It is a bone chilling 23 degrees in North Texas at this minute. Furnaces all over DFW are working to keep our homes at a comfortable temperature. Here is a reminder that all of us, including you and your family, are at risk from Carbon Monoxide poisoning if your home is heated with a furnace.
Recently, a good customer asked PMI to verify a home inspector’s conclusion that the HVAC unit was in good working condition in a home they were buying. We were happy to help; however we were very suprised by what we found. We identified two sources of Carbon Monoxide leaks in the unit and a serious corrosion problem: the combustion chamber needed replacing. Carbon Monoixide is deadly! Needless to say, or client was very pleased that we found these problems!
When furnaces are working properly, Carbon Monoxide is not a problem because it is exhausted through the attic and out of the house. Problems arise when combustion chambers crack allowing the Carbon Monoxide to leak and mix into the air circulation system of your home.
Carbon Monoxide is heavier than oxygen and displaces life sustaining oxygen. Carbon Monoxide is odorless, tasteless and not detectable by the human body. It simply enters the lungs, absorbs into the bloodstream and destroys the ability of red blood cells to absorb oxygen. The Center for Disease Control has great info on Carbon Monoxide poisoning.
The risk of Carbon Monoxide from your furnace is preventable with a regular maintenance plan for your HVAC system. A spring maintenance inspection helps make sure the summer cooling will be done efficiently without undue wear and tear on the system and a Fall maintenance inspection will make sure the furnace is operating correctly and not leaking carbon monoxide. This twice-a-year plan is called the Pearson Maintenance Agreement.
We must understand the details of the Carbon Monoxide threat or we might underestimate the potential risk.
We also recommend Carbon Monoxide Detectors. Of course, carbon monoxide detectors are not infallible. Please keep the batteries replaced! The Center for Disease Prevention suggests changing the batteries when Daylight time changes in the Spring and Fall.
Did we leave you with questions about your particular situation? Please contact us. We would be glad to answer your questions. You can leave a question in the comments below if you like.
Be safe and get your HVAC unit inspected at least every Fall. Share this post with your friends so we can watch out and protect each other.
