How to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Your Home

With fall and winter approaching, it’s a good time to have your home’s heating systems professionally inspected and serviced, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. A trained technician can check chimneys, central heat, gas heaters, heat pumps, electric heaters, and more to make sure the systems are working properly and not producing deadly carbon monoxide (CO). They can also install electrical or battery-operated CO detectors throughout the house to ensure the personal safety of all occupants.

Carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless, and otherwise undetectable to human noses, making unprotected homes hazardous. CO poisoning can be mild or severe, depending on the levels of CO in the home and the duration of exposure. Unfortunately, CO poisoning can be mistakenly attributed to other causes such as the flu. Lower levels of CO exposure can cause headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea and dizziness. High levels can cause mental confusion, vomiting, loss of muscular coordination, loss of consciousness, and in the worst cases, death.

The CPSC.gov and the Environmental Protection Agency have a number of recommendations to prevent CO poisoning, many of which are simply common sense:

·         Install interconnected CO alarms. When one sounds, they all sound.

·         Never use portable generators indoors. Keep them at least 20 feet away from the home with the exhaust facing away.

·         Never use cooking appliances to heat the home.

·         Open the fireplace damper before starting a fire. Keep it open until ashes are cool.

·         Semi-enclosed spaces like garages or sunrooms aren’t safe for barbeque grills.