Checking for Carbon Monoxide at Home

When inhaled in large amounts, carbon monoxide can result in death. Carbon monoxide is difficult to detect using our senses – you can’t see or smell it. Thus, it can infiltrate your home without your knowledge until symptoms show. The longer you are exposed to this poisonous gas, the more severe your symptoms can become.

Sources of Carbon Monoxide at Home

A leakage of carbon monoxide into the air can result from a malfunctioning cooking, heating, or ventilation system. It can come from other sources at home including:

• Gasoline-fueled appliances and space heaters
• Cigarette and pipe smoke
• Gas ranges
• Generators
• Kerosene heaters
• Wood-burning fireplaces and stoves
• Chimneys and furnace systems with leaks

How Carbon Monoxide Affects your Health

When your air is contaminated with carbon monoxide, you inhale more carbon monoxide than oxygen. It gets into the blood as soon as it enters the body, replacing oxygen. Thus, the vital organs of our body become deprived of oxygen.

The initial symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are:

• Confusion
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Nausea
• Shortness of breath or chest tightness
• Tiredness

How this deadly gas affects your health primarily depends on how exposed you are to carbon monoxide. While it can cause those immediate side effects, it can quickly become serious, leading to vomiting and loss of muscle coordination. Breathing in high amounts of carbon monoxide can result to suffocation and loss of consciousness.

Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning by Detection

Much like smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors are important for any home. These detectors are the only way you’ll know if carbon monoxide gas is affecting the air quality in your home, therefore preventing fatal illnesses and death. They should be installed near bedrooms, where you’re likely to spend most of the time sleeping.

Each carbon monoxide detector comes with manufacturer’s instructions, including how often it needs to be replaced. Make sure it includes an Underwriters Laboratories certification tag. Unfortunately, not every brand of carbon monoxide detector is 100% effective. Make sure you research the brands and read reviews before you purchase.

Even if the detector alarm hasn’t sounded yet and you experienced symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, get everyone out of the house immediately.

Another way of preventing carbon monoxide poisoning is making sure that regular maintenance are done to fuel-burning appliances and ensuring that they are all working properly.

Your house can protect and shelter you from the heat, cold, and rain. But it can’t protect you from carbon monoxide poisoning and the financial struggles related to such events. That is why home insurance is highly recommended to every homeowner.

Here at Wellcovered Insurance Group, we offer different home insurance coverages that you can purchase at a competitive price. Get your free quote today by clicking here and discuss your options with one of our agents. Call us at (386) 218-4951 or drop by our office!