Annually, over 20,000 people end up in the hospital as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. This odorless and colorless gas is known as the silent killer because it’s virtually undetectable without a carbon monoxide detector.
Carbon monoxide, as specified by the CDC, is produced by stoves, gas ranges, boilers, furnaces, and fireplaces 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, Stallion Heating Plumbing Air Conditioning is here with some tips to safety warm your home.
- Install a CO detector on all floors of your home and replace the batteries every year.
- Keep all potential sources of combustion, such as bedding, paper, or clothing, a distance over three feet away from fireplaces, furnaces, stoves, or space heaters.
- Before starting a fire in the fireplace, always check to verify the chimney damper is open and unblocked.
- Do not leave portable heaters or fireplaces neglected. Turn off space heaters and confirm all embers in the fireplace are fully extinguished before leaving either heating source unattended.
- Space heaters should always be placed on the floor, and on a hard, incombustible surface, like ceramic tile. Keep kids and furbabies away from space heaters.
- When purchasing a new space heater, invest in a model that powers off automatically if the heater tumbles over.
- Never use a oven 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 make sure it’s not only all set to keep you warm all winter but also safe, is to schedule your furnace tune-up. During your fall tune-up, Service Experts will check to ensure your furnace is operating safely with a complete multi-point inspection and cleaning. Call 215-278-9690 today and ask how you can save on a furnace tune-up through November 25th.