Winter months in Winnipeg are here. In fact, the months of October through February have a track record of carbon monoxide safety concerns with 68 percent of carbon monoxide related deaths caused by home appliances taking place throughout those months. To understand the safety of your home, arrange an annual furnace service now, before the middle of winter is here.
According to a new survey from Service Experts Heating and Air Conditioning, 94 percent of homeowners recognize that their furnace can release deadly carbon monoxide gas, but over half don't do anything to keep it from occurring.
“Carbon monoxide is a colorless odorless gas that can be very harmful,” says Dr. Lance Broy. “Initial symptoms can be confused for the flu – you can have nausea and fatigue but actually can progress and cause organ damage or even death.”
Any appliance in your home that uses fuels like gas, oil, or wood – such as furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces or clothes dryers – has the chance to give off carbon monoxide if the system is not operating as it should be or if it wasn’t installed appropriately.
Your annual furnace service company can help identify any troubling problems. When you have furnace service completed, your technician should:
- Ensure that your furnace isn’t emitting carbon monoxide
- Search for any other suspicious things that could compromise your safety
- Help you find any additional areas where you may want to think about adding a carbon monoxide detector
- Tune-up your system so that you know your equipment is running at its top efficiency, helping give you peace-of-mind that you’re in a good spot to potentially save money this winter
It’s important to remember that many furnace manufacturers might require annual furnace service to keep your system under their warranty. That’s where the team at Winnipeg Supply Service Experts can help. We’re here to help you have not only a comfortable home, but more importantly, a safe one. Give us a call at 204-800-0613 or set up an appointment with us online to learn more about carbon monoxide safety as we head in to the cooler months.