How to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Leaks in Your Home

Cold temperatures lead homeowners to secure their homes and turn up the thermostat, increasing the risk of carbon monoxide (CO) exposure. Around 50,000 people in the U.S. end up in the emergency room each year due to accidental CO poisoning, and more than 400 people die. 

This odorless, tasteless, colorless gas is a side effect of incomplete combustion, which means it’s created any time a material is burned. If some appliances in your home use natural gas, oil, propane, kerosene, wood, gasoline or charcoal, you’re vulnerable to CO exposure. Learn what happens when you breathe in carbon monoxide emissions and how to lower your risk of poisoning this winter. 

The Risks of Carbon Monoxide 

Frequently called the “silent killer,” carbon monoxide is lethal because it prevents the body from using oxygen properly. CO molecules uproot 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 progressively if the concentration is relatively minimal. The most common signs of CO inhalation include: 

• Headaches 

• Dizziness 
• Weakness 
• Fatigue 
• Nausea 
• Vomiting 

• Chest pain 
• Confusion 

Since these symptoms resemble the flu, many people never discover they have carbon monoxide poisoning until moderate symptoms evolve to organ damage. Watch out for symptoms that decrease when you leave the house, indicating the source may be someplace inside. 

Carbon Monoxide Safety Tips 

While CO poisoning is alarming, it’s also entirely preventable. Here are the best ways to protect your family from carbon monoxide gas. 

Use Combustion Appliances Safely 

• Don’t run your car engine while parked in a confined or partially enclosed structure, like a garage. 
• Do not leave a generator, lawn mower or other gasoline-powered system in a confined space like a basement or garage, irrespective of how well-ventilated it may be. Also, keep these devices at least 20 feet away from open windows, doors or intake vents. 

• Don’t use a charcoal grill or transportable camping stove inside a home, tent or camper. 
• Keep all vents and flues free of debris that can produce a blockage and encourage 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 add carbon monoxide detectors to notify you of CO leaks. These alarms can be hardwired, battery-operated or plugged into an outlet based on the style. Here’s how to reap all the benefits of your carbon monoxide detectors: 

• Install your detectors correctly: As you consider potential locations, remember that a home needs CO alarms on all floors, near every sleeping area and close to the garage. Keep each unit a safe distance from combustion appliances as well as sources of heat and humidity. The higher on a wall or ceiling you can put in your detectors, the better. 
• Test your detectors consistently: The majority of manufacturers encourage monthly testing to make sure your CO alarms are operating properly. Just press and hold the Test button for 5 to 20 seconds, wait for the alarm to begin and release the button. You should hear two brief beeps, see a flash or both. If the detector does not work as expected, replace the batteries or replace the unit entirely. 
• Swap out the batteries: If these detectors are battery-powered models, change the batteries every six months. If you favor hardwired devices using a backup battery, swap out the battery once a year or when the alarm starts chirping, whichever comes first. Then, install new carbon monoxide alarms every 10 years or as frequently the manufacturer recommends. 

Schedule Annual Furnace Maintenance 

Several appliances, like furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces and clothes dryers, could release carbon monoxide if the equipment is installed poorly or not running as it should. An annual maintenance visit is the only way to ensure if an appliance is faulty before a leak develops. 

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

• Examine the heating appliance for carbon monoxide leaks. 
• Search for any problems that might cause unsafe operation. 
• Evaluate additional places where you would most benefit from installing a CO detector. 

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

Contact Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning 

If your gas furnace, boiler or water heater has sprung a CO leak, or you want to stop leaks before they happen, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning can help. Our HVAC maintenance and repair services promote a safe, comfortable home all year-round. Get in touch with your local Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning office for more information about carbon monoxide safety or to ask for heating services.