Cooler months in Hilton Head Island are here. In fact, the months of October through February have a history of carbon monoxide safety concerns with 68 percent of carbon monoxide related deaths caused by home appliances occurring during those months. To understand the safety of your home, arrange an annual furnace service now, before the cold of winter arrives.
According to a new survey from Service Experts Heating and Air Conditioning, 94 percent of homeowners understand that their furnace can release deadly carbon monoxide gas, but over half don't do anything to keep it from taking place.
“Carbon monoxide is a colorless odorless gas that can be surprisingly harmful,” says Dr. Lance Broy. “Initial symptoms can be mistaken for the flu – you can have nausea and fatigue but actually can progress and cause organ damage or even death.”
Any appliance in your home that uses fuels like gas, oil, or wood – such as furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces or clothes dryers – has the chance to give off carbon monoxide if the system is not operating correctly or if it wasn’t installed correctly.
Your annual furnace service company can help identify any possible issues. When you have furnace service completed, your technician should:
- Be sure that your furnace isn’t emitting carbon monoxide
- Look for any other suspicious things that may compromise your safety
- Help you find any additional areas where you may want to consider adding a carbon monoxide detector
- Tune-up your system so that you know your equipment is operating at its best efficiency, helping provide peace-of-mind that you’re in an ideal spot to potentially save money this winter
It’s important to remember that many furnace manufacturers could require annual furnace service to keep your system under their warranty. That’s where the experts at Epperson Service Experts can help. We’re here to help you have not only a comfortable home, but more importantly, a safe one. Give us a call at 843-619-3781 or set up an appointment with us online to learn more about carbon monoxide safety as we head in to the colder months.