According to a 2012 report by the National Fire Protection Association, fire departments answer to an average of 72,000 carbon monoxide incidents each year. Carbon Monoxide, or CO, is a colorless, odorless gas by-product of burnt fuel. It’s usually linked to wood stoves, car engines, and other fire combustion sources including gas or oil furnaces.
Why is Carbon Monoxide so important?
Carbon monoxide can be deadly; it's that simple. CO is tops when ranking leading reasons of accidental poisoning deaths in the US*, and conditions of CO poisoning can be mistakenly labeled as the flu, viral infections and chronic fatigue, among many others. This makes CO poisoning the invisible killer that needs to be taken seriously by every Winnipeg homeowner. Severe poisoning takes place from intaking large concentrations of CO, but poisoning has also been reported to occur over many months or years. Some signs may include nausea, vomiting, flu-like symptoms, dizziness, and fatigue.
How to protect your family from carbon monoxide?
- No home should be without a reliable, tested CO detector. You can contact Winnipeg Supply Service Experts to purchase one today.
- Existing CO detectors should be checked regularly (at least every 90 days). It's also wise to replace the detector every 3-5 years.
- If you experience or have experienced any of the symptoms cited above, ask your doctor to test for carbon monoxide poisoning and get a second opinion if necessary.
- Schedule routine gas furnace maintenance each year to guarantee no carbon monoxide leaks are present at the start of heating season.
- If your furnace is approaching the end of its useful life, think about a proactive home furnace replacement service and upgrade to a new heating unit.
*emedicinehealth.com. Prevention information for Carbon Monoxide poisoning may be inaccurate or incomplete; none of these methods guarantee the prevention of Carbon Monoxide poisoning.