Columbia Gas is reminding residents to be conscious of carbon monoxide dangers

ZANESVILLE – Carbon Monoxide can be a lethal, odorless, and colorless gas. Of course, its very dangerous, but, Columbia Gas’ Dave Rau says there’s many steps you can take to be prepared for it.

“Carbon monoxide is a danger but it’s something that you can easily protect yourself against. There’s just a few steps that you should take every year to make sure you and your family stay safe. One of the most important ones is getting a carbon monoxide detector. The prices have really come down. I bought this one for about twenty dollars at a big box store. They’re very easy to use. There’s also models that double as a smoke detector so it’s very easy protection for you and your family,” Rau said.

Rau said the dangers of carbon monoxide can be avoided when installing new equipment.

“If you have a natural gas appliance that you’re installing, say, a new furnace or water heater… don’t do it yourself. We say don’t D-I-Y. This is not a job for people who are not professionals. You need to have someone who is really able to make sure that the appliance is operating safely and that’s it’s also venting safely (and) getting that exhaust out of your home and up the chimney and outside. That’s not something you can do yourself. Call a professional. This is a case where it’s absolutely worth the money,” Rau said.

You can find more carbon monoxide safety tips on Columbia Gas’ website.