The “Silent Killer” Carbon Monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas produced by incompletely burned fuel from furnaces, boilers, water heaters, clothes dryers, open flames, or fuel burning space heaters. You can’t see it, smell it, or taste it; but carbon monoxide can cause brain damage and death. It is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the U.S.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning such as headaches, nausea, and fatigue, are often mistaken for something other than CO because the deadly gas goes undetected as it builds up. Just this week in Baltimore, a family of 5 narrowly escaped death due to carbon monoxide poisoning from a faulty heater. Don’t wait until it’s too late. You can prevent CO poisoning by doing the following:
- Have your heating system, water heater and any other gas, oil, or coal burning appliances serviced by a qualified technician every year. My Plumber offers $59 Safety Inspections to make sure your family is safe and comfortable.
- Do not use portable flameless chemical heaters (catalytic) indoors. Although these heaters don’t have a flame, they burn gas and can cause CO to build up inside your home, cabin, or camper.
- If you smell an odor from your gas refrigerator’s cooling unit have an expert service it. An odor from the cooling unit of your gas refrigerator can mean you have a defect in the cooling unit.
- When purchasing gas equipment, buy only equipment carrying the seal of a national testing agency, such as the American Gas Association or Underwriters’ Laboratories.
- Install a battery-operated CO and Gas detector in your home and check or replace the battery when you change the time on your clocks each spring and fall.
