Carbon Monoxide (CO) in your home

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:56:23 +0000

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a poisonous gas that you can’t see, smell or taste. Because of these invisible and odorless traits, it is often referred to as a silent killer. Carbon Monoxide gasses are produced from burning fuels such as wood, propane, oil, natural gas, kerosene, diesel, and coal when they do not burn properly. Now that does not mean that these are unsafe fuel sources, however like most things of this nature, proper precautions should be taken. All fuel burning equipment needs an adequate supply of fresh air in order to function properly, along with proper ventilation to carry the poisonous exhaust gases outside of the home.

Carbon Monoxide, the Silent Killer

If you happen to notice stale or relatively stuffy air, excessive moisture on your windows and walls or black soot build up around heating appliances or vents then you may have a CO problem in your home. All above are signs are indicators that Carbon Monoxide may be present and you or your family may experience flu like symptoms due to some degree of exposure to the CO gasses.

When a person gets exposed to CO gasses they may experience flu like symptoms such as headaches, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, drowsiness, burning eyes, confusion and unconsciousness. If somebody in your home experiences these symptoms at home but then the symptoms diminish when they leave the home then there may be Carbon Monoxide present. If you think there may be CO present in your home then you should leave immediately and seek medical attention or simply dial 911 (you can also consult your fuel provider for more information). In some severe cases, prolonged exposure to Carbon Monoxide poisoning can result in death so you should treat this problem seriously.

Proper installation, inspection and regular maintenance of any fuel burning equipment is probably the best defense against any harmful releases of CO gases into your home. However, having good CO detectors is a great way to protect yourself from this silent killer, But do keep in mind that having a CO detector should not eliminate the need for regular inspections of your equipment by a licensed heating, ventilation and air conditioning contractor.

Just like we do for smoke detectors, remember to change the batteries in your CO detectors when you change the clocks for day light savings. If your CO detector plugs into a wall outlet then double check to see if it is still operating with the test button and check to see if it has back up batteries.

So in summary, to protect yourself from any

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning , just install CO detectors and make sure they work properly with good batteries. If you do not have one yet you can get one for less then $50 such as the one listed below, so go out now and protect your home … better yet protect your family

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30 Ways to Conserve Energy In Your Home

admin — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 23:55:57 +0000

In Your Home – Conserve Energy

Clean or replace air filters on your air conditioning unit at least once a month.
If you have central air conditioning, do not close vents in unused rooms.
Lower the thermostat on your water heater to 120.
Wrap your water heater in an insulated blanket.
Turn down or shut off your water heater when you will be away for extended periods.
Turn off unneeded lights even when leaving a room for a short time.
Set your refrigerator temperature at 36 to 38 and your freezer at 0 to 5 .
When using an oven, minimize door opening while it is in use; it reduces oven temperature by 25 to 30 every time you open the door.
Clean the lint filter in your dryer after every load so that it uses less energy.
Unplug seldom used appliances.
Use a microwave when- ever you can instead of a conventional oven or stove.
Wash clothes with warm or cold water instead of hot.
Reverse your indoor ceiling fans for summer and winter operations as recommended.
Turn off lights, computers and other appliances when not in use.
Purchase appliances and office equipment with the Energy Star Label; old refridgerators, for example, use up to 50 more electricity than newer models.
Only use electric appliances when you need them.
Use compact fluorescent light bulbs to save money and energy.
Keep your thermostat at 68 in winter and 78 in summer.
Keep your thermostat higher in summer and lower in winter when you are away
Insulate your home as best as you can.
Install weather stripping around all doors and windows.
Shut off electrical equipment in the evening when you leave work.
Plant trees to shade your home.
Shade outside air conditioning units by trees or other means.
Replace old windows with energy efficient ones.
Use cold water instead of warm or hot water when possible.
Connect your outdoor lights to a timer.
Buy green electricity – electricity produced by low – or even zero-pollution facilities (NC Greenpower for North Carolina – www.ncgreenpower.org). In your home-reduce toxicity.

[source: (SEQL) Sustainable Environment for Quality of Life - seql.org/100ways.cfm ]

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Carbon Monoxide (CO) in your home

30 Ways to Conserve Energy In Your Home