How to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Leaks in Your Home

Cold temperatures encourage homeowners to batten down their homes and turn up the thermostat, elevating the risk of carbon monoxide (CO) inhalation. Around 50,000 people in the U.S. go to the emergency room annually because of inadvertent CO poisoning, and more than 400 people die.

This odorless, tasteless, colorless gas is a result of incomplete combustion, meaning that it’s released every time a material burns. If any appliances in your home use natural gas, oil, propane, kerosene, wood, gasoline or charcoal, you’re at risk of CO exposure. Find out what happens when you breathe in carbon monoxide gases and how to lower your risk of poisoning this winter.

The Risks of Carbon Monoxide

Often referred to as the “silent killer,” carbon monoxide is lethal because it stops the body from taking in oxygen correctly. CO molecules displace oxygen within the blood, starving the heart, brain, lungs and other vital organs of oxygen. Large amounts of CO can overwhelm your system in minutes, leading to loss of consciousness and suffocation. Without immediate care, brain damage or death could occur.

Carbon monoxide poisoning can also happen progressively if the concentration is comparatively low. The most common signs of CO exposure include:

• • Headaches

• • Dizziness

• • Weakness

• • Fatigue

• • Nausea

• • Vomiting

• • Chest pain

• • Confusion

As these symptoms imitate the flu, numerous people don’t learn they have carbon monoxide poisoning until minor symptoms advance to organ damage. Be wary of symptoms that subside when you leave home, suggesting the source might be somewhere inside.

Carbon Monoxide Safety Tips

While CO poisoning is intimidating, it’s also entirely avoidable. Here are the best ways to keep your family safe from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Operate Combustion Appliances Safely

• • Don’t run your car engine while parked in an enclosed or partially enclosed structure, such as a garage.

• • Never leave a generator, lawn mower or other gasoline-powered system in an enclosed space such as a basement or garage, irrespective of how well-ventilated it is. Also, keep these devices about 20 feet away from open windows, doors or intake vents.

• • Never use a charcoal grill or portable camping stove inside a home, tent or camper.

• • Keep all vents and flues clear of debris that can lead to a blockage and encourage backdrafting of carbon monoxide emissions.

Install, Test and Replace the Batteries in Your Carbon Monoxide Detectors

If you ever use combustion appliances in or close to your home, you should install carbon monoxide detectors to alert you of CO gas. These alarms can be hardwired, battery-operated or plugged into an outlet based on the style. Here’s how to reap all the benefits of your carbon monoxide detectors:

• • Install your detectors correctly: As you review potential locations, don’t forget that your home does best with CO alarms on all floors, near each sleeping area and close to the garage. Keep each unit away from combustion appliances as well as sources of heat and humidity. The higher on your wall or ceiling you can put in your detectors, the better.

• • Test your detectors consistently: The majority of manufacturers suggest monthly testing to make sure your CO alarms are working like they should. Just press and hold the Test button for 5 to 20 seconds, wait for the alarm to sound and release the button. You will hear two short beeps, see a flash or both. If the detector does not function as anticipated, replace the batteries or replace the unit altogether.

• • Replace the batteries: If these detectors are battery-powered models, swap out the batteries after six months. If you favor hardwired devices using a backup battery, change out the battery once a year or when the alarm is chirping, whichever comes first. Then, install new carbon monoxide alarms every 10 years or whenever the manufacturer suggests.

Plan for Annual Furnace Maintenance

Multiple appliances, including furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces and clothes dryers, could emit carbon monoxide if the system is installed incorrectly or not performing as it should. A once-a-year maintenance visit is the only way to know for sure if an appliance is malfunctioning before a leak develops.

A precision tune-up from Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing consists of the following:

• • Inspect the heating appliance for carbon monoxide leaks.

• • Look for any malfunctions that might lead to unsafe operation.

• • Review additional spaces where you could benefit from installing a CO detector.

• • Tune up your system so you know your heating and cooling is functioning at peak safety and efficiency.

Contact Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing

If your gas furnace, boiler or water heater has sprung a CO leak, or you want to prevent leaks before they happen, Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing can help. Our HVAC and plumbing maintenance and repair services promote a safe, warm home all year-round. Call your local Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing office for more information about carbon monoxide safety or to ask for heating services.