Protect Yourself and Your Family From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Winter has arrived in Kentucky, bringing along with it colder temperatures, sparkling snow, and an excuse to cozy up in our homes. What many people don’t think about, is that winter also brings the danger of Carbon Monoxide (CO) to our homes. GreenBox cares about the safety of you and your family, so we are here to help you prevent CO poisoning in your home!

What is Carbon Monoxide?

Carbon Monoxide is a toxic odorless, colorless, and tasteless gas that is fatal when exposed to high levels. It is found in fumes released by the burning of fuels such as gasoline, coal, and wood in your home or in an enclosed space. Household appliances, cars, and generators are some of the main culprits of Carbon Monoxide poisoning.

What are the symptoms of CO poisoning?

People often mistake CO poisoning for the flu as it has similar symptoms. Headaches, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and chest pain are all signs that there are dangerous levels of CO in your home. If your symptoms go away when leaving your home, it is a sign that there are dangerous levels of CO built up.

How can you prevent CO poisoning?

There are several steps you can take to prevent CO from building up in your home:

• Install CO monitors in your bedrooms and near furnaces or gas burning stoves.
• Choose CO monitors that detect low levels of CO (some commercially available monitors only alert you at higher levels where you might already be feeling some of the negative effects of CO poisoning).
• Check the batteries in your CO monitors twice a year.
• Service your heating system, water heater, and other fuel burning appliances by a qualified technician yearly.
• Ensure that all gas appliances are properly ventilated.
• Never use a generator indoors.
• Never use a gas range or stove to heat your home.
• Have your chimney inspected and cleaned annually.

What should you do if your CO monitor goes off?

If your CO monitor alarms you that there are unsafe levels of CO in your home, open windows and exit the house immediately. Call the fire department to come and measure the CO levels in your home before re-entering.

If you would like to learn more about how GreenBox can help prevent Carbon Monoxide from invading your home, Schedule an appointment today!