Do you have carbon monoxide detectors in your home? If you don’t, go get them now! Carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless, tasteless and at high levels can kill you in minutes.
I spoke with my furnace guy when he was here and he said that our energy efficient homes allow carbon monoxide to build up much more quickly than older, less energy efficient homes.
What in your home emits carbon monoxide? Anything powered by gas, gas furnace, gas water heater, gas dryer, gas stove. Also lawnmowers, cars, weed eaters, snow blowers and generators. Any fuel burning appliance whether in the house or out emits carbon monoxide.
It is extremely important to properly maintain your fuel burning appliances, have them serviced regularly so you can find a problem before it’s a problem.
There are also other things that you should NEVER do:
*NEVER leave your car idling in a closed garage
*NEVER use a gas stove to heat your house
*NEVER use a charcoal grill anywhere in the house
*NEVER use portable gas appliances in an enclosed space
*NEVER sleep in a room with an unventilated kerosene heater
Those are just a few things you should never do, there are more, but the biggest thing you should do is get a carbon monoxide detector. You should have at least one on every floor in your home, especially by the sleeping areas.
If you already have carbon monoxide detectors check them regularly and replace them when they expire. Most detectors have a life span of 5-7 years, replace them as needed.
Carbon monoxide detectors come in different styles, some can be hard wired into your home, some can be plugged in and some are battery powered. The ones that plug in also sound an alarm when they are unplugged, to let you. This is especially helpful in areas where children can unplug them.
It’s the little things we do to take care of our families that can mean the most. 1,500 people die every year from carbon monoxide poisoning and over 10,000 are injured. Even at low levels carbon monoxide causes health problems. When you change your smoke detector batteries check your carbon monoxide detectors too.