Annually, over 20,000 people go to the hospital as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. This colorless, odorless gas is called the silent killer because it’s essentially undetectable without a carbon monoxide detector.
Carbon monoxide, as specified by the CDC, is put off by stoves, gas ranges, boilers, furnaces, and fireplaces so it only makes sense that carbon monoxide poisoning increases during the colder months when people are trying to warm their homes. To help keep you safe, Freschi Service Experts is here with a couple tips to safety heat your home.
- Install a CO detector on every floor of your home and change the batteries annually.
- Keep all possible sources of combustion, such as paper, clothing, bedding, or rugs, at least three feet away from furnaces, space heaters, fire places, or stoves.
- Before starting a fire in the fireplace, make sure you check to ensure the chimney damper is open and unclogged.
- Never leave portable heaters or fireplaces unattended. Turn off space heaters and make sure all embers in the fireplace are completely extinguished before leaving either heating source unattended.
- Space heaters should always be positioned on the floor, and on a hard, fire-resistant surface, like concrete or tile. Keep young ones and furbabies away from space heaters.
- When purchasing a new space heater, purchase a model that shuts off automatically if the heater falls 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 best thing you can do for your heating equipment is to make sure it’s not only up to the task of keeping your home warm all winter but also safe, is to schedule your fall tune-up. During your furnace tune-up, Freschi will check to ensure your furnace is operating safely with a total multi-point inspection and cleaning. Call 925-384-1303 today and find out how you can save on a fall tune-up through November 25th.