Keeping Yourself Safe during Carbon Monoxide Awareness Month
ZANESVILLE, OH – November is Carbon Monoxide Awareness Month and there’s some important things you need to do to keep yourself safe.
CO is a tasteless, orderless, and non-corrosive gas that’s produced when fuels burn incompletely.
Chief Russell Taylor, with the South Zanesville Fire Department, says if you feel dizzy or your face is flushed, there may be something going with your furnace.
“Don’t hesitate to call any fire department that you live around, we’ll come out and check it, and make sure you have a CO monitor.” Chief Taylor said. “It will always go off, as long as the battery works, unless it’s directly wired into your house, it will let you know that there’s a problem in your house.”
It’s recommended to have a CO monitor on every level of your home and outside of every room where someone sleeps.
Chief Taylor also says to clear out any dust or debris from vents as well as giving your furnace a once over to make sure there’s no leaks in the pipes.
“Before you start your furnace up, have a furnace guy come out and look at it, make sure all the pipes, there’s no rust.” Taylor explained. “There’s nothing disconnected from your exhaust, so everything is working and functioning. Most of the time in the winter, people will start their cars in the garage, try not to do that. If you have to, make sure you open the garage doors, just don’t let it sit there and run.”
If you suspect a leak in your home it’s best to exit the home immediately, leave your windows closed, head outside, and call the local Fire Department.
