Each year over 20,000 people visit the ER because of 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 produced by fireplaces, boilers, furnaces, stoves, and gas ranges so it only makes sense that carbon monoxide poisoning climbs during the winter months when people are trying to warm their homes. To help keep your home safe, Levy & Son Service Experts is here with a couple tips to safety heat your home.
- Put in a CO detector on all floors of your home and change the batteries every year.
- Keep all possible sources of combustion, such as bedding, paper, or clothing, a minimum of three feet away from space heaters, stoves, furnaces or fireplaces.
- Before starting a fire in the fireplace, always check to confirm the chimney damper is open and unblocked.
- Don’t leave portable heaters or fireplaces neglected. Shut off space heaters and make sure all embers in the fireplace are fully extinguished before going to bed or leaving home.
- Space heaters should always be situated on the floor, and on a hard, incombustible surface, like concrete or tile. Keep kids and pets away from space heaters.
- When investing in a new space heater, purchase a model that shuts off automatically if the heater falls over.
- Never use a oven to increase the temperature in your home.
- Have wood and coal stoves, fireplaces, chimneys and gas or oil furnaces professionally checked and cleaned annually.
The ideal thing you can do for your heating equipment is to be sure it’s not only up to the task of keeping you warm all winter but also safe, is to set-up your furnace tune-up. During your furnace tune-up, Levy & Son will check to ensure your heating system is operating safely with a full multi-point inspection and cleaning. Call 469-250-0932 today and learn how you can save on a heating tune-up through November 25th.