We often hear about the significant danger of carbon monoxide, but do you really know what you should about the deadly gas? Often times called the silent killer, the colorless, odorless, and tasteless toxin is extremely difficult to detect. At Hoosier Indoor Air, we want you to be well aware of the safety precautions you should be taking to make sure your family doesn’t suffer from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Where Does it Come From & What are the Symptoms?
Carbon monoxide is produced through residential or industrial environments with heaters, cooking equipment, or vehicles that run on methane, diesel, and gasoline. Symptoms can range depending on the severity of the exposure. Mild symptoms include dizziness, feeling light headed, other flu like symptoms, headaches, confusion, and vertigo. With a more severe exposure to the toxin, individuals can include extreme damage to the central nervous system, heart, and can even result in death.
In the News
In a recent report by Fox News, a family from Troy, Ohio has lost three of four children to a carbon monoxide leak in their home. A relative found them unconscious in the home. Police detected that the cause was from a leak in the furnace.
The relative who found them said the children had been sick for a few days, and they lived with their grandmother. Sadly, the children were unconscious and in cardiac arrest when first responders arrived to the scene.
Attorneys on the case stated that the owners of the home had owned the home for twenty years and always made repairs when they were needed. This is why it is so important to make sure you stay on top of your home maintenance, so you can avoid accidental deaths like this,
To learn more about this case, visit the Fox News website.
How to Avoid a Deadly Leak
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention suggests a few ways to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning in the home:
- Install a battery-operated CO detector in your home and replace it when you change the clocks each fall and spring.
- Don’t use portable flameless chemical heaters indoors.
- If you smell an odor from your gas refrigerator have an expert service it. An odor from your gas refrigerator can mean it could be leaking CO.
- Don’t burn charcoal inside, burning charcoal gives off CO.
- Do not use a generator inside your home, basement, or garage or less than twenty feet from any window, door, or vent.
If you have any questions or suspect a CO leak within your home, give us a call immediately at 317.888.9111 or schedule service online and we will send out a certified technician to check the problem.