Carbon Monoxide is a very toxic gas that is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. This makes it very difficult for people to detect with our senses alone but is easy to detect with a very affordable electronic Carbon Monoxide detector. These detectors are available at any home improvement store for around $20 and could save your life. Carbon Monoxide is a natural product of combustion- cars, gas cookstoves, and gas furnaces all produce Carbon Monoxide when they are burning fuel. We have all been told not to run gasoline-powered engines in enclosed places and not to use a gas/ propane cook stove for heating, but what about your furnace? Your furnace is the largest gas-fired appliance in your home, and therefore the biggest producer of Carbon Monoxide too. What can you do to protect yourself and your family?
1) Purchase and install a Carbon Monoxide detector in your home if you have gas/ propane burning appliances. These are now regarded to be just as necessary as smoke detectors in your home. Don't forget to change the batteries and test the alarms twice a year!
2) Inspect your furnace's heat exchanger annually. The heat exchanger of a gas furnace is what separates the combustion gasses from the air you are breathing in your home. As long as the heat exchanger is in good shape, the two are not able to mix freely. If there is a crack or hole in the heat exchanger the combustion gasses, including Carbon Monoxide, are able to infiltrate your home's air. A Mountain Home Heat and Air service technician is able to inspect your heat exchanger to be sure it is safe for only $75 +tax. Your heat exchanger should be inspected every heating season to ensure that your furnace is operating safely and not contaminating the air in your home with deadly Carbon Monoxide.
If your home is all electric, you do not need to worry about the dangers of Carbon Monoxide being emitted from your HVAC system since there is no combustion taking place.
