Carbon monoxide, CO, is the result of incomplete combustion from fuel-burning appliances. With proper ventilation leading from your furnace to the outdoors, carbon monoxide is normally able to escape your home without risking poisoning to your family. Carbon monoxide prevention can keep your family and home safe against possible poisonings.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
There are different levels of carbon monoxide exposure and each level has different side effects on a person. It restricts the body’s ability to move oxygen effectively. The different types of exposure and their symptoms include:
- Mild Exposure – fatigue, nausea, and headaches
- Moderate – sleepiness, disorientation, confusion, pounding headaches, and accelerated heartbeat
- Heavy – heart failure, convulsions, loss of consciousness, coma, brain damage, and death
Signs of Carbon Monoxide In Your Home
Carbon monoxide gas is odorless and hard to detect, but there are a few visible signs that may indicate the presence of a problem, such as:
- Streaks of soot on the service door of your furnace
- No present draft from your chimney
- Excessive rust found on flue pipes or appliance jackets
- Moisture from flue pipes, chimney base, or vents
- Exterior vent pipes have rust
HVAC Preventative Maintenance and HVAC Repair
Regular HVAC maintenance inspects your heating and cooling systems for a few of these indicators and prevents costly HVAC repairs in the future. Preventive maintenance also checks to make sure your carbon monoxide detectors are functioning properly.
If you don’t already have detectors installed in your home, Estes Services can set you up with detectors with an HVAC repair call. During the HVAC repair call, the technician can install the number of detectors needed according to the size of your home and make sure they are working properly from the start. HVAC maintenance also will replace or clean your air filter to keep your indoor air quality high. The life expectancy and efficiency of your unit is improved drastically with HVAC maintenance that is performed at least twice a year.
Keep your family safe from carbon monoxide by installing CO detectors and keeping your HVAC system maintained! The skilled professionals of Estes Services are trained to perform preventative maintenance and any type of HVAC repair. Call us today and get your heating and cooling system in check.
