Baby Safety Answers!

 

Q: How do I know if my house has it?

A: Carbon monoxide CO is produced when any fuel, such as gas, natural gas, fuel oil, kerosene, wood, and coal, charcoal is burned, and can accumulate rapidly indoors. The fumes may cause headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea and dizziness – sometimes misdiagnosed as the flu – it can even be fatal within minutes. More than 500 people die each year in the U.S. from carbon monoxide poisoning.

To determine if the indoor air is tainted, you can simply install inexpensive monitors to give you peace of mind and is potentially lifesaving use this check list as a guide:

• Buy a CO Detectors – sold at hardware stores, home improvement centers and online. They cost about forty dollars and are easy to install.
• Place the monitors outside bedrooms, near the fireplace, in each room attached to the chimney, to warn you when CO reaches dangerous levels.
• Maintain the furnace with yearly cleaning and inspections, check and change filters often.
• After a major home improvement project, or when moving into a new home, have the gas company inspect the heating system for proper ventilation.
• If CO levels appear to keep getting higher, immediately open all windows and leave the house. Once outside, contact a recommended professional to make repairs, as soon as possible.

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