Protecting Your Family from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

If you have a natural gas, oil or wood furnace, it is important to understand the risks of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Every year 400-500 people in the U.S. die from CO poisoning and an estimated 15.000 are treated for exposure at emergency rooms. CO is colorless, odorless and tasteless gas that is a by-product of burning fuel. You need to know how to protect your family from accidental CO exposure that can be deadly.

Proper Ventilation

All furnaces need to have the right ventilation and seals in place to prevent CO leaks inside your home. It is critical to have your furnace inspected and services annually to ensure that it is working correctly, including the ventilation system.

Use a CO Detector

All homes should have a CO detector, especially those with fuel-fed furnaces. Make sure to check your detectors periodically to ensure they are working. Detectors should have a battery-backup if they are plugged in; make sure to change the batteries as needed.

Carbon Monoxide Exposure Symptoms

You should know the early signs of CO exposure. Dizziness, headaches, tightness in the chest, fatigue and nausea are common symptoms – children are more likely to show effects first. If there are any signs of CO exposure, exit the home immediately and seek medical care. You should also call your local HVAC service company to have your home tested for CO. If there is CO detected in your home, you may need your furnace serviced or repaired.

Awareness is key in protecting your family from carbon monoxide poisoning. Make sure to keep up with furnace and CO detector maintenance to prevent CO poisoning in your home.

Posted on behalf of:
Western Aire Heating & Cooling
Marietta, GA 30066
(770) 505-7426

Understanding Fresh Air Ventilation Systems

Modern residential construction seals a home tight to prevent the interior of the home from being negatively impacted by the weather conditions out of doors. Because homes are sealed and insulated so well, there is little natural ventilation or air exchange happening. To keep the air in our home from becoming stale, fresh air ventilation systems are installed as a part of our HVAC system. These systems bring in fresh air and circulate in through the house via our heating and cooling air ducts. There are a couple of different types of ventilation systems; they are heat recovery ventilation and energy recovery ventilation systems. 

Both ventilation systems do an air exchange, taking in an equal amount of fresh air to the amount of stale air being sent out of the home. During the exchange, the outside air is warmed during the heating season and cooled during the cooling season. The heat energy is actually transferred from the exhausting air to the incoming air, which means you aren’t loosing all that heat in the winter.

The energy recovery system goes a step further and also removes the humidity from the outside air, as well as adjusting the temperature. This second option saves additional energy over the first option by taking on another portion of the work your AC system would need to do otherwise.

 Different fresh air ventilation systems will have different efficiency ratings and pricing. Your HVAC contractor can give you professional guidance in choosing the right system for your home.