While the amount of carbon monoxide that is produced from various sources around your home is generally not hazardous, carbon monoxide is deadly and kills hundreds of people each year. It is important to protect your family and arm yourself against accidents.
Guard your family against preventable accidents or death by taking the proper measures and understanding carbon monoxide and how it can enter your home and be identified. Carbon monoxide can enter your home in various ways including heating systems, appliances, and vehicles running in an attached garage.
Ways to Protect Your Family from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Include:
- Installing CO detectors – these alert you to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide much like a fire detector alerts you to fire
- Ensure all appliances that use fuel are working properly and always used correctly
- Do not leave your car running in the garage or other confined space; this is a leading cause of carbon monoxide poisoning
- Schedule regular maintenance of heating systems, this includes chimneys and flues
- If using kerosene heaters, never refuel them inside
Installing CO detectors is recommended even if you take all of the other steps above because it’s the most surefire way to be quickly alerted of rising levels of carbon monoxide in your home. A gas appliance or heating system could be working properly one day and not the next, so even with scheduled maintenance, it’s best to have a system in place that will notify you of a problem.
If you think you, or someone in your family, may be suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, immediately turn off appliances and heating systems, open windows in the house, get fresh air, and go to the nearest emergency room.
Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Include:
- mild to severe headaches depending on the carbon monoxide level
- fainting
- nausea and/or vomiting
- confusion
- dizziness
- shortness of breath
Because these symptoms are also related to other illnesses, you may not link them as being caused by carbon monoxide poisoning which is another good reason for CO detectors.
