Every year over 20,000 people visit the emergency room due to carbon monoxide poisoning. The odorless, colorless gas is referred to as the silent killer because it’s virtually undetectable without a carbon monoxide detector.
Carbon monoxide, as specified by the CDC, is given off by fireplaces, boilers, furnaces, stoves, and gas ranges so it only makes sense that carbon monoxide poisoning climbs during the heating months when people are trying to keep their homes heated. To help keep your family safe, Peachtree 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 likely 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, always check to confirm the chimney damper is open and unclogged.
- Do not leave portable heaters or fireplaces unwatched. Power off space heaters and make sure all embers in the fireplace are totally extinguished before leaving the area.
- Space heaters should always be positioned on the floor, and on a hard, nonflammable surface, like porcelain tile. Keep children and pets away from space heaters.
- When buying a new space heater, invest in a model that shuts off automatically if the heater falls over.
- Do not use a cooking range to heat your home.
- Have fireplaces, chimneys, gas or oil furnaces, and coal and wood stoves professionally checked and cleaned yearly.
The ultimate thing you can do for your furnace is to be sure it’s not only ready to keep your home warm all winter but also safe, is to call for your heating tune-up. During your fall tune-up, Peachtree will check to make sure your heating equipment is operating safely with a total multi-point inspection and cleaning. Call 678-235-9699 today and find out how you can save on a heating tune-up through November 25th.