Carbon Monoxide
Happy Harold’s tip of the week, play it safe! Install and maintain smoke and carbon monoxide detectors!
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas which can cause sudden illness and death. CO is found in combustion fumes, like those made by cars, stoves, gas ranges and, you guessed it, heating systems. If there isn’t a good flow of fresh air, the fumes can build up to toxic levels without you ever realizing it. The symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to other illnesses (headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, etc) which is is why it is so important to install and maintain your CO detectors.
Smoke detectors are the unsung hero of every home. But, when is the last time you checked it? Did you ever put the batteries back in after it went off while you were cooking? Here are some facts and figures that The National Fire Prevention Association has about the value of a smoke detector.
- Dead batteries caused 25% of smoke alarm failures
- In fires in which the smoke alarms were present but did not operate, more than 43% of the smoke alarms had missing or disconnected batteries
- 2012-2016, smoke alarms sounded in 53% of the home fires reported to U. S. fire departments
- Smoke alarms should be tested monthly, simply press the test button to be sure your alarm is working
The good news is, maintaining these two systems is easy. Since your heating and cooling systems should receive an annual tune-up, we have trained our technicians to check your CO detector and smoke detectors as part of their regular routine. During these appointments, feel free to ask our techs how to properly check your alarms so that you are able to complete regular safety checks on your own in between maintenance. Not receiving a maintenance? No problem! Our techs can check your alarms during service calls, or installations, all you need to do is ask!
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