Carbon Monoxide

It's important to start thinking about getting your HVAC system ready for winter. You can schedule your preventative maintenance inspection and help reduce the risk for common heating problems, including carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is odorless, tasteless and undetectable without a carbon monoxide detector.

Carbon Monoxide Gas – is produced as a by-product of fuel consumption. All appliances and vehicles that burn oil, gas, propane or another fossil fuel produce carbon monoxide. Under normal circumstances, the carbon monoxide is vented to the outside air through exhaust pipes, vent stacks or chimneys. When fuel-burning furnaces develop cracks in their heat exchangers, carbon monoxide can leak into the surrounding area. This can causing serious harm and even death to those inside.

Carbon Monoxide Poisining – more than 400 people die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning in the United States. Another 20,000 people are taken to the hospital! The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are often described as being flu-like. They include dizziness, nausea, headaches, chest pain and sudden exhaustion. If you suspect you are experiencing any of these symptoms, turn off your furnace immediately, open the windows and go outside. Once you are in a safe area, call one of our techs here at LHT Cooling and Heating to diagnose and repair the problem.

HVAC Preventative Maintenance – should be performed before the start of winter. By scheduling this maintenance, you can help prevent carbon monoxide from escaping your furnace's heat exchanger and poisoning your home.  Preventative maintenance also helps find other problems with your HVAC system. These problems could affect its operation over the winter, including gas leaks, inconsistent temperatures across your home, thermostat and airflow problems.

When it comes to keeping your HVAC system functioning properly, the first step is to change those air filters frequently. We here at LHT recommend monthly filter changes! The next step is to call us to have your Fall maintenance done. Not only will it keep your heating system working all winter long, it will also save you money with an efficiently operating system.