Every year over 20,000 people visit the emergency room due to carbon monoxide poisoning. This odorless and colorless gas is called the silent killer because it’s virtually 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 heating months when people are trying to heat their homes. To help keep you safe, Broad Ripple Service Experts is here with some tips to safety keep your home heated.
- Put in a CO detector on each floor of your home and swap out the batteries every year.
- Keep all possible sources of combustion, such as clothing, rugs, or bedding, a distance over three feet away from fireplaces, furnaces, stoves, or space heaters.
- Before starting a fire in the fireplace, be sure to check to ensure the chimney damper is open and unobstructed.
- Do not leave portable heaters or fireplaces unattended. Power off space heaters and ensure all embers in the fireplace are fully extinguished before leaving either heating source unattended.
- Space heaters should always be situated on the floor, and on a hard, fire-resistant surface, like concrete or tile. Keep kids and animals away from space heaters.
- When purchasing a new space heater, buy a model that turns off automatically if the heater tips over.
- Do not use a stove to warm your home.
- Have all stoves, fireplaces, chimneys, and all types of furnaces professionally checked and cleaned annually.
The ideal thing you can do for your furnace is to be sure it’s not only ready to keep your home warm all winter but also safe, is to schedule your furnace tune-up. During your furnace tune-up, Broad Ripple will check to ensure your heating equipment is operating safely with a complete multi-point inspection and cleaning. Call 317-527-0271 today and learn how you can save on a fall tune-up through November 25th.