How To Identify Carbon Monoxide in Your Home

How To Identify Carbon Monoxide in Your Home

Posted on 15. Aug, 2011 by in Indoor Air Quality

How To Identify Carbon Monoxide in Your Home

In the winter season, increased indoor activities and our reliance on heating and appliances can raise the risk of carbon monoxide (CO) emission. And because it is a colourless, ordourless and tasteless gas, it is virtually impossible to detect without the presence of a carbon monoxide alarm. Steps should be taken to ensure that your home air is clear of CO.

  • Have your home tested for carbon monoxide/gas leaks around gas furnaces
  • Fireplaces, chimneys, vents, furnaces and fan systems should be professionally inspected and cleaned each year to maintain safe function
  • Propane or natural gas stove tops or ovens should not be used to heat your home
  • Avoid the use of a kerosene space heater indoors or in a garage
  • Regularly clean the clothes dryer ductwork and outside vent cover for blockages such as lint, snow, or overgrown outdoor plants
  • Install carbon monoxide (CO) alarms in your home to alert you to the presence of this deadly gas
  • Make sure all members of the household are aware of what to do if the alarm should go off

This gas is also very poisonous, and exposure to low levels of CO over an extended period of time is just as dangerous as extreme exposure. Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide poisoning are often confused with those of the flu, and food poisoning.

The initial symptoms of low to moderate CO poisoning are similar to the flu, but without the fever. They include:

  • Headaches
  • Fatigue
  • Shortness of breath
  • Nausea
  • Dizziness
  • Light-headedness

High level CO poisoning results in progressively more severe symptoms, including:

  • Mental confusion
  • Vomiting
  • Loss of muscular coordination
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Death

For more information on fire safety, visit the Alberta Emergency Management Agency website at www.aema.alberta.ca, or phone 780-422-9000 (toll-free in Alberta at 310-0000).

Related posts:

  1. How-To Evaluate Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning Symptoms?
  2. How to Avoid Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
  3. How To Place Your Carbon Monoxide Detector
  4. CBS Early Show: Carbon Monoxide Prevention

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