If your furnace or water heater is a gas-burning appliance, HVAC experts recommend that you have it inspected by a licensed and certified heating contractor each and every year. Why is this so important? The fact is that over 80 people die in their homes on an annual basis due to excess levels of carbon monoxide generated by faulty furnaces and water heaters.
What is Carbon Monoxide and why is it Dangerous?
CO is a colorless, tasteless gas that is undetectable without specialized equipment or detectors. Most people keep their windows closed during the cold winter months, and too much CO trapped in unventilated areas can quickly lead to symptoms such as:
–Persistent and severe headaches that may affect many family members at once
–A general feeling of weakness, coupled with nausea and vomiting
–Symptoms that lessen markedly when afflicted person exits a house or lets in fresh air
Carbon monoxide poisoning is extremely serious: it exerts its influence exceedingly fast and may result in serious injury and death before anyone is aware something is wrong. This is why many victims are killed as they sleep.
What is Involved in a Yearly Heater Inspection?
Only have a reputable, licensed, and certified heating contractor in your state handle your yearly inspections: they will have the credentials, experience, and know-how to look for certain problems and correct them if necessary. An inspection should include:
–Inspecting the inside and outside of a vent pipe as well as the stack
–Checking safety controls for the exhaust system as well as all other safety controls
–Inspect and service the heat exchanger
–Cleaning fan wheels and ensuring they are in proper working order
–Replacing air filter for forced-air systems
Getting a yearly heater inspection makes good common sense: it’s also a good idea to install a carbon monoxide detector in your furnace room as well as near the family’s living quarters.
Carolyn Ethington
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