Annually, over 20,000 people go to the ER due to carbon monoxide poisoning. This colorless, odorless gas is called the silent killer because it’s practically undetectable without a carbon monoxide detector.
Carbon monoxide, according to the CDC, is produced by stoves, gas ranges, boilers, furnaces, and fireplaces so it only makes sense that carbon monoxide poisoning increases during the winter months when people are trying to heat their homes. To help keep your family safe, R & M Climate Control Service Experts is here with some tips to safety heat your home.
- Put in a CO detector on every floor of your home and swap out the batteries annually.
- Keep all likely sources of combustion, such as clothing, rugs, or bedding, a minimum of three feet away from space heaters, stoves, furnaces or fireplaces.
- Before igniting a fire in the fireplace, make sure you check to confirm the chimney damper is open and unblocked.
- Don’t leave portable heaters or fireplaces unattended. Shut off space heaters and ensure all embers in the fireplace are fully extinguished before leaving the area.
- Space heaters should always be situated on the floor, and on a hard, fire-resistant surface, like concrete or tile. Keep children and pets away from space heaters.
- When purchasing a new space heater, purchase a model that powers off automatically if the heater falls over.
- Don’t use a cooking range to increase the temperature in your home.
- Have wood and coal stoves, fireplaces, chimneys and gas or oil furnaces professionally inspected and cleaned yearly.
The ultimate thing you can do for your heating system is to be sure it’s not only all set to keep your home warm all winter but also safe, is to call for your heating tune-up. During your heating tune-up, R & M Climate Control will check to ensure your furnace is operating safely with a complete multi-point inspection and cleaning. Call 865-229-6176 today and learn how you can save on a furnace tune-up through November 25th.