Colder months in Gainesville are upon us. In fact, the months of October through February have a record of carbon monoxide safety concerns with 68 percent of carbon monoxide related deaths caused by home appliances happening throughout those months. To understand the safety of your home, arrange an annual furnace service now, before the peak of winter is upon us.
According to a new survey from Service Experts Heating and Air Conditioning, 94 percent of homeowners understand that their furnace may release deadly carbon monoxide gas, but more than half don't do anything to stop it from taking place.
“Carbon monoxide is a colorless odorless gas that can be quite harmful,” says Dr. Lance Broy. “Initial symptoms can be thought of as the flu – you can have nausea and fatigue but actually can progress and cause organ damage or even death.”
Any appliance in your home that consumes fuels like gas, oil, or wood – such as furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces or clothes dryers – has the chance to release carbon monoxide if the system is not operating correctly or if it wasn’t installed correctly.
Your annual furnace service company can help uncover any troubling concerns. When you have furnace service completed, your technician should:
- Ensure that your furnace isn’t emitting carbon monoxide
- Look for any other out-of-place things that could compromise your safety
- Help you identify any additional areas where you may want to think about adding a carbon monoxide detector
- Tune-up your system so that you know your equipment is operating at its best efficiency, helping offer peace-of-mind that you’re in a great spot to potentially save money this winter
It’s important to remember that many furnace manufacturers may require annual furnace service to keep your system under their warranty. That’s where the experts at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning can help. We’re here to help you have not only a comfortable home, but more importantly, a safe one. Give us a call at 352-414-4006 or set up an appointment with us online to learn more about carbon monoxide safety as we head in to the winter months.