As temperatures drop and furnaces kick on, it’s important to make sure your home is safe from carbon monoxide, a potentially deadly gas that you can’t see or smell, but there are simple steps you can take to keep your family safe.
Carbon monoxide is a toxic, colorless, odorless gas produced by burning gas and oil furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces, and wood and gas stoves. In concentrated amounts, carbon monoxide can be deadly.
“We have a lot of people shut off furnaces for the summer, and furnaces and hot water heaters kick on, so they're being utilized a lot more,” said Helena Assistant Fire Chief Mike Chambers. "Snow sometimes can block exhaust piping and that sort of thing, so we do see an increase.”
The best way to keep yourself safe is to install a carbon monoxide detector in your home.
There are different kinds of detectors you can find in hardware stores: wired, battery-powered, and even plug-in. They all work the same; it's just about preference.
“Just make sure you check your batteries twice a year, cause even the plug-in ones have backup batteries, and the ones that are battery only, you need to check them twice a year,” said Ace Hardware store manager Julie Ann Galinec.
Side effects from exposure to carbon monoxide include headaches, dizziness, and flu-like symptoms.
According to the CDC, each year, more than 400 Americans die from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning not linked to fires, with more than 100,000 emergency room visits, and more than 14,000 people hospitalized across the country.
St. Peter’s Health says they often treat patients with carbon monoxide poisoning.
“If you get it, you want to get outside immediately because what happens is you've lost oxygen in your blood, and so you want to breathe in the clean air, the fresh air,” said Tiffany Kniepkamp, emergency physician for St. Peter's.
Be sure to look for the signs and get your detectors installed to keep your home safe.
