Keeping your family and home safe is one of your top priorities. As winter brings its cold air to the Lorain area, you should be aware of some winter home safety precautions that every homeowner should take.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Although carbon monoxide poisoning can happen at any time, it is of particular concern in the winter. People are more likely to warm up their cars inside their garages, and of course, everyone has their furnace on. Unfortunately, vehicles and furnaces, along with gas appliances and wood-burning stoves, are some of the most common sources of carbon monoxide in most people’s homes.
Carbon monoxide, or CO, is called a “silent killer” because you cannot see it or smell it. You usually figure out that it is a problem when you start feeling some of these symptoms:
- headache
- nausea
- confusion
- dizziness
- stomach ache
If you suspect you might be experiencing CO poisoning, the best thing to do is go outside into fresh air and call your HVAC professionals. They can check your home for the most common causes of CO build-up, such as leaks in your gas lines or a cracked heat exchanger on your furnace.
What precautions can you take to avoid CO poisoning?
- Install a CO detector to alert you in case of CO build-up
- Properly vent any wood-burning or gas appliances
- Have your furnace inspected to make sure it’s working properly
Furnace Maintenance
Furnaces make Ohio winters much more comfortable, but they need to be properly maintained in order to operate safely. As mentioned above, a cracked heat exchanger in your furnace can lead to CO poisoning. In addition, loose electrical connections can be fire hazards.
What precautions can you take? Schedule a maintenance check-up in the fall or early winter. The HVAC technician will make sure your furnace is operating safely. Routine maintenance also extends the life of your furnace by making sure that small problems are caught before they become expensive ones.
To learn more about winter home safety or any other HVAC issues in your Lorain area home, contact Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning today.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about home safety and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 440-201-2959.
Credit/Copyright Attribution: “openclipart-vectors/Pixabay”
Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area