How to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning at Home

We’re all pretty familiar with the negative consequences of carbon monoxide poisoning, so we’ll spare you the gory details.

This much we will tell you however, for your own sake:

1. While the number of deaths from CO poisoning is relatively low (500 per year), you still need to protect yourself from accidental exposure.

2. Those most susceptible to the harmful effects of CO poisoning include unborn children, people with respiratory and chronic heart ailments, and those suffering from anemia.

And now to the heart of the matter, i.e., how to prevent accidental carbon monoxide poisoning at home:

1. Have your heating system professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a year.

2. Same goes for your wood-burning chimney. Any debris that gets trapped inside can result in a CO build-up which, in turn, can re-enter your home and cause problems.

3. Don’t run any fuel-burning appliance in your home or garage without proper ventilation.

4. Never use your oven as a source of heat.

5. Never use a charcoal grill inside your home or any other enclosed space.

6. Never use a portable generator inside your home, either, or place it outdoors near a window, vent, or anywhere else its CO output can enter your home.

7. Same goes for a portable gas camp stove, another source of CO emissions.

At the same time, have one or more carbon monoxide detectors installed inside your home. Not the battery-operated kind, mind you, but hard-wired CO detectors with battery back-up. Most store bought CO detectors don’t sound the alarm until CO emissions have already reached a level that could cause nausea, dizziness, and other symptoms. Hard-wired CO detectors, by contrast, are triggered by even tiny amounts of carbon monoxide in the air, thus enabling you to take proper action without CO impairment.

We’re in the heating season now, the time to take added precautions. In fact, if it’s been a year or more since the last time your heating system was cleaned and inspected, we invite you to contact GBT Heating & Cooling for a job well done, not to mention your greater peace of mind.

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