Tips to Safely Heat Your Home This Winter
Each year over 20,000 people end up in the ER as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. This odorless and colorless gas is known as the silent killer because it’s essentially undetectable without a carbon monoxide detector.
Carbon monoxide, as specified by the CDC, is given off by gas ranges, furnaces, fireplaces, stoves, and boilers so it only makes sense that carbon monoxide poisoning climbs during the winter months when people are trying to warm their homes. To help keep your family safe, Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing is here with a couple tips to safety keep your home heated.
- Place a CO detector on all floors of your home and swap out the batteries every year.
- Keep all possible sources of combustion, such as paper, clothing, bedding, or rugs, a minimum of three feet away from space heaters, stoves, furnaces or fireplaces.
- Before lighting a fire in the fireplace, always check to verify the chimney damper is open and unblocked.
- Don’t leave portable heaters or fireplaces unattended. Power off space heaters and confirm all embers in the fireplace are fully extinguished before leaving either heating source unattended.
- Space heaters should always be situated on the floor, and on a hard, fire-resistant surface, like ceramic tile. Keep young ones and pets away from space heaters.
- When buying a new space heater, buy a model that shuts off automatically if the heater tips over.
- Do not use a oven to heat your home.
- Have fireplaces, chimneys, gas or oil furnaces, and coal and wood stoves professionally examined and cleaned yearly.
The best thing you can do for your furnace is to be sure it’s not only up to the task of keeping you warm all winter but also safe, is to call for your heating tune-up. During your fall tune-up, Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing will check to ensure your heating equipment is operating safely with a full multi-point inspection and cleaning. Call 866-397-3787 today and learn how you can save on a heating tune-up through November 25th.