Daylight Savings Time is a Good Time for Safety
With the approaching time change (November 6th is the end of daylight savings); local news stations always recommend changing the batteries in your smoke detector. Climatic would extend that reminder to carbon monoxide detectors as well.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that poisons our lungs and suffocates in very small quantities. For more specific information on carbon monoxide poisoning, check out the CDC’s website. CO gas is a natural product of combustion. When your furnace or water heater is operating correctly, all the carbon monoxide goes up the chimney. A malfunction in the furnace or incorrect installation of the venting can draw the poison gas into your home.
The best defense against CO poisoning is threefold. Have your heating system installed by Climatic, a licensed professional, to insure that building codes are followed. Secondly, get a safety check and tune-up for your furnace every year. A good heating technician can verify proper venting and check the heat exchange for cracks. These checks are routine with our preferred service agreements. The third step is to install a CO detector on each level of the house.
We have personally heard the news stories where a good CO detector saved lives. Each year in America, unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning claims nearly 500 lives and sends another 15,000 people to hospital emergency rooms for treatment.
Anyone with a natural gas or propane appliance in the home should have at least one CO detector. Even if you have a new furnace, deadly venting failures could still put your family at risk. We recommend replacing the batteries and testing the CO detector and smoke detector at the same time that you change your clocks. It’s also good to replace CO detectors every 2-6 years (depending on the model) because the sensors wear out and loose sensitivity over time. Some newer CO detectors also have five year batteries. Check with the manufacturer to be sure.
If you still have questions or need an appointment for a furnace safety check, just give Climatic a call.
