Carbon Monoxide: Dangers and Prevention

Winter is here and it's here to stay, at least for the next four to five months. Depending upon where you live, you can look forward to closed-in spaces, artificial heating (by way of a furnace) and tightly closed windows, with no fresh air entering the house.

Unfortunately, this can also leave your home susceptible to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Many of today's homes, whether due to extensive renovations or as a newly constructed home, are so much better sealed. Construction codes require that homes be tightly sealed with both Styrofoam insulation and house wrap (usually Tyvek paper, which doesn't allow for the house to breath). Today's windows and doors are also better constructed and insulated in a way that ensures no cold air in winter, or hot air in the summer, can enter the house.

In many ways, this is a cost efficient, money saving procedure. With the high cost of home heating fuel, we look for effective ways to save money, by saving fuel consumption. If cold air is not seeping into the home through cracks, doors and windows, the homeowner is not throwing away money by having their furnace running constantly to heat the home.

However, this also means that gases cannot escape from the house either, sometimes leaving dangerous levels of gases (carbon monoxide) trapped within the house. With less ventilation in the winter months, this can certainly be the result.

Being that this gas is colorless and odorless, it is often not detected until it is too late. One might experience physical symptoms that can often be mistaken for a winter flu. They may not seek help, thinking that they just need to treat flu symptoms with proper eating and bed rest. They may not suspect that their furnace is emiting this dangerous toxic gas into their home, until it is too late.

DANGER SIGNS THAT THERE MAY BE A DEADLY BUILD UP OF CO (CARBON MONOXIDE) IN YOUR HOME:

- Family members may experience ongoing physical symptoms such as constant headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and shortness of breath.

- An unusual amount of condensation on the interior of your windows.

- A decrease in hot water supply.

- Soot settling on furniture, curtains and other surfaces of the home.

- A yellow flame in your furnace. It should be burning a "blue" flame. If the flame isn't blue, leave the home immediately and have your furnace checked out by a certified inspector, and your home checked for levels of CO.

OTHER CONTRIBUTORS TO CARBON MONOXIDE BUILD-UP:

- Poorly installed gas furnace, poorly installed gas appliances (such as gas stoves and gas clothes dryers), as well as gas space heaters.

- Blocked chimneys. Check for debris that might be in your chimney. One way to do this is to open the small metal door at the bottom of your chimney, place a mirror inside, facing upward. If you can see light shining through, your chimney should be clear. It's also a good idea to have a professional chimney sweep check and clean the chimney regularly.

- NEVER (this cannot be emphasized enough) use a gas or charcoal grill, or gas generator IN the house. You would be surprised at just how many people actually use these items in the event of a power outage during frigid winter storms. These can leave extreme and dangerous levels of carbon monoxide trapped within the house.

- Fireplaces and flues should be checked and maintained on a regular basis to prevent debris and dangerous gases from becoming trapped.

- Never leave a vehicle running in a closed garage.

- If your home has an attached garage, have your home inspected to ensure that the walls between your garage and living space are well sealed. Often, people will succumb to the fumes if a vehicle has been left running in the garage and the carbon monoxide seeps into the interior of the home through the walls. For added ensurance, never leave your vehicle running in the garage (even with the garage door open). In winter months, start your vehicle and then back it out onto the driveway immediately to idle and warm up.

Over 200 people die each year in the United States due to carbon monoxide poisoning (probably the same amount, if not more, in Canada being we have a much colder climate that lasts a lot longer). So many of these deaths could have been prevented had people known the danger signs, as well as proper, preventative measures.

Lastly, if you rely on a gas furnace to heat your home, and/or use gas appliances, be sure to invest in a couple of carbon monoxide detectors for your home. They cost approximately $100 each, but that is such a small amount to pay for added assurance of your family's safety and well being.