Each year over 20,000 people go to the hospital as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. This colorless, odorless gas is called the silent killer because it’s virtually undetectable without a carbon monoxide detector.
Carbon monoxide, as specified by the CDC, is given off by gas ranges, furnaces, fireplaces, stoves, and boilers so it only makes sense that carbon monoxide poisoning increases during the colder months when people are trying to heat their homes. To help keep your family safe, Eveready Service Experts is here with a couple tips to safety heat your home.
- Install a CO detector on all floors of your home and replace the batteries annually.
- Keep all potential sources of combustion, such as bedding, paper, or clothing, a minimum of three feet away from fireplaces, furnaces, stoves, or space heaters.
- Before igniting a fire in the fireplace, be sure to check to ensure the chimney damper is open and unblocked.
- Never leave portable heaters or fireplaces unwatched. Power off space heaters and ensure all embers in the fireplace are completely extinguished before leaving either heating source unattended.
- Space heaters should always be placed on the floor, and on a hard, nonflammable surface, like concrete or tile. Keep children and pets away from space heaters.
- When buying a new space heater, invest in a model that turns off automatically if the heater tips over.
- Don’t use a stove to increase the temperature in your home.
- Have all stoves, fireplaces, chimneys, and all types of furnaces professionally inspected and cleaned every year.
The best thing you can do for your furnace is to make sure it’s not only ready to keep your family warm all winter but also safe, is to call for your heating tune-up. During your heating tune-up, Eveready will check to make sure your furnace is operating safely with a total multi-point inspection and cleaning. Call 804-548-4480 today and ask how you can save on a heating tune-up through November 25th.