You must have heard or read of carbon monoxide poisoning. There is also a good chance that you understand what it is. However, if you are like most American homeowners, there is a probability you don’t know what it is or why it could be dangerous to you and your family. You might have heard of warnings issued about carbon monoxide poisoning, but you still don’t find a reason to worry.
There is no specific scale that determines where carbon monoxide poisoning can occur. Therefore, you should be aware of the potential signs that you may be experiencing this concern. These are some of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning:
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Headaches
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue
- Vomiting
- Loss of consciousness
- Eventual death
Carbon monoxide poisoning gets assessed by the concentration of the poisoning and the time of exposure. If the time of exposure or the concentration of the poisoning is significant, the victim might progress into severe symptoms or even die. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to protect your family and loved ones from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Test the Carbon Monoxide Monitor
Buying a monitor for your home is not enough. Unless the monitor is in the right working condition, it is not helpful. After installing the monitoring system, you will need to test the parts regularly. This is to ensure that you have monitors that are working as expected. This way, you can be sure of an alarm going off in case of a high carbon monoxide concentration in your house.
Add Carbon Monoxide Monitors
This is the single most crucial step that you can take to protect your family from carbon monoxide poisoning. When it comes to managing and avoiding carbon monoxide elimination, it is not about going to some store and purchasing some fancy looking detectors and installing them in random locations in your home. For complete effectiveness, you will need to install them in some very critical areas in your house or home. The following is a list of the possible places you can put the detectors:
- On the floors of your home
- Close enough to your sleeping locations
- Close to items and appliances with high potential of emitting the carbon monoxide
- Very close to the ceilings
- Away from windows, air registers, and vents
- Away from bathrooms
- Away from direct sunlight
You might get tempted to underestimate these monitors; however, carbon monoxide is undetectable by your human senses. A monitor is, therefore, your surest and fastest way to make sure that your home is free of CO poisoning.
Commit the Signs and Symptoms to Memory
Apart from having a list that outlines the symptoms and signs of CO poisoning, you should be able to remember the symptoms. This way, you will be able to differentiate the symptoms from other possible problems. Therefore, with the symptoms committed to memory, you will not mistake a sign of carbon poisoning for a cold or flu.
Clean the Filters of Your Gas Dryer
Possibly you don’t think your drier has anything to do with carbon poisoning. However, you will get surprised to learn that this is not the case. If you have a gas dryer at home, carbon monoxide poisoning could occur through the lint that mostly collects in the dryer’s filter. This is a major issue because the lint blocks the vent and therefore prevents the carbon monoxide from escaping.
Limit the Extent of Exposure
To avoid CO poisoning, you can begin by ensuring that you don’t put your family at risk. You can do this by limiting the extent to which you get exposed to the CO emissions. As a start, you can implement the use of low-emission appliances. Another action you can take is making a home policy to avoid using combustion appliances inside your house.
Service Your Appliances Regularly
Appliances with a high probability of producing carbon monoxide should have servicing schedules as regularly as possible. Some of the devices that might need cleaning are the high carbon monoxide sources such as vents and chimneys.
Contact the Pros
IBBOTSON Heating & Air Conditioning Co. is a leader for HVAC services in Arlington Heights, IL, and the surrounding areas. Our wide range of services includes repairs, installations, and maintenance. If you live in Illinois, our technicians at IBBOTSON Heating & Air Conditioning Co. are ready to serve you. Contact us today for more information.
