Annual maintenance key in averting carbon monoxide poisoning

There are more than 300 deaths and nearly as many hospitalizations due to carbon monoxide poisoning each year in Canada.

The heartbreaking part is most of those deaths and poisonings could be avoided with annual professional maintenance of the fuel-burning appliances that cause such catastrophes.

Carbon monoxide detectors are a must in each home, and professional maintenance should be as well to keep you and your family safe this winter and beyond. Relying on a carbon monoxide detector should not be your one and only line of defence against the silent killer that is colourless, odourless, tasteless and non-irritating.

“When someone almost dies from carbon monoxide poising, the authorities always mention how important it is to have functioning CO detectors in the home," Comfort Tech Heating & Cooling co-owner Terri Wilkinson says. "We wish they would also mention the absolute necessity of having professional annual maintenance on all gas appliances, in addition to having functioning alarms."

“It’s kind of like not maintaining your main parachute before you jump out of a plane because your backup chute ‘should’ work.”

If you have any one of furnace, fireplace, gas stove or water heater in your home, then yearly maintenance is a must to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Comfort Tech will come to your home and provide a full furnace inspection that would include the following:

• check the operation of safety limit controls, temperature set points, thermostat, blower, pressure switches, ignition and venting system
• clean the blower
• inspect the heat exchanger and burner
• in older models only: lubricate the blower and motor bearings, and remove and clean the burner.

In addition to annual professional maintenance, also ensure that your carbon monoxide detectors are located near sleeping areas and are inspected routinely as well.

If your carbon monoxide alarm sounds, do the following:

1. Do not try to locate the source of carbon monoxide
2. Leave your home immediately and move to fresh air
3. Once outside, call 9-1-1, your fire department or emergency services
4. Return to your home only after the problem has been fixed by a professional

This article is written by or on behalf of the sponsoring client and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.