Each year over 20,000 people visit the hospital because of carbon monoxide poisoning. The odorless, colorless gas is known as the silent killer because it’s practically undetectable without a carbon monoxide detector.
Carbon monoxide, as confirmed by the CDC, is put 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 heat their homes. To help keep your family safe, Barlow Service Experts is here with a few tips to safety warm your home.
- Place a CO detector on all floors of your home and swap out the batteries annually.
- 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, be sure to check to ensure the chimney damper is open and unblocked.
- Never leave portable heaters or fireplaces neglected. Power off space heaters and make sure all embers in the fireplace are fully extinguished before leaving the area.
- Space heaters should always be positioned on the floor, and on a hard, incombustible surface, like ceramic tile. Keep young ones and pets away from space heaters.
- When purchasing a new space heater, buy a model that shuts off automatically if the heater falls over.
- Do not use a oven to heat your home.
- Have fireplaces, chimneys, gas or oil furnaces, and coal and wood stoves professionally checked and cleaned annually.
The ultimate 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 call for your furnace tune-up. During your fall tune-up, Barlow will check to be sure your furnace is operating safely with a total multi-point inspection and cleaning. Call 801-436-8985 today and ask how you can save on a fall tune-up through November 25th.