Every year over 20,000 people go to the emergency room as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. The odorless, colorless gas is known as the silent killer because it’s practically undetectable without a carbon monoxide detector.
Carbon monoxide, as specified by the CDC, is put off by stoves, gas ranges, boilers, furnaces, and fireplaces so it only makes sense that carbon monoxide poisoning rises during the colder months when people are trying to heat their homes. To help keep you safe, Winnipeg Supply Service Experts is here with a couple tips to safety keep your home heated.
- Install a CO detector on all floors of your home and replace the batteries annually.
- Keep all potential sources of combustion, such as paper, clothing, bedding, or rugs, a distance over three feet away from furnaces, space heaters, fire places, or stoves.
- Before igniting a fire in the fireplace, always check to verify the chimney damper is open and unclogged.
- Do not leave portable heaters or fireplaces neglected. Turn off space heaters and make sure all embers in the fireplace are totally extinguished before leaving either heating source unattended.
- Space heaters should always be placed on the floor, and on a hard, fire-resistant surface, like concrete or tile. Keep children and animals away from space heaters.
- When investing in a new space heater, purchase a model that powers off automatically if the heater tips over.
- Don’t use a oven to warm your home.
- Have wood and coal stoves, fireplaces, chimneys and gas or oil furnaces professionally checked and cleaned annually.
The ultimate thing you can do for your heating equipment is to be sure it’s not only ready to keep you warm all winter but also safe, is to call for your heating tune-up. During your fall tune-up, Winnipeg Supply will check to ensure your heating equipment is operating safely with a total multi-point inspection and cleaning. Call 204-800-0613 today and ask how you can save on a furnace tune-up through November 25th.