Carbon monoxide is a gas that cannot be seen or smelled and it is dangerous. You may find yourself in contact with high levels of carbon monoxide if there is any of the following around:
- Unvented heating equipment
- A running car in a garage
- Using an oven or gas stove to heat a house
- A house fire
- Blocked chimneys
- Running gas powered tools inside a home
- Using a propane heater, propane camp stove, or propane light inside a tent
If you come into contact with high levels of carbon monoxide, you may find that you are dizzy, nauseous, have a headache, and you may vomit. If the levels of carbon monoxide are high enough or have been around for long periods of time, you also may lose consciousness or possibly die.
Carbon monoxide is bad enough for a person like you, but it is even worse for infants, small children, the elderly, and people with chronic health conditions like heart disease and respiratory problems.
There are many things that you can do to prevent having a buildup of carbon monoxide in your home and many of them are quite easy to do.
Here are 7 ways to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning:
- Make sure that you have your heating system and any other gas appliance serviced every year.
- You should never use portable chemical heaters inside your home.
- All of your gas appliances should be vented properly. If they are not vented properly, the carbon monoxide can leak through the pipes.
- Your chimney should be cleaned and inspected every year. Sometimes animals decide to crawl into chimneys because they are warm and their nest will block the chimney. A blockage from that or any other debris will cause carbon monoxide to build up inside your home.
- No one should ever use an oven or stove to heat their home.
- You should never burn charcoal inside your home, because all types of charcoal give off carbon monoxide.
- A generator should never be used inside your home or garage. They should be placed at least twenty feet from any window, door, or vent.
Carbon monoxide can be deadly in just a short amount of time. You should make sure that everything that uses gas in your home is serviced at least once a year and that your chimney is clear from any debris. If you start to have a headache or not feel well and you are not sure why, then we recommend that you call someone to come out and see if you have a carbon monoxide leak inside your home. This call may save your life.
Give us a call at 610-626-2439 if Lou Curley’s Chimney Service can assist you with your chimney needs this year. Make sure to schedule your post-winter chimney inspection and cleaning by spring so we can get you on the schedule. Don’t wait until the end of summer, because that’s when our rush starts. Plan early and get it over with early.