How to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Leaks in Your Home

Winter temperatures lead homeowners to seal up their homes and crank up the thermostat, expanding the risk of carbon monoxide (CO) exposure. About 50,000 people in the U.S. visit the emergency room each year due to accidental CO poisoning, and more than 400 people die.

This odorless, tasteless, colorless gas is a byproduct of incomplete combustion, meaning that it’s created each time a material is burned. If some appliances in your home use natural gas, oil, propane, kerosene, wood, gasoline or charcoal, you’re at risk of CO inhalation. Find out what happens when you inhale carbon monoxide gases and how to reduce your risk of exposure this winter.

The Danger of Carbon Monoxide

Frequently known as the “silent killer,” carbon monoxide is lethal because it prevents the body from using oxygen correctly. CO molecules dislodge oxygen within the blood, depriving the heart, brain, lungs and other vital organs of oxygen. Dense concentrations of CO can overpower your system in minutes, leading to loss of consciousness and suffocation. Without prompt care, brain damage or death can occur.

Carbon monoxide poisoning can also happen gradually if the concentration is relatively minimal. The most common signs of CO exposure include:

• • Headaches

• • Dizziness

• • Weakness

• • Fatigue

• • Nausea

• • Vomiting

• • Chest pain

• • Confusion

As these symptoms resemble the flu, numerous people won’t discover they have carbon monoxide poisoning until minor symptoms progress to organ damage. Watch out for symptoms that subside when you leave the house, illustrating the source could be someplace inside.

Carbon Monoxide Safety Tips

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

Use Combustion Appliances Correctly

• • Don’t leave your car running while parked in a covered or partially enclosed building, like a garage.

• • Don’t leave a generator, lawn mower or other gasoline-powered device in an indoor space such as a basement or garage, irrespective of how well-ventilated it is. Also, keep these devices around 20 feet away from open windows, doors or intake vents.

• • Don’t use a charcoal grill or transportable camping stove within a home, tent or camper.

• • Keep all vents and flues clear of debris that can create a blockage and trigger backdrafting of carbon monoxide gases.

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

If you ever run combustion appliances in or close to your home, you should install carbon monoxide detectors to notify you of CO leaks. These alarms can be hardwired, battery-operated or plugged into an outlet according to the style. Here’s how to make the most of your carbon monoxide detectors:

• • Install your detectors properly: As you review potential locations, don’t forget that a home needs CO alarms on every floor, near every 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.

• • Check your detectors consistently: The majority of manufacturers suggest monthly testing to make sure your CO alarms are functioning correctly. Just press and hold the Test button for 5 to 20 seconds, wait for the alarm to sound and let go of the button. You should hear two quick beeps, watch a flash or both. If the detector won’t perform as expected, swap out the batteries or replace the unit entirely.

• • Change out the batteries: If you have battery-powered models, exchange the batteries every six months. If you prefer hardwired devices with a backup battery, change out the battery once a year or when the alarm begins to chirp, whichever comes first. Then, install new carbon monoxide alarms every 10 years or as often as the manufacturer recommends.

Schedule Annual Furnace Maintenance

Several appliances, such as furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces and clothes dryers, can leak carbon monoxide if the appliance is installed incorrectly or not performing as it should. A yearly maintenance visit is the only way to know for sure if an appliance is defective before a leak develops.

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

• • Check the heating appliance for carbon monoxide leaks.

• • Look for any problems that may lead to unsafe operation.

• • Assess additional spaces where you could benefit from setting up a CO detector.

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

Contact Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing

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