CO Poisoning: It Can Be a Year-Round Concern
We tend to think that CO poisoning is a hazard only in the cooler months when the house is closed up tightly and the fireplace and furnace are running. Nothing could be further from the truth, however, because carbon monoxide (CO) knows no season. If you enjoy boating, camping, barbecuing, or have an attached garage, you could be at risk. Carbon monoxide occurs as the result of incomplete combustion of fuels. It's invisible and has no odor. CO replaces oxygen in the blood stream and in high enough quantities, it can be fatal. Since it's undetectable without CO alarms, it's important to avoid situations where it could be present, like:
At the back of an idling boat. When your boat motor runs, it emits CO. If you're trolling or idling, take care to avoid sitting too long near the motor.
Barbecuing in the garage. Regardless of the weather, it's never a good idea to barbecue in the garage.
Using gas-powered lawn equipment like lawn mowers or leaf blowers close to open windows can spew CO into your home.
Running gas-powered equipment in your garage for any length of time. If your garage is attached to your home, CO poisoning can be a hazard year-round. Unless the connecting door has a tight seal, it can seep into your home. Check the common wall between the garage, as well, and caulk around any pipes, wires or cables entering your home. Inspecting the base and top of the common wall will also reveal small cracks that can bring in CO and other fumes from chemicals you store inside the garage.
Using tent heaters excessively to stay warm while camping or sitting too close to a campfire.
Using a gas or propane appliance indoors, without having them inspected periodically by a professional. Ideally, your furnace should be professionally maintained annually.
We at Air Assurance are here to help you avoid CO poisoning. If you'd like to improve your heating system's energy efficiency and safety, please contact us. We've provided trusted HVAC services for the Broken Arrow area for more than 30 years.Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USX-NONEX-NONE/* Style Definitions */table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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