The Silent Killer – Carbon Monoxide | Heating and Air Conditioning Repair in Fort Worth, TX
Carbon monoxide has been coined as the silent killer because it is very difficult to detect. This is because it doesn’t have any taste, color or smell. These dangerous gases are emitted from furnaces, gas ranges and even fireplaces. If there is a build up inside your home, then every resident – including your pets are at risk of getting poisoned.
Services for heating and air conditioning repair in Fort Worth, TX had found that there were 2244 reported deaths because of unintentional poisoning from carbon monoxide. They also found that the highest number of reported deaths had occurred during the winter season – for obvious reasons.
As a dedicated company for heating and air conditioning repair in Fort Worth, TX we feel obliged to let the world know about the consequences of this deadly gas. So in this article we will enlighten you about how to prevent such problems in your home.
Let’s get started.
Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
The most common symptoms as reported by physicians include walking problems, visual changes, impaired judgment, nausea, dizziness and headaches. This list is quite comprehensive though and could occur without the carbon monoxide problems.
If you’re sure, however, that what you’re experiencing is because of a carbon monoxide leak, then turn off the suspected source right away. Next you should go out into the fresh air and call 911 for an ambulance.
What Causes These Deadly Leaks In Homes?
Household appliances which consist of gas fires, heating systems and boilers can all be a source of carbon monoxide leaks. There may even be a blocked chimney or flue in your home which may be preventing the gas from escaping your home. They then start to build up until they have reached toxic levels.
Tips That Can Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
1. Inspect Your Chimney For Efficiency and Safety
Services for heating and air conditioning repair in Fort Worth, TX advise that you have your chimneys inspected and cleaned for efficiency and safety. This is because a clogged chimney may be the main reason as to why carbon monoxide buildups occur in the first place.
2. Inspecting Your HVAC Vent For Proper Airflow
It’s common for every home to have old furniture moved out and new ones coming in all the time. This is where you should remember to make sure that none of the new furniture is blocking the HVAC air vents. Not only are blocked vents useless, but they also tend to drive up the heating in your home. As a result you may end up with an air vent which is overheated.
Other than this, services for heating and air conditioning repair in Fort Worth, TX have found that the after effects of a blocked HVAC vent will include:
- Condensation and growth of mold in the winter season because of low surface temperatures in these rooms.
- Heat exchangers getting cracked – which is another reason why there could be a potential carbon monoxide leak in your home.
- Comfort problems in your home which are caused because of an inefficient air flow
- Increased leakage from ducts
3. Installing Carbon Monoxide Alarms and Detectors
These carbon monoxide detectors are essentially very similar to smoke alarms and detectors. The only obvious difference is that these devices look for carbon monoxide emissions. You should definitely consider getting these installed in your home or ask your contractor for heating and air conditioning repair in Fort Worth, TX to do so.
The importance of these can’t be said enough because carbon monoxide is both odorless and poisonous. That said, you should also make sure that your carbon monoxide detectors are tested atleast once a month for efficiency.
4. Scheduling Regular Maintenances
It is vital for every homeowner to have their oil or gas burning system serviced by a heating and air conditioning repair in Fort Worth, TX on a yearly basis.
It was found by most professional services of heating and air conditioning repair in Fort Worth, TX that if the fumes from ovens and heaters aren’t functioning effectively, they may cause life-threatening situation.
This is why it is vital that get scheduled for a preseason maintenance checkup for your furnace with a service for heating and air conditioning repair in Fort Worth, TX. Their qualified technicians will be able to provide mechanical, ventilation and operational checkup so as to increase the lifecycle of your fixtures while also making sure they are operating efficiently.
5. Do Not Heat Your Home With a Gas Oven
Services for heating and air conditioning repair in Fort Worth, TX have found that people think heating their home with a gas oven is a handy alternative. This should never be done! This is because an unattended and overworked oven has the potential of leading to an explosion. These fixtures were never built for extended running periods.
Other than this, using gas ovens for heating purposes also has the potential of releasing carbon monoxide from their gas flames.
6. Take Caution When Using Heaters with Fuel-Burning Space
These types of heaters require a lot of attention from their users. This is because the maximum temperatures of these units need constant regulation. Other than this, all its materials need to be kept atleast 3 ft away from the units.
You should also bear in mind that these space heaters have accounted for about 1 out of 3 fires caused by heating fixtures. Other than this, they have been the reason for 80% of the home-heating related deaths on an annual basis.
This is why services for heating and air conditioning repair in Fort Worth, TX advice that you shouldn’t forget to turn off your portable heater whenever you are going to bed or leaving your home.
Contact Us for More Information
One Hour Air Conditioning and heating recommends that your take the right precautions if you have fireplaces, stoves and heaters in your home. You can even go ahead and contact us for an inspection by visiting our website or calling us at 817-283-6911.