Every year, over 100,000 Americans visit the emergency room due to unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning. This leads to about 400 deaths on average. A large percentage of these cases occur during the winter months as a result of heating sources releasing carbon monoxide into the home. Most of the deaths also occur at night when people are asleep and don’t recognize the initial signs of carbon monoxide exposure.
Not only is carbon monoxide odorless, but high concentrations of it can lead to death in a matter of minutes. It’s important to stop carbon monoxide from escaping into your house. Be sure to have working CO detectors in all the necessary areas. Here are our recommendations to protect your family and home this winter.
Potential Sources of Carbon Monoxide in a Home
Burning any type of carbon-based fuel, such as natural gas, propane, heating oil, or wood, has the potential to produce carbon monoxide. When carbon combusts, it transforms into carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor. If it doesn’t combust all the way, it also produces carbon monoxide.
Wood fireplaces and wood-pellet stoves often create carbon monoxide. This happens because the wood doesn’t burn completely. It’s possible to burn wood hot enough to combust without producing carbon monoxide, but this never happens in real life.
Gas furnaces, fireplaces, boilers, water heaters, ranges, and ovens don’t always produce carbon monoxide. But they can have problems that lead to incomplete combustion. This can produce carbon monoxide. This usually happens when the flames don’t get enough oxygen. Without enough oxygen, the gas can’t burn cleanly or achieve complete combustion. Soot buildup on burners or within a chimney can also produce carbon monoxide.
Carbon monoxide risk is lower with gas ranges and ovens. Still, it’s smart to run the kitchen exhaust vent while using them. The risk of exposure is far greater with gas furnaces, boilers, fireplaces, and water heaters due to their burning far more gas. That’s why all these appliances must have an exhaust flue or chimney that vents the combustion fumes outside.
You can determine whether natural gas is fully combusting and burning cleanly by observing the color of the flames it produces. The flames should normally be strong, steady, and bright blue. Flickering yellow, orange, or red flames are a sure sign of incomplete combustion.
How Regular Heating Maintenance Helps Avoid Carbon Monoxide Issues
The main threat of carbon monoxide poisoning is from gas heating. Lower this risk by having a certified professional inspect and service your furnace, boiler, or gas fireplace before fall use. Having the unit serviced helps to prevent or overcome any issues that could result in it producing carbon monoxide. The technician will also turn the unit on and use a sensor to test for carbon monoxide in the exhaust fumes. If they get an unsafe reading, they will then take more steps to troubleshoot the cause of the problem and determine how to fix it.
The most important thing with a gas furnace is to schedule regular inspections of the heat exchanger to ensure it remains free of cracks or rust. If the heat exchanger is damaged, exhaust fumes will leak into the air handler. Then, they will be blown into every part of the house with the hot air.
Another essential part of servicing these units is to inspect the exhaust flue for damage or rust that could lead to some of the fumes leaking out. While a cap on the flue is important, it can still get clogged with bird nests, leaves, and more. So, it’s wise to check it every year and clean it as needed.
Annual maintenance helps prevent carbon monoxide problems. It also keeps your heating system running efficiently. Your energy bills will always be lower if you schedule an annual tune-up, and you will also be less likely to have your heating system break down.
We also recommend regularly checking your furnace or boiler throughout the winter to make sure that the flames are bright blue. If you see any red, yellow, or orange, you should immediately call for an inspection.
Where Should You Install Carbon Monoxide Detectors?
New homes with natural gas or wood-burning appliances must have carbon monoxide detectors. These detectors must be in specific locations. While existing homes aren’t required to meet these regulations, they’re a good guideline to follow to ensure your family is safe.
The first rule is that you need at least one detector on every floor. It’s not necessary to have one in the attic unless this is where your furnace is located. If you have a much larger home, you’re better off having two detectors on each floor on opposite sides of the floor.
The next rule is to install a detector 15-20 feet away from every potential source of carbon monoxide. The exception to this is for a gas range or oven. It’s not recommended to install a CO detector in the kitchen if you cook with gas, as it may activate often without any actual threat. Keep the detector at least 10 feet away from any fuel-burning appliance. This helps prevent false alarms when the appliance starts.
The last and most important rule is that you should have a detector in each sleeping area or within 10-15 feet of each bedroom door. That way, you can ensure that everyone will get woken up by the alarm if carbon monoxide is present. If all the bedrooms are in one area, you can install a single detector in the hallway. Make sure it’s close to each room.
Hiring a pro to install hard-wired carbon monoxide detectors is safer than using battery-powered ones. A chain connects hard-wired detectors so that if one unit goes off, it triggers the alarm on all the others to immediately sound. The units will still work if your power is out, as they all have batteries that supply backup power.
Test your hardwired or battery detectors every month. If they start chirping, replace the batteries right away. The recommendation used to be to replace carbon monoxide detectors every five to seven years, but some units now last for up to 10 years. All CO detectors must now include a feature that alerts you when the sensor begins to fail and needs replacement. Some will start flashing or display an error code, while others will chirp or beep like they do when the batteries are going dead. In the latter case, the noise will continue after you replace the batteries.
For more than 40 years, Air Care Heating & Cooling has expertly met the heating needs of homes and businesses in Shawnee and the wider Kansas City, MO, area. Whether you have a furnace or a boiler, you can trust our team to maintain it and ensure it’s safe and provides effective heating all winter long. We’re also the team to trust if you’re looking to upgrade your HVAC system or need any furnace repairs. For HVAC services you can always depend on, contact Air Care Heating & Cooling.
