it’s not only ready to keep your home warm all winter but also safe, is to call for your fall tune-up. During your heating tune-up, Midland Air Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning will check to make sure your heating equipment is operating safely with a complete multi-point inspection and cleaning. Call 803-399-7208 today and ask how you can save on a furnace tune-up through November 25th.