How to Ensure Carbon Monoxide Safety This Winter

Having a carbon monoxide leak inside your home can quickly turn into a life-threatening situation. Gas furnaces, water heaters, and fireplaces are among potential sources of these leaks, especially during the winter months. Keep the following carbon monoxide safety tips in mind to protect you and your family this heating season.

Install Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Carbon monoxide detectors are an important part of protecting you from carbon monoxide leaks. Carbon monoxide doesn’t have an odor, and it’s colorless, which makes it difficult to detect leaks on your own. Since these leaks can lead to life-threatening illness, it’s crucial to be able to detect them immediately. If you don’t have carbon monoxide detectors inside your Yuma home, you should install them as soon as possible. Put these detectors in the hallways by all of the bedrooms in your home, so that you’ll be alerted right away if there is a leak.

Test Your Carbon Monoxide Detectors

When you have carbon monoxide detectors inside your home, you’ll need to make sure that they’re working properly. Test your detectors each month and replace the batteries in them twice a year. You should also plan on replacing carbon monoxide detectors every five years.

Heat Your Home Safely

If you have a power outage, do not heat your home with a gas stove. Keep in mind that generators should be kept at least 20 feet away from vents and windows and never used inside homes.

Schedule HVAC Maintenance

Routine maintenance on your heating system can help lower the risk of a carbon monoxide leak. HVAC technicians can inspect your gas furnace and water heater to look for cracks or other problems that could lead to this type of leak. Catching these problems early helps keep you and your family safe while also keeping your HVAC system in good condition so that it runs properly. If you have a fireplace, you should also have the chimney cleaned and inspected each year before using it.

If you need more help with carbon monoxide safety in your Yuma home, please contact Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company.