Winter months in Niagara Falls are near. In fact, the months of October through February have a track record of carbon monoxide safety concerns with 68 percent of carbon monoxide related deaths caused by home appliances happening in the course of those months. To understand the safety of your home, schedule an annual furnace service now, before the middle of winter arrives.
According to a new survey from Service Experts Heating and Air Conditioning, 94 percent of homeowners recognize that their furnace can release deadly carbon monoxide gas, but more than half don't do anything to prevent it from taking place.
“Carbon monoxide is a colorless odorless gas that can be quite harmful,” says Dr. Lance Broy. “Initial symptoms can be confused for 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 utilizes fuels like gas, oil, or wood – such as furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces or clothes dryers – has the chance to discharge carbon monoxide if the system is not running properly or if it wasn’t installed the right way.
Your annual furnace service company can help identify any possible issues. When you have furnace service completed, your technician should:
- Make sure that your furnace isn’t emitting carbon monoxide
- Inspect for any other suspicious things that might compromise your safety
- Help you uncover any additional areas where you may want to consider adding a carbon monoxide detector
- Tune-up your system so that you know your equipment is running at its peak efficiency, helping give you peace-of-mind that you’re in an ideal spot to potentially save money this winter
It’s important to know that many furnace manufacturers could 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 or set up an appointment with us online to learn more about carbon monoxide safety as we head in to the winter months.