Keep Carbon Monoxide Out of Your Home
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a harmful gas that has no colour, smell or taste.
CO forms whenever you burn fuel such as propane, natural gas, gasoline, oil, coal and wood. It is also contained in second-hand smoke. If furnaces, fireplaces, gas stoves or water heaters are improperly installed, or if they malfunction, they can release CO into your home.
What Are the Health Effects?
CO can cause health problems before people even notice that it is present.
When you breathe in CO, it reduces your body’s ability to carry oxygen in the blood.
Even at low levels of exposure, CO can cause headaches and make you feel tired. The health effects at higher levels can be much more serious and can even lead to death.
How do I know if I Have a Problem?
CO can be detected only with a carbon monoxide detector.
What Can I Do?
- Maintenance is the key!
- There is no substitute for good maintenance of fuel-burning appliances because CO detectors may not detect low levels of CO that can, over time, have effects on your health.
- Make sure appliances such as furnaces, fireplaces, gas stoves and water heaters are well maintained and inspected by a professional at least once a year.
- Get a CO detector!
- Put at least one carbon monoxide (CO) detector in your home. A smoke alarm helps protect against fires, but will not warn you of potentially harmful carbon monoxide in your home. It is important that you have a carbon monoxide detector in your home as well as a smoke alarm.
- Install a Canadian Standards Association (CSA) certified CO detector with an audible alarm to warn you of high CO concentrations in your home. The most important place to install a detector is in hallways, outside of sleeping areas. Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s suggestions on how to install and use the detector, and when it needs to be replaced. You can use a marker to remind yourself when it was installed and when it should be replaced.
- Leave it outside!
- Never use a barbecue indoors.
- Don’t use kerosene or oil space heaters or lamps in enclosed areas unless they’re specifically designed for indoor use.
- No idling indoors!
- Don’t let vehicles idle in the garage, even when the garage door is open.
- Never run gas-powered lawnmowers, trimmers, snow blowers or other machines in the garage.
- Keep the door between your house and the garage closed.
INSTALL A HEAT RECOVERY VENTILATOR
